Paper House Making at SIUE’s Fall Art Therapy Conference

This past week-end I enjoyed spending time with art therapy graduate students and faculty at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville as part of their 2012 Fall Conference.  It was a great couple of days featuring two of my passions in art therapy:  an evening presentation about my interest in community organizing  through social media and online art collaborations, as well as an all day workshop about my clinical work with youth survivors of domestic violence.

Saturday’s workshop included art-making time focused on creating paper houses as a way to explore and introduce themes related to finding safety through art.  It was exciting to see the different houses, environments, and additions students made from the variety of awesome materials provided.

Even more exciting was when we brought our individual houses together to create our own safe village full of creative and vibrant energy (!) :

Houses come together to create a vibrant & creative village!

If you’re interested in learning more about this art intervention and the steps involved to make your own paper house (or village!), my download on SlideShare about Paper House Making with Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence can be accessed here:

Thank you to SIUE’s Student Art Therapy Association and faculty for a great conference and visit!

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Ohio Department of Mental Health Art Display : Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence

Earlier this year I was invited by the Ohio Department of Mental Health (ODMH) to display some of the art from youth that I work with in individual and group art therapy at the Domestic Violence & Child Advocacy Center (DVCAC).  ODMH showcases quarterly art displays from various programs and consumers from around the state in their Columbus office at the James A. Rhodes State Office Tower.

According to the ODMH website, ODMH “works to assure access to quality mental health services for Ohioans at all levels of need and life stages”.   One of ODMH’s core beliefs is a commitment to Trauma Informed Care, as well as the Resiliency of Youth.  Check out both of these links on the ODMH website to learn more and access their recommended resources.

The display from DVCAC runs October 1 through December 31 and features art expressions from children & adolescents who have been impacted by domestic violence and are involved in group or individual art therapy through DVCAC’s community-based outreach program. Art on display explores themes related to safety, resilience, emotional expression, domestic violence prevention, and managing trauma stress. Art expressions include collage, drawing, painting, handmade papermaking, paper house making, and mask making.  Click on the image below to download a flier [PDF] about the display.

The timing of this exhibit’s start is also aligned with October being recognized as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Look for related DVAM posts to be featured here on Creativity in Motion throughout this month, as well as resources about domestic violence collected on my trauma informed pinterest board.

If you are in the Columbus area over the next three months, take a moment to visit ODMH and this display.  My appreciation to the youth who participated through sharing their art, feelings, and a part of their life to empower their own voice, as well as bring awareness to others about their experience.

My Creative Spaces, Places & More #wherewecreate

The Art Therapist Is In

This past week, I’ve started to upload preview photos for the art therapy photo documentary project Spaces & Places: Where We Create.  It has been very inspiring to see and learn about the creative spaces of the project’s endorsers who are offering a sneak peek into their work, spaces,  and favorite tools of the trade.  I am looking forward to learning even more from future submissions when Spaces & Places: Where We Create officially launches to the art therapy community on February 13.

I’ve been working on getting my photos together for the project, both my own personal art-making space and favorite materials, as well as the different spaces and such that I use as an art therapist.   Here are some initial pics that I have taken:

My Own Creative Space

These series of photos (above) show my creative space and office used for my own art-making, art therapy supervision, and small group art meet ups with friends & colleagues. The space is packed with my favorite art supplies (for collage, art journaling, altered art & bookmaking, painting, & drawing), inspiring photos, art, notes, toys, books, and more.

Some of my favorite materials to use in my own art

I have also started to take photos of the art therapy spaces,  favorite materials and approaches I use in my work as an Art Therapist with survivors of domestic violence in Cleveland, Ohio:

Art Therapy Spaces, Paper House Making, & Art Journaling

Part of my work at DVCAC includes providing community based art therapy to youth exposed to domestic violence through individual or support group services.  I also offer individual and group art therapy to youth and women who come to shelter to escape domestic violence.   As seen in previous posts here, I often use Paper House Making to explore and address safety planning, safe places, and to help contain overwhelming feelings associated with the worry,  fear, and terror that children and adolescents from violent homes experience.   Another photo I included is a material pic connected an art journaling group I recently started for women in shelter as a non-threatening space and means to manage traumatic stress and strengthen coping.

If you are interested in checking out the other photos that have been submitted so far (or future photos), check out the Art Therapy Alliance’s Set on Flickr for the project or follow photos via the Art Therapy Alliance’s Facebook page.

Healing Imagination V @ Ursuline College

I recently finished “The House That Change Built” for Healing Imagination V, a juried art exhibition to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Ursuline College’s Art Therapy and Counseling Program. This house is dedicated to hope, growth, & truth and built from trust, art, safety and to never stop dreaming.

The House That Change Built

The house was first made with cardstock using these paperfolding steps, then covered with plaster modeling strips to experiment with using this material and another media for my new obsession of making mini houses.  The plaster was painted and embellished with collage, stamping, fragments, and a new material I received from Cathy (thanks!): grungeboard!  I used the grungeboard to create mini message flags that I painted, stamped, and sewed together for hanging across the front of the house.

Grungeboard Message Flags

I’ve also been working on a mini brown paper bag journal for donating to this event’s art raffle and to benefit tornado relief efforts in Missouri.  On the edges of the inside “pockets”  I’ve stamped the words create, give, be, and peace to go along with the peacemaking theme I am working on for the book.

Create, Give, Be...Peace

The Healing Imagination V opens on June 3 with a reception (5:00-6:30 pm) followed by a gallery talk (6:30-7:30) with Artist, Author, and Art Therapist Shaun McNiff at Ursuline College‘s Florence O’Donnell Wasmer Gallery.  The exhibit will be on display until July 8.