As I take in the negativity
I wonder if I have the strength in me
To help those who have yet to decide
If they're willing to embark on the long ride
To a place where their troubles no longer have control
A place where the bad doesn't have hold
A place where excuses are no longer a crutch
A place where they can count on themselves in a clutch.
I wonder if I have the fortitude
To see past the tough guy attitude
To tap into their inner vulnerability
To show them that they matter to me.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Art Therapy 101
Have you ever lost yourself in creating something? Perhaps you're upset and you bake cookies, become absorbed in creating delectable goodies, and the experience is cathartic. Maybe you enjoy crafts, and you lose yourself in scrapbooking, or candle making, or Christmas gift creating. Maybe you enjoy drawing, or painting, or writing, and you're aware of little else while absorbed in accomplishing an artistic product. Maybe you listen to music, and are carried away to another conscious level by a melody, or lyrics. Quite possibly you write poetry or journal and find that this form of expression is soothing.
This simple idea, finding catharsis in artistic expression is one aspect of art therapy.
Does a piece of artwork ever speak to you? Does the image say something that words cannot? Have you ever viewed art that transcends words and becomes another form of communication?
This idea, that an art creation may become another form of communication, one beyond words, is another aspect of art therapy.
Within an art therapy context, creating an image utilizing art materials and metaphor is a way for individuals to make a problem external, and easier to solve, conquer, or manage.
Also, art creation can, on occasion, reach into the unconscious, tap into thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are under the surface; things that haven't emerged, but are causing turmoil within.
I am just skimming the surface here folks. This field is multi-faceted. It is complicated. It is amazing. It is underestimated and underappreciated.
Art therapists work with a HUGE variety of populations. There is group work and individual work. Some facilities use art therapy with patients on an extremely short term basis (gotta love managed health care). Yet some art therapists are fortunate enough to work with clients over an extended period of time.
Generally, and art directive is given (I'll give specific examples in another post) the client creates art work, and then the therapist and client discuss the piece, or what the client thought about while creating the piece, or what emotions were invoked while creating...and a myriad of other topics.
Ahhh...but that's not all! My degree will be a Bachelor's in Creative Arts in Therapy with a Visual Arts concentration. My school has 4 concentrations. The others are; Dance/Movement, Music, and Theatre. Each one is pretty amazing, but I won't drag this post out any longer with details on each one.
I needed to write this post tonight because I had an awful night at work. I needed to remind myself that I won't be a god-damned waitress forever, and that I really, really believe in this field. I needed to give myself the reassurance that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that all of the choices I've made so far have not been wrong.
If you're intrigued and would like further info on art therapy please check the following link, because, like I said, I haven't even skimmed the surface on this stuff and it's incredible.
American Art Therapy Association
Oh, and there are internship details to follow as well as more entertaining writing, I graduate in December. Then, LOOK OUT! I'll have time to blog once again.
This simple idea, finding catharsis in artistic expression is one aspect of art therapy.
Does a piece of artwork ever speak to you? Does the image say something that words cannot? Have you ever viewed art that transcends words and becomes another form of communication?
This idea, that an art creation may become another form of communication, one beyond words, is another aspect of art therapy.
Within an art therapy context, creating an image utilizing art materials and metaphor is a way for individuals to make a problem external, and easier to solve, conquer, or manage.
Also, art creation can, on occasion, reach into the unconscious, tap into thoughts, emotions, and feelings that are under the surface; things that haven't emerged, but are causing turmoil within.
I am just skimming the surface here folks. This field is multi-faceted. It is complicated. It is amazing. It is underestimated and underappreciated.
Art therapists work with a HUGE variety of populations. There is group work and individual work. Some facilities use art therapy with patients on an extremely short term basis (gotta love managed health care). Yet some art therapists are fortunate enough to work with clients over an extended period of time.
Generally, and art directive is given (I'll give specific examples in another post) the client creates art work, and then the therapist and client discuss the piece, or what the client thought about while creating the piece, or what emotions were invoked while creating...and a myriad of other topics.
Ahhh...but that's not all! My degree will be a Bachelor's in Creative Arts in Therapy with a Visual Arts concentration. My school has 4 concentrations. The others are; Dance/Movement, Music, and Theatre. Each one is pretty amazing, but I won't drag this post out any longer with details on each one.
I needed to write this post tonight because I had an awful night at work. I needed to remind myself that I won't be a god-damned waitress forever, and that I really, really believe in this field. I needed to give myself the reassurance that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that all of the choices I've made so far have not been wrong.
If you're intrigued and would like further info on art therapy please check the following link, because, like I said, I haven't even skimmed the surface on this stuff and it's incredible.
American Art Therapy Association
Oh, and there are internship details to follow as well as more entertaining writing, I graduate in December. Then, LOOK OUT! I'll have time to blog once again.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
I'm not Alexander Today*
Do you ever have a day when your senses seem to function on a higher level?
A day when the autumn colors are more vibrant and intense, and you're dazzled by their beauty?
A day when you notice a lone Blue Jay soaring through the treetops as you're driving down the highway at 70 miles an hour?
A day when that upbeat song on the radio seems to put you in an even better mood than usual?
A day when you drive by the diner where you had those savory waffles and you can taste the strawberries and whip cream once again?
A day when you see a woman smoking a cigarette, dressed in a puffy down jacket, driving her mini-van out of a gas station; and imagine that she is hurried to drop off her children at the sitters in order to make it to work on time?
A day when you imagine that young guy walking down the road, clad in Dockers, a dress shirt, and a neck tie is someone who has finally decided that going out with his friends and getting drunk on the weekends isn't as enjoyable as it used to be, and he's decided that he's ready to settle down?
A day when you can sit down, break out the watercolors, and not worry at all if the final project will be a masterpiece?
A day when you seem impervious to the minor annoyances that occasionally make you tense and anxious?
A day when the sky seems bluer than usual?
A day when you're inspired to take the time to compose a blog post, and don't care in the least if it's full of run-on sentences?
Today I'm having one of those days.
*I'm referring to the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. If you don't have a copy of this book, you should get one.
**And the sketch is mine...a totally random selection.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addendum:
2x4 is making vegetarian crab cakes, and we're drinking organic red wine.
*sigh*
This is such a good day...
Monday, October 09, 2006
Returning to School as an Adult 101
I promised a post about my internship, but I think this requires a little background information. If I've mentioned all of this before, I apologize, I don't want to be redundant, simply efficient, but I can't remember if I've said all of this before.
Anyhoo...
After my divorce I decided that I needed some major life changes. I didn't like the general direction in which my life was headed (working in miserable dead-end retail jobs for crappy pay and barely making ends meet while residing in the town where I grew up and never, ever escaping...get the picture?) So, I did what people do when this is their dilemma, I decided to go back to school. Except, I still had NO idea what I wanted to be when I grew up and had NO idea where to start. I got through step 1: Choose to make a change, but I needed some help with step 2: Choose a path and run with it.
The career counselor at the local community college where I earned my Associate's Degree in liberal arts was my savior. I took this test-sorta-thing called a Strong Interest Inventory. It weighs your interests against those of professionals in a variety of careers and determines with whom you share the most 'interests'
My top three:
Photography
Fine Arts
Social Work
Great. THAT'S helpful. You know how lucrative the fine arts are (incase you don't, they're not for like 95% of the world's artists). I live in a small town with about 5 professional photography studios, yeah, that market's been tapped. Everyone I spoke with told me that social work is awful and thankless.
I posed the following question to the career counselor, "Is there such a thing as 'Art Therapy'?
He said yes, found me a college within commuting distance that had a program and I began step two...BOY did I run with it! I ran with it in a totally irresponsible way. I didn't check the job market, I didn't research what the hell art therapy was, and I didn't punch numbers to figure out how ON EARTH I was going to make ends meet for the duration of my schooling. I wanted a direction, I didn't want to plan it all out (for once in my life), I wanted to go crazy and chase a dream (how's that for cheesy? It's true though!)
As I've mentioned recently, I'll graduate at the end of this semester. I have studied art therapy for 2 and a half years. I believe in it, I'm passionate about it, and I'm thrilled that I've had this educational experience.
However...the problem is...well, I didn't check the job market. And...there are.no.jobs.
I think I have options...I think. I won't really know until I officially graduate and start pounding the pavement, but I'm panicking right about now about what on earth I'll be doing 6 months from now...I don't have a plan, and that's REALLY not how I've done things for the last 29 years.
Well...where am I going with this? To my inspiring, wonderful, exciting, informative, and helpful internship...which I have to go to in the morning. Right now it's eleven o'clock, and I'm kinda awfully tired.
So...my next post will be: What the heck is art therapy 101. I know people will ask this question, I've been trying to figure out how to answer that question in 10 words or less for two years. It's impossible. It will require an entire post, which I will of course offer to you, my faithful readers, who I'm certain are on the edge of your seats!
Anyhoo...
After my divorce I decided that I needed some major life changes. I didn't like the general direction in which my life was headed (working in miserable dead-end retail jobs for crappy pay and barely making ends meet while residing in the town where I grew up and never, ever escaping...get the picture?) So, I did what people do when this is their dilemma, I decided to go back to school. Except, I still had NO idea what I wanted to be when I grew up and had NO idea where to start. I got through step 1: Choose to make a change, but I needed some help with step 2: Choose a path and run with it.
The career counselor at the local community college where I earned my Associate's Degree in liberal arts was my savior. I took this test-sorta-thing called a Strong Interest Inventory. It weighs your interests against those of professionals in a variety of careers and determines with whom you share the most 'interests'
My top three:
Photography
Fine Arts
Social Work
Great. THAT'S helpful. You know how lucrative the fine arts are (incase you don't, they're not for like 95% of the world's artists). I live in a small town with about 5 professional photography studios, yeah, that market's been tapped. Everyone I spoke with told me that social work is awful and thankless.
I posed the following question to the career counselor, "Is there such a thing as 'Art Therapy'?
He said yes, found me a college within commuting distance that had a program and I began step two...BOY did I run with it! I ran with it in a totally irresponsible way. I didn't check the job market, I didn't research what the hell art therapy was, and I didn't punch numbers to figure out how ON EARTH I was going to make ends meet for the duration of my schooling. I wanted a direction, I didn't want to plan it all out (for once in my life), I wanted to go crazy and chase a dream (how's that for cheesy? It's true though!)
As I've mentioned recently, I'll graduate at the end of this semester. I have studied art therapy for 2 and a half years. I believe in it, I'm passionate about it, and I'm thrilled that I've had this educational experience.
However...the problem is...well, I didn't check the job market. And...there are.no.jobs.
I think I have options...I think. I won't really know until I officially graduate and start pounding the pavement, but I'm panicking right about now about what on earth I'll be doing 6 months from now...I don't have a plan, and that's REALLY not how I've done things for the last 29 years.
Well...where am I going with this? To my inspiring, wonderful, exciting, informative, and helpful internship...which I have to go to in the morning. Right now it's eleven o'clock, and I'm kinda awfully tired.
So...my next post will be: What the heck is art therapy 101. I know people will ask this question, I've been trying to figure out how to answer that question in 10 words or less for two years. It's impossible. It will require an entire post, which I will of course offer to you, my faithful readers, who I'm certain are on the edge of your seats!
Friday, October 06, 2006
I'm Still Here!
I realize that I have been awful lately when it comes to posting. Rest assured, my blog has not been the sole victim of my malaise. I've been procrastinating with papers, art projects, housework, work, and just about anything that requires motivation.
I don't seem to have any.
It's not that I'm unhappy, I'm not. I'm still happy overall, I'm still madly in love, intending to get married, finishing up school and all that jazz. I think I'm suffering from extreme burn out. I dislike my job, I'm tired of school...how much text book reading, research, paper writing, test taking, graded art projects, and commuting can one person do in 2 and a half years? Well, whatever the quantity, I fear I have reached my limit.
I think this is one of the reasons I've been 'obsessing' (2x4's word) about changing my blog skin. I need to eke out inspiration from wherever I can.
So...I bring you the new look.
It's a little plain and simple, but hey, so am I!
See that blank margin on the right? I wanna put some of my artwork and such over there. Eventually I'll figure out this damn html stuff enough to do just that. For now, I'll try to be inspired by the subtle turquoise margins.
I have to jet off to my humbling job right now, but I intend to do a post within the next day or two about my internship, so please come back. I know I've been neglecting my limited faithful readers.
Oh, and this blog skin change thing only happened because of the advice I got from commenters. I seriously had no idea where to begin. I found this skin on Blogskins.com. They have LOTS of stuff. Thanks, shpprgrl! (she recommended them).
I don't seem to have any.
It's not that I'm unhappy, I'm not. I'm still happy overall, I'm still madly in love, intending to get married, finishing up school and all that jazz. I think I'm suffering from extreme burn out. I dislike my job, I'm tired of school...how much text book reading, research, paper writing, test taking, graded art projects, and commuting can one person do in 2 and a half years? Well, whatever the quantity, I fear I have reached my limit.
I think this is one of the reasons I've been 'obsessing' (2x4's word) about changing my blog skin. I need to eke out inspiration from wherever I can.
So...I bring you the new look.
It's a little plain and simple, but hey, so am I!
See that blank margin on the right? I wanna put some of my artwork and such over there. Eventually I'll figure out this damn html stuff enough to do just that. For now, I'll try to be inspired by the subtle turquoise margins.
I have to jet off to my humbling job right now, but I intend to do a post within the next day or two about my internship, so please come back. I know I've been neglecting my limited faithful readers.
Oh, and this blog skin change thing only happened because of the advice I got from commenters. I seriously had no idea where to begin. I found this skin on Blogskins.com. They have LOTS of stuff. Thanks, shpprgrl! (she recommended them).
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