art & therapy collage

A personal journal during the last year of my art therapy master's program.

Sorry it's been so long- I've been keeping busy and have recently found some photos of the career day presentation I did for a Fairfax County Middle School. (I actually presented to 3 different groups of 8th graders.) I was really pleased to share info about art therapy to people that young so they have more options. As I told them, they had a wonderful opportunity because I did not even hear the words "art therapy" until I was a junior in college! By then, I thought it was too late... now, I have learned it is never too late to go into art therapy.

Thanks to Dion, Brittany, Dae Sik, Seung Ho, Joo Yeun, and Malisa for giving me permission to post these photos. I wish you all success in your education and future careers.

Working on the Group Mandala.

Sign In graffiti wall. All three groups participated in decorating this.

9:34 PM [ Link ]

Graduation is over and I have been resting up! On Sunday after graduation I slept 12 hours and took a 2 hour nap on Monday. I fell asleep at 8 or 9pm on Monday night and slept 14 hours! Two years of graduate school can do that to a body. I was really energetic and productive on Tuesday though :) I talked to one of our neighbors and he said he remembered when his spouse finished graduate school. She was so tired that she fell asleep while sitting on the toilet! That could easily have been me.

I have been invited to do a career day presentation for 8th graders in June. It's odd already participating in career day and I don't have a job lined up yet.

Speaking of jobs, my plans are to recuperate after two intense years. I'll start seriously looking for a job by fall. I'm just working my three part-time jobs for now... I want to work on the house and yard, paint, and take it easy. I cannot believe how much time has been freed up now that I don't have to commute 1.5 hours each way to school! Of course, I will still jump if I hear of a full time art therapy job with benefits :)

4:18 PM [ Link ]

The George Washington Art Therapy program student newsletter, Drawn From Building L is now online! I'm still adding some stuff to it but all the articles are available.

I have to decorate my cap! (Did you know the fancy term for it is mortarboard?)

3:28 PM [ Link ]

I am finally finished with all my papers, classes, and internship! I turned in my practicum paper today for review and I picked up my cap and gown for graduation- FREEDOM!

I have a lot to wrap up here but for now....

Check out The Canvas.

12:51 AM [ Link ]

So maybe you want an update:

Three more weeks left of school and internship. I graduate May 18.

I have several art projects, three papers left to write (including my big practicum paper), two presentations, and a partridge in a pear tree. I have to terminate with my kids at my internship site (say goodbye and help them say goodbye) and I am now physically sick! I can't afford to be sick- after graduation is when I can be sick.

Well, if you don't see the next update til after May 18, you know why!

8:54 AM [ Link ]

My friend Katherine just sent me a link to a beautiful web site called the World Trade Center Children's Mural Project. Over 3000 children around the world participated in the project by sending thier portraits. The exhibition announcement invites people to "be inspired by their strength and visions of peace."

8:45 AM [ Link ]

It's about time again to write a monthly entry. I've been thinking about adding more to my synopsis of the AATA conference in NM. On Feb. 8, I described my experiences on Thursday of the convention. I forgot to mention that after lunch, I attended a focus group/open forum with Donna Betts and Barbara Robertson on Working with Adoption. It was my only real networking opportunity and I learned about a program in Colorado called Colorado Heritage Camps that work with international adoptees and parents. Donna and Barbara passed out a list of resources and we each discussed our interests in working with adoptees. A woman named Melanie described her work at the heritage camps and gave us samples of art projects for each age-group relating to the adoptive experiences of the children. Barbara spoke about the distinction between moms and parents allowing the children to understand that they can have two moms but only one parent or set of parents (the biological moms and dads). Thus, children are allowed to feel connection to both the biological parents and the adopted moms and dads. Donna and Barbara also discussed altering drawings of the family tree to a family "orchard" so that it can include extended family such as foster families, divorced/separated families, and step- and half- siblings.

In addition I wanted to mention some quotes that stuck in my mind from Bruce Moon's performance...

• "I am in Control of #2 lead pencils- I am in control!"
• "I will just put the pieces back where they belong"
• "You are welcome; your tears are welcome; your pieces are welcome."
• "I never said I couldn't- I said I didn't!"
• "Wherever I go will be called 'here'- wherever we go will be called 'home'"

On Friday November 9, I attended the morning session, "Quality and Inner Satisfaction: Revisiting the Importance of Quality in Art and Art Therapy." It was presented by Susan Ainlay Anand and Lani A. Gerity. Edith Kramer was also supposed to present but she was absent due to an injury. Anand and Gerity presented her part about kitsch and art and folk art. They spoke about how some art therapists do not care about the quality of the art. They argued its importance in the field. They presented with a slide show on two large screens and gave us stories behind various artists' works. It really reached into the depth of the power of art in everyday people's lives.

After the opening session I went with Lauren and Diana, who were sharing a hotel room with me, to take advantage of the open art studio- a small room at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Hotel (which hosted our conference). It was stocked with paper, oil pastels, chalk pastels, scissors, paint, etc. We created art until lunch time and then I bought several books and got them autographed by people such as the new AATA President Shaun McNiff, the author of the first art therapy book I ever owned, Cathy Malchiodi, and Bruce Moon. Here's a picture I created in oil pastels inspired by the landscape in New Mexico (excuse the quality -- it's a scan from a slide):

9:12 PM [ Link ]

Here's an interesting site that includes some artwork by psychiatric patients collected by Eric Cunningham Dax and organized by psychiatric disorder.

12:22 AM [ Link ]

A brief update of my life currently:

Beginning my research project (had to design an art therapy research project for my class).

Midterms are coming up for my graduate classes (thank God this is my last semester!)

Working on the Spring issue of the GWU Art Therapy Program newsletter Drawn from Building L (I'm a co-editor along with colleagues Diana and Maggie)

Helping to organize fundraising to reduce student costs to go to the AATA Conference this year. I think it ran me about $300 for registration last year.

Meeting for lunch on Thursday with my former placement supervisor from last year. Actually, the other art therapist at that placement is also coming. I hope Kelly, the other intern at my placement last year will be able to come. She is currently employed full time as an art therapist in a hospital setting.

Interviewing a prospective student for the school program on Thursday.

Attending my first workshop on Saturday- I'll write all about it afterwards.

Working on trying to balance my life more so that I may have more time to dedicate to art.

Keeping my eyes and ears open to possible job openings for art therapy in my area (I can't wait to finally get paid for something I love doing!)

12:27 AM [ Link ]

Can you tell I've been surfing the 'Net? (I only do this about twice a year...) Here's a really fascinating community funding project called YouthReach Initiative to support youth through arts in Massachusettes- we need to implement more of these programs across the country!

12:07 AM [ Link ]