See the Triumph
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Origins of See the Triumph
    • About our Research
    • Terms of Use
  • Blog
    • See the Triumph Collections
  • "Free Store"
  • Resources for More Information
  • Contact Us
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Origins of See the Triumph
    • About our Research
    • Terms of Use
  • Blog
    • See the Triumph Collections
  • "Free Store"
  • Resources for More Information
  • Contact Us
Search by typing & pressing enter

YOUR CART

Picture
The Triumph Over Abuse Blog

1/15/2015

The Transformative Healing Power of Art

By Kelly Moore and Jaimie Stickl, See the Triumph Guest Bloggers

Art as a form of communication has been used since the beginning of mankind. Across cultures, art has been used as a tool to express emotion and many have seen it as therapeutic and healing. People who have experienced trauma sometimes find it hard to express or verbalize their feelings.

Language can often be limiting when trying to express the magnitude of emotions that are associated with a traumatic event. Art can provide an individual with a safe place to explore the intensity of these emotions while creating a tangible product that can then serve as a catalyst for communication.

We here at See the Triumph have started to provide Healing through Art workshops for survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV)/sexual assault and have seen firsthand how art can be a powerful tool in the healing process. In working with survivors, we have come across several individuals who have felt that their voice has been taken away from them or silenced through their experience. We used art as a tool to help them reconnect with that voice and provide a way for them to share their story. We created masks and mandalas, explored broken pottery, made journals, and embellished boxes.

While there are hundreds of ways to use art in the healing process, each project we chose was aimed at exploring emotions, expressing experiences, and providing a safe place for survivors to share their story. At the end of the process, some individuals were amazed as they reflected on their artwork and saw how their product often mirrored what was going on for them or how they were feeling, whether they had meant to portray that in their piece or not.

As we processed the experience of creating something new, inevitably metaphors came alive. For instance, one project that we did consisted of painting broken pottery pieces and then putting them back together as a whole unit. One survivor commented that the process was so frustrating as her pieces sometimes didn’t seem to fit, fell apart, or she wasn’t sure she liked certain pieces. But after she had put them together and she saw the pot, she realized that the once broken pieces were put back together into a beautiful and unique whole. She saw this as a symbol of her healing process and experiences. Another survivor stated that once she was able to let go of trying to create something perfect, she enjoyed feeling the freedom and release of truly expressing herself in a new way.  

While these are only a few examples of what we have seen, expressing yourself through art can be an empowering experience.  You don’t have to be an artist to explore and experience the healing benefits of art. We are hoping to make the Healing through Art workshops curricula available in the spring to provide ideas of different ways to use art. In the meantime, here is an idea to get you started exploring your inner artist:

Create a Visual Journal:  Try creating a journal out of an already made children’s board book.    You can typically purchase them from a thrift store or used bookstore for under a dollar.   Pick a shape and size that you like. 

Once you have your book, you will want to lightly sandpaper each page on order to remove most of the glossy coating.  Next, you’ll be ready to paint a layer or two of gesso primer or white acrylic paint as the foundation.  Then, your book is ready to be transformed!

Try painting each page a different color – or a variety of colors!  We have found that acrylic paints tend to work best on these books.  You can also add all kinds of images and words once the paint dries.

Some creative ideas to get you started: 
  • Choose a theme for your book and go with it.
  • Things I’m grateful for…
  • Goals for the New Year
  • Emotions – each page could be dedicated to a different emotion         
  • What I love about myself (indulge!)

Or…pick up a magazine, cut out an image that you like and let your imagination run wild.  Or…dig through old photos and re-create your story throughout your journal to create the life you desire.

Whatever you decide to do, have fun and be patient with yourself.  Keep in mind, you do not need to create a masterpiece, rather this is for you and for your own healing.  We’d love to hear about what you create, so please leave a comment below with your own artistic inspiration!
Picture
Kelly Moore is a doctoral student in the Counseling and Educational Development department at UNCG.  Kelly received her Master’s Degree in Art Therapy from Florida State University and her undergraduate degree in Education from the University of Georgia.  Kelly is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Registered Art Therapist.  She has had experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings and was working as a therapist in Asheville, NC before returning to school.  Through her work with See the Triumph, Kelly has had the opportunity to co-lead art therapy workshops for individuals who have experienced sexual assault/intimate partner violence.  These experiences have solidified her belief that art can be an empowering avenue for survivors to share their stories.


Picture
Jaimie Stickl is a doctoral student in the Counseling and Educational Development department at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Jaimie received her Master of Arts degree in School and Community counseling from Regent University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Grove City College. Jaimie is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Professional School Counselor. She was most recently working as a school counselor with Denver Public Schools in Colorado before returning to school to work towards her doctorate. Jaimie has been a co-leader of art therapy groups for individuals who have experienced sexual assault/intimate partner violence. She has truly enjoyed using art as a tool in the healing process and is looking forward to continuing her work with See the Triumph.


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012

    RSS Feed

    Categories

    All About Intimate Partner Violence About Intimate Partner Violence Advocacy Ambassadors Children Churches College Campuses Cultural Issues Domestic Violence Awareness Month Financial Recovery How To Help A Friend Human Rights Human-rights Immigrants International Media Overcoming Past Abuse Overcoming-past-abuse Parenting Prevention Resources For Survivors Safe Relationships Following Abuse Schools Selfcare Self-care Sexual Assault Sexuality Social Justice Social-justice Stigma Supporting Survivors Survivor Quotes Survivor-quotes Survivor Stories Teen Dating Violence Trafficking Transformative-approaches