[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: American Art Therapy Association

American Art Therapy Association

https://arttherapy.org/

• Art Therapy is worldwide so it would make sense to look at how it is practiced acrossed the world, rather than just in Britain and the UK

• There is an American Art Therapy Association. Here are some notes from the website.

• Who we are: "The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan, professional, and educational organization dedicated to the growth and development of the art therapy profession. Founded in 1969, the American Art Therapy Association is one of the world’s leading art therapy membership organizations. The mission of the American Art Therapy Association is to advocate for expansion of access to professional art therapists and lead the nation in the advancement of art therapy as a regulated mental health and human services profession.The services of licensed, culturally proficient art therapists are available to all individuals, families, and communities. Adopted August 2016.

• Definition of Art Therapy: Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

• The American Art Therapy Association represents individuals and institutions who are dedicated to the art therapy profession and who have an interest in promoting its growth throughout the United States. Membership is comprised of, though not limited to: professional art therapists, students, educational institutions, and related mental health professionals. Members of the American Art Therapy Association have continuous access to a wide array of benefits. 

• Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association is the most prestigious publication in the field and showcases leading research, practice-based articles, and more; it is fully accessible to you as a member. 

• Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

 • THE PROFESSION Art Therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives

of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied

psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

Art Therapy, facilitated by a professional art therapist, effectively supports personal and relational

treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and

sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience,

promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance

societal and ecological change.

• WHO ARE ART THERAPISTS: Art therapists are master-level clinicians who work with people of all ages across a broad

spectrum of practice. Guided by ethical standards and scope of practice, their education and

supervised training prepares them for culturally proficient work with diverse populations in a

variety of settings. Honoring individuals’ values and beliefs, art therapists work with people who

are challenged with medical and mental health problems, as well as individuals seeking

emotional, creative, and spiritual growth.

Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are

distinct from verbal articulation alone. Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic

opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can

circumvent the limitations of language. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience,

and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.

• WHERE ART THERAPISTS WORK: Art therapists work with individuals, couples, families, and groups in diverse settings. Some examples include:

Hospitals

Schools

Veteran’s clinics

Private practice

Psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities

Community clinics

Crisis centers

Forensic institutions

Senior communities

• HOW ART THERAPY WORKS: Through integrative methods, art therapy engages the mind, body, and spirit in ways that are distinct from verbal articulation alone. Kinesthetic, sensory, perceptual, and symbolic opportunities invite alternative modes of receptive and expressive communication, which can circumvent the limitations of language. Visual and symbolic expression gives voice to experience and empowers individual, communal, and societal transformation.

• INACCURATE USE OF TERM ‘ART THERAPY’ Inaccurate use of “art therapy” often occurs due to a lack of knowledge about the profession. Such instances provide an opportunity to offer accurate information and educate the public. It is with this in mind that the AATA encourages outreach to individuals and/or companies that may be found to inaccurately categorize activities (such as trainings that are offered by non-art therapists) or products (such as adult coloring books) as “art therapy.”

Additional inquiries can be directed to the AATA at info@arttherapy.org.EXAMPLE ACTIVITIES

IN ADVERTISING

On occasion, non-art therapist practitioners might be found to advertise their services as “art therapy.” This is an inaccurate use of the term, as art therapy can only be practiced by an individual who possesses the required training, certification, and/or state licensure. Bona fide art therapy is beyond the scope of practice of non-art therapists.

IN WORKSHOPS

Another context in which art therapy may be inaccurately categorized includes professional trainings that furnish a certificate upon completion, which may mislead the participant to believe that he or she can practice art therapy. These sorts of trainings, workshops, and the like, give attendees the erroneous impression that art therapy is a modality rather than a profession.

To prevent this problem, facilitators are advised to adhere to the AATA’s Ethical Principles: “When providing training and/or supervision to non-art therapists, art therapists take precautions to ensure that trainees understand the nature, objectives, expectations, limitations, and resulting qualifications of the supervision and/or training as distinct from formal studies in art therapy” (8.6). As such, a disclaimer should be used to alert attendees accordingly. EXAMPLE PRODUCTS

Several products on the market may inaccurately identify the term “art therapy.” Two such examples include art therapy apps and art therapy coloring books.

While the AATA does not discourage the use of coloring books for recreation and self-care, coloring activities must be distinguished from art therapy services provided by a credentialed art therapist. 

• Education and Practice: Becoming an art therapist - There is a section on the website about becoming an art therapist, similar to the British version, except this seems to go into a LOT more detail with a multi-layer FAQ, a link to applying to Ursuline College for a Master of Arts in Counselling and Art Therapy (a bespoke course of its kind). Educational standards, scholarships, credentials, honours and awards, research awards can also be found in this section.

• Annual conferences: They have annual conferences (in it's 52nd year) held at swanky hotels and resorts to book. This year's will be in San Diego at the end of October. 

• Blog: https://arttherapy.org/blog/ covering a variety of subject matter and media including looking at the impact of the pandemic on the art therapy profession, examining justice, racism and violence, member demographics, etc. 

• Membership: As with BAAT, AAT offers membership with ''important research, tools, and connections you need to succeed in the field, including the prestigious Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association.' Again there are different types, which they call "chapters" depending on your profession (student, professional, retired professional, associate, affiliate, international, etc.)

• Advocacy: state and national advocacy. Arts Advocacy Day, National Mental Health Awareness Month, Collaborations, National Creative Arts Therapies Week

• Resources: Art Therapy Today (newsletter with back issues), research (outcomes bibliography, journal, research awards, AATA Multicultural Committee resource list

Reflection: Personally, I feel the AATA is a lot more in-depth in terms of the information that is available to the public who aren't a member yet. I was able to collate quite a bit of information in regards to wha art therapy is and what it isn;'t to use for my written work, with a feeling of great confidence. There are many landing pages filled with information, FAQs and PDFs that I don't really have the time for but that I could explore in the future. This has been such a valuable resource!

[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: The British Association of Art Therapists

 

BAAT - The British Association of Art Therapists

https://www.baat.org/

• About BAAT: "The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) is a dynamic organisation and art therapy is a growing profession. In the UK, Adrian Hill and Edward Adamson helped to pioneer art therapy in the 1940s and 50s. Strongly anchored in visual art practice, the art therapy profession has since developed and evolved from a primarily psychoanalytic, psychodynamic model to include other approaches such as mentalization-based treatment, mindfulness, dyadic parent/child, cognitive analytic art therapy, etc."

• Can be contacted through info@baat.org or 020 7686 4216

• What they do: The British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT) is the professional organisation for art therapists in the UK. It works to promote art therapy and provides professional support and advice to its members. The BAAT represents art therapy within national organisations and has a growing international profile.Full BAAT members are qualified art therapists, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and HCPC registration is a statutory requirement in the UK for arts therapist. However, anyone interested in art therapy may join the BAAT as an associate member.

• They have a blog with various multimedia including videos, photos and posts of interest including posts asking for submissions to papers.

• Membership and a membership area. The BAAT welcomes qualified art therapists, art therapy trainees as well as individuals and organisations with an interest in art therapy. You have to submit an application via e-mail and there are different levels of memberships including full membership, trainee membership, and Associate and Corporate membership with PDFs to download for guidelines. 

• Can book online for professional art courses: "Introduction to the Profession of Art Therapy," "One Week Foundation in Art Therapy," "Introduction to the Profession of Art Therapy," "ARTiculate CPD training for Staff in Education." Running in September, October and November. Available to members of the British Association of Art Therapists though some events may be available to non-members. They seem to be full days and half day symposiums and all are online delivered through Zoom.

• What is art therapy? "Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media as its primary mode of expression and communication. Within this context, art is not used as diagnostic tool but as a medium to address emotional issues which may be confusing and distressing.

Art therapists work with children, young people, adults and the elderly. Clients may have a wide range of difficulties, disabilities or diagnoses. These include emotional, behavioural or mental health problems, learning or physical disabilities, life-limiting conditions, neurological conditions and physical illnesses.

Art therapy is provided in groups or individually, depending on clients' needs. It is not a recreational activity or an art lesson, although the sessions can be enjoyable. Clients do not need to have any previous experience or expertise in art.

Although influenced by psychoanalysis, art therapists have been inspired by theories such as attachment-based psychotherapy and have developed a broad range of client-centred approaches such as psycho-educational, mindfulness and mentalization-based treatments, compassion-focussed and cognitive analytic therapies, and socially engaged practice. Exploring the links between neuro-science and art therapy has also been at the forefront of some of the BAAT's conferences. Importantly, art therapy practice has evolved to reflect the cultural and social diversity of the people who engage in it.

The BAAT runs regular one day art therapy introductory workshops and foundation courses (these are available either as a  weekly course for three months or as a one week intensive course). These courses are very popular and tend to book up early. 

View our Courses & Conferences to find out more and book online."

• What our clients say: "I had so much benefit... real lasting benefits that I' ve been able to carry on with on my own, like a new way of doing things and different methods of coping. I think I got more from it than I ever thought possible."

"I really feel that it has given me a lot more tools to deal with the things I need to deal with."

"It's had a profound impact.  I consider this to be the most successful thing that has happened in my mental health history. I have taken away what I did there and used it."

"I don't feel a prisoner of my depression any more. I can't tell you how much that means. I'd rather die than go through another dark time like the last one. But this has given me a new way of being shown a different way of coping with being me."

"There have been enormous changes in how I cope now. I don't think realistically I could have hoped for much more from it."

"I've had profound and lasting benefits from this work."

• Find an art therapist with search box for role (private practitioner, supervisor), search by (postcode, therapist details) client group, area and area of practice drop down menus.

• Courses and Conferences: BAAT provided accredited courses and diplomas. Accredited Diplomas: CYP & Supervision. Conference: Art Therapy Practice Research Network Symposium - Coproduction in Art Therapy Practice & Research (Friday 4th June 2021. E-Learning Courses and CPD Courses. 

• Information on career and training in art therapy: A career in art therapy offers an opportunity to be professionally connected with art. It also makes work meaningful: art therapy helps to make a positive difference in the life of many people who find verbal communication difficult. n order to practise legally as an art therapist/art psychotherapist (both titles are inter-changeable) in the UK, it is mandatory to complete a training validated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). PDFs are available in this section for more information.

Social media

• Faceook: https://www.facebook.com/thebaat

• Twitter: baat_org

• LinkedInk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebaat/

 Youtubwe: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXOatMnzGOtHg9TJkUZaMHQ (sharing various videos and playlists including personal journeys and testimonies)

• https://www.instagram.com/baat_org/

[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: Podcast - Art Therapy Decoded Episode 1:1 with Dr Amy Backos

Instagram: @arttherapydecoded

Lindsay and Janet of Art Therapy Decoded. They both open and introduce the podcast by explaining that they are in the early stages of their art therapy practice  and wanted to create the podcast to strengthen connections with art therapy colleagues, build communities, share knowledge and bring art therapy into the digital age.

• First episode is with Dr Amy Backos (Instagram @DrAmyBackos) chair of the graduate art therapy psychology program at Notre Dame University. Professor, advisor and advocate for the field of art therapy. Writer, researcher, and 22 years of experience.
• What different roles have you had in relation to art therapy? Past and present. Chair of art and psychology department, creating a nurturing and inviting space for students. Part of that includes work with American Art Therapy Association (AATA). I sit on their research committee, guest editor of the journal, and those things inform my teaching as well. I teach the research classes here at Notre Dame and a variety of classes in the doctoral program as well. I also work at a substance abuse facility each Friday which nourishes my teaching. I\"m working on a book about art therapy and PTSD. I do a lot of things but still feel I wear the hat of Art Therapist. I do art therapy supervision who are recent grads and I started an Instagram page under my name (@dramybackos) to give information on art therapy and trauma in a simple, daily way.
• Deeply committed to not having a 9-5 role. Nourishing self in the morning, meditating, run, spend time with family to help start day that fuels and sets up for success. Things happen on my schedule.
• History of Becoming an Art Therapist: Went to summer school and doodled a lot. Tutor took notice and mentioned Art Therapy as a potential profession and a light went on in my head. Studied Studio Art and Psychology, Art Therapy program at Cleveland, moved to San Francisco for love, went back to school for Masters, waited for job opening at Notre Dame to teach Art Therapy which I knew was perfect for me.
• Intuitive process of believing this is what I want to do and then honing the right skills, learning the teaching skills, the psychology skills, the experience with working at trauma and crisis centres. 
• Both parents are teachers so it was probably natural to lean more towards a teaching role of some sort. 
• Dad taught chemistry and had a "bring your daughter to school day." Observed one of his students dropping lots of test tubes but instead of making the student pick it up and being angry - he offered to clean it instead. "You go on, that\"s my job." Questioned him later, dad stated that student had haemophilia and would cut himself and bleed (?) and it really stuck out to me how compassionate and graceful he was to that student. He was protective so he didn\"t embarrass student. That inspired me to teach. (Kim\"s note - this has stuck out to me and inspired me too that I had to make a note of it. That general care and empathy for someone else has a profound effect on all involved).
• Students inspire me and drive me in my work and my field. Inspired by new generation. "Not as a sage on the stage but as a guide on the side." Switch things up in the classroom based on who is in there. It\"s all a shared experience of learning and we are all responsible. Millennium generation profound shift in culture. Radical shift like with feminism, how women look at their work, get paid for their work, focusing on Mother Nature, protection. Cultural humility to the table. Great time to be an art therapist. Focusing on my own art keeps me motivated. 
• What do I look forward in your days as an art therapist? So much. Every night I do a gratitude session with my son about what I was grateful for in my day and in my sessions. Always on my list is "grateful for my job." Always thrive on constant change and shift and not repetition. I appreciate community of art therapists. Enjoy the exhibitions when students and faculty come together. Sharing what we do which is often private. Sharing homework giving an inside to students\" minds, which is so different to working with clients... seeing the art outcomes. So much about my job that I love. Important to be a voice for creating. "It\"s part of our biology and our need to express ourselves." Reminder of how important creativity really is.
• I have a mantra of "pay yourself first" (Kim\"s note - wow this is resonating very thoroughly with me regarding my own life and my own work!) Meditate. Don\"t let go of creative process or having outside time. Pay yourself first has really helped me to prioritise because we cannot give without nourishing ourselves. 
• The art is the side-dish of the art therapy and the psychology so it feels important to bring it in more. Fuelling of the creative first and tying those things together. That building block of why I find art therapy so amazing. 
• There are art therapists who have written about how we\"ve become externally motivated rather than internally motivated. Externally motivated by the license, the demands are of medical or the insurance company and that gets to be on the front burner instead of the creative process. If we are working with other clinicians, no one else is bringing in art and we have to sustain the creative space over and over again in the absence of anybody else and it\"s a hard job.
• I think doing this podcast is the perfect antidote to the feeling of being a solitary practitioner.
• Being on a clinical team as an art therapist can be a very lonely experience (Kim\"s note - something for me to consider in the future, I\"m used to copious amounts of loneliness in the first instance) 
• I\"m doing something for the greater good. There\"s something contagious about staying positive in my work that and be passed on to families or people in the grocery store. This is important stuff. Try to have an eagle-eye view of what I\"m doing. Conceptualise it to what I\"m learning and how it\"s consistent with my values it makes the challenging parts a lot better. What we\"re doing is impactful.
• It\"s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day but reframing it to look at the scope and the longer term. 
• I practice acceptance and commitment therapy so focusing on values and doing something every day in-line with my values but also looking back on my day and giving credit to " head vs heart" psychology.  Acts vs values. 
• How have you seen the potential of art therapy evolve over the years through clients? So many things have changed in 22 years. The journal was more case based when I started to see now some more studies and randomised controlled trials in art therapy out there now. So we\"re catching up to the field of psychology in being able to provide evidence hand evidence is what we need to get funding and get paid. Using language in western psychology we\"re on people\"s radars in a completely different way. Music therapy has done a very good job of that. My son was a participant of that and they played him prog music in an MRI. We have some powerhouse people doing this kind of work now. 
• I think another piece that\"s important to us is a shift towards cultural humility and social justice and bringing it to AATA (American Art Therapy Asdociation). Space and time for everyone politically. Pain and discomfort for everyone of what our history is and how wrote the history. Great things happening. 
• Chicago institute for Art Therapy, powerhouse voice that is lending space for discussion on issues that are new on the lips on everyone in this country. 
• So many pieces of our culture coming together to interact through the art therapy process. Lot of important work going on. Eagle eye view of intentions, actions and consequences. 
• Hopefully ultimately make art therapy more accessible to people. So important. Better for our clients. Whatever part of the conversation people want to jump in on, we all want to be better for our clients. 
• What are some of your hopes and dreams for your future in the field of art therapy? Delicious question! I\"m so excited for the direction of digital online art therapy and digital online spaces for people to engage in their creative process. The VA has done some work on virtual reality, digital be art therapy class, how to bring experience to clients. You can do so many things on a tablet. Traditional media vs digital media. We have to keep moving forward. Not necessarily "neglect" the traditional art media but we have to move forward with trends. Hopes are coming to a spot where cultural humility is truly valued, reading "art therapy and social justice" currently, also reading "mindful of race," we\"re really trying to bring it in at a systemic level and students are bringing it in at being present in the classroom so my hopes are really really around the cultural humility and digital experience and moving forward so that we are at the forefront of the creative process. And it\"s about time, too! 
• They\"re both such relevant topics and an ongoing conversation. We\"ve already been in the digital age for a while so it\"s amazing to see art therapy head there and the accessibility that comes with that. Offers so many more opportunities.
• Gretchen Miller\"s book "Social Media for Art Therapists" with done guidelines around ethics and so she\"s really leading the way with some beautiful online platforms. Powerhouse of the digital piece. 
• When I think of social media there is such a visual element to this generation right now that wasn\"t as present previously and presenting oneself as an artist is a lot more accessible. 
• I love Instagram so much! I have to be so cautious of not going into a loop of scrolling! So inspired by what people are scrolling. There are some really great pages from art therapists on that platform.
• What are some hopes and dreams for yourself? Projects do you have next? I\"m working on a few things and one of them is a PTSD and art therapy book. What happens to people when they have a trauma that disrupts everything. We all experience a kind of trauma but it\"s the ones that disrupt everything where I think art therapists can offer some amazing support an abstract feeling into bodily symbols and translate it into a trauma narrative (Kim\"s note: wow! I\"m incredibly interested in this as someone who has experienced various traumas over the past 3 years which has absolutely disrupted my life from all angles, including my higher education, even up until this present day and I am so interested in obtaining it somehow.) Help them to make sense of what happened to them and make meaning from it. I\"ve just started my Instagram page (@dramybackos) sharing tidbits from the book, ideas of what\"s helped my clients, and putting it out there in the space where people can get a little bit of inspiration. Perhaps they aren\"t comfortable or don\"t have access to a therapist so they can get some inspiration from the therapy pages on Instagram. 
• Do you have any advice you would give your younger self? I think there\"s no perfect time to do what you want to do. There\"s no optimal moment to go back to school or create a piece of art or write a book or integrate studio practice or live the life you want to live. Times going to roll on by anyway. There\"s never a right time. There\"s things we can do every single day to move us closer to the people that we want to be. Go ahead and do something today that your future self will thank you for. 
• Do you have anything that your students or new art therapists really need to know? Something that you maybe see them struggle with? I think embodying the role of healer comes often at great cost to ourselves. The archetype of the healer comes with the light and the dark side.  the healer is giving and selfless and takes care of others and does good in the world but the flip side is that the neglect of self or the exploitation of others. I don\"t think anyone intending to be an art therapist intends to exploit others but it may come attached to our role, to the expense of self care, that the ego becomes so gratified by the work that we pour everything into the work and don\"t stop to nourish and I see a lot of students do that. They stop exercising they stop doing their own art. Stop doing that is required for class, diet goes out the window. And just acknowledge the needs we have and what we get out of it. It\"s okay to have your wants and needs as a professional. We are really living in a culture that values work and completing tasks and just keep moving forward which can really contribute to that neglect of self. Over identifying with work is rewarded here. Perfectionism is rewarded but slowing down and making space for ourselves makes our work better. Integrate important information consolidate information. Neglecting good sleep and healthy eating is when our work really starts to suffer.
• Again take an eagle eye view. It is not a race. Sustain your own needs.

Reflection:

This podcast and episode was pretty hard to get through at first and I didn\"t know what it was going to entail but I wanted to stick with it for the beginnings of research. Despite being academics, the three American women sounded nervous and really similar in their suburban accents, which were actually rather grating, and I couldn\"t tell who was even talking. There wasn\"t too much of value to begin with in the small talk.

As it went on, I began to understand the intent behind the podcast - to speak with fellow Art Therapists and question them on their background and their jobs (initially going into this podcast I thought it was going to be about art therapy itself and the value of it as a practice, rather than speaking to art therapists - but this is an interesting perspective to consider in my research and has not been a waste of time.) I may listen to another episode but if it is more of the same, I will leave this podcast in search of another to explain art therapy in itself as a practice as that is what I\"m interested in uncovering at this stage in my research.

Having finished the episode, I now feel quite inspired by Dr Amy Backos as she mentioned trauma and art therapy as a being she was working on - a theme, a thread, which I feel is the backbone to my own practice. I am someone who has suffered greatly with trauma over the years from different circumstances and I have turned to art as a therapy. It\"s taken me a long time to find art again, on my own terms and without feeling pressure from university and deadlines to make work. It had to happen organically. Now that I have found it, it has become a strong interest of mine and I want to pursue this line of investigation. There\"s a number of resources linked in the podcast that I can take a look at too. 

[LAUIL601] Primary Research - Case Study: Inkwell Arts Service User

In response to emailing questions across to Inkwell Arts about the kind of services that they deliver, my academic mentor got in touch with a student that graduated recently that she knew used the service. She asked permission of passing along detailed and then forwarded her name and email. I came up with a series of questions to identify the kind of needs that the service user required from Inkwell and how it benefitted their mental health to aid my written work. 

Me: Hi! Sian at Student Welfare passed along your name as you had previously used the Inkwell Arts service, and I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions for my dissertation research? Thank you so much!

Service: Yes of course!

Me: Thank you! Here are the questions, please take your time and answer with as much as you feel like sharing.

Emma: My reply is so long I’m going to have to send it over a few messages!! 

• How did you find out about Inkwell Arts?

- I had been hospitalised for a psychotic episode and I’d also lost my job in the process. An organisation called Work Place Leeds (part of Leeds Mind) had helped me get that job so I went back to them to try and find employment again. However they said I still wasn’t well enough to re-enter work and instead decided to help me fill up my time with meaningful activity. The result of this was a referral to Inkwell Arts. 

• What initially made you want to do workshops at Inkwell?

- I wanted to be doing something with my days that made me feel less embarrassed than not working. I always feel shame when I’m not working as I feel I should be.

• What type of workshops have you taken part in at Inkwell?

- I was originally referred to their GP referral art group for those wanting to enter a more guided programme to support their mental health. I then went on to join their non-referral Tuesday art group and the pottery group. I have also gone to some short course workshops put on by guests, for example a theatre set design course. I’ve gone to some drop in groups like needle felting and origami, which I also took my partner and best friend to. Finally I’ve also done a few courses facilitated by East Street Arts Leeds who used Inkwell’s rooms for the sessions (life drawing and urban landscapes are ones I particularly remember).

• How did it support your mental health and did your mental health improve while you were there?

- In the GP referral group I had check in meetings every so often to support my progress and address any concerns. But the main way my mental health was supported was because of the environment provided at Inkwell. The rooms are bright and happy and non clinical. The staff encourage you and get excited about your work. They support you to get your work seen through exhibitions which raises your confidence and helps you feel like your are worth something when not working. The other service users/art makers also support you. Learning to talk to and trust people again is easier when you know they all have some level of understanding of what living with mental illness is. I made so many friends. My mental health definitely improved whilst I was there.

• Did any of your experiences at Inkwell change the way you approach making art and illustration?

- Yes. They helped me let go of trying to be perfect and precise with drawing. Before inkwell my drawings would take ages and the joy in creating became a chore. During and after inkwell, I was able to just dive in and see what happens. The whole process is so more joyful now. It also helped me explore so many new techniques and processes that opened up my mind to many more possibilities of I can create. It was the inkwell staff that encouraged me to apply to education with my art at Leeds Arts University. I don’t think I’d even be having a career with art without inkwell.

• Did taking part in any of the workshops break down your usual systems of working?

- particularly life drawing and pottery. I’m autistic and avoid textures or “mess” with my hands. They supported me step by step to increase my tolerance with certain materials so I could make the things I wanted without compromise. And as I mentioned before, they helped start the process of loosening me up art wise so that joy and excitement came into my work and in the process of making. 

• How long did you use the service and do you still engage with Inkwell now?

- I was there for 2 years I think. I stopped going shortly after I started education as I got too overwhelmed trying to fit them both in. I was really sad to stop going and always planned to go back after completing Access and then Uni. But covid happened and that plan has gotten delayed, but I definitely want to go back. I am a bit worried that all the people will be different now (staff and art makers), but I want to try going.

• Were there any transformative moments or interesting experiences that you look back on?

- I loved the fact they they exhibit your work. This was amazing for my confidence and learning to engage with lots of different people at those events. Having people that support your artistic development and see it as a valid use of your time is also liberating. I have also made so many friends from inkwell. I think that because you are all connected by mental health difficulties you aren’t as guarded about your mental health like you are in “regular life”. You form bonds unlike any other in your life because you can have relaxed conversations and don’t have to spend any energy hiding parts of yourself. I have to mention the laughs we had in pottery group too. That group was so much fun. Learning to laugh again and not feel confused, guilty, or bad for doing so (in other aspects of my life if I smile or laugh people then dismiss my depression and so it gets confusing for my brain).

• Would you recommend Inkwell to other people?

- I would recommend the Inkwell I knew back then to anyone! I don’t know if anything has changed there in the last 4 years, which is why I feel I can’t throw around the recommendation anymore. But  I do plan to go back myself now that uni is finished and when covid allows which should say a lot. Once I experience inkwell as it is now I will hopefully be able to confidently recommend again.

• Do you find that being creative and creating art helps to improve your mood and your mental health in general? Why do you think this is? 

- More personal work helps express emotions, and for me helps me form the understanding to eventually communicate feelings and thoughts in words. Over the years I’ve found that many of my skills deteriorate or disappear when I’m not doing well with my mental health. This means my previous work and education history has been inconsistent. But when I actually realised that I still make art when I’m unwell, the one skill that stays and that I want to do is art. Art gives me hope for a future.

Emma: Hope that’s all ok. Good luck with your project!

Me: Thank you so much for all of your honest responses. Wishing you a lovely Saturday!

[LAUIL601] Primary Research: Talking with Professional Art Therapist, Dr. Diana Basquez-Simpson

Me: Hello Diana, I hope you're well! I'm currently finishing my degree at Leeds Arts University and I'm writing a dissertation on art therapy and it's benefits to mental health. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions about your profession, your education, why you think art and creating is so beneficial to us, any particular case studies where art has really turned someone's life around. I hope this is okay. You will be fully credited in both my research and paper. Thank you!

Diana: Hey Kimberley! I would love to help out! Thanks for thinking of me. I’ll be able to answer more completely in an hour or so. Hope you’re having a wonderful day! 

Just some opening thoughts: There’s a wonderful read our instructors quoted often called Homo Aestheticus by Ellen Dissanayake (send me an example of your reference format and I can send the citation). Essentially, she says art is in our DNA. As evolving humans we have long observed the practice of “making special” for a very long time. When considered from this point of view, I think it’s so beautifully profound to discover we have an innate need to create and fashion objects and environments in our worlds for no reason other than simply being pleasing to us. 

So it makes sense art is often used as way for us to calm and centre ourselves. This is only one of several methods art therapists use in practice. We also support clients in expression challenging emotions in line, shape, and form when words will not come or when they fail to express the subtlety, complexity, and enormity of an emotion. This is especially helpful with children who may not yet have the vocabulary to communicate emotions. Art is also used as a way to externalize internal thoughts, concerns, anxieties. In this way, clients are able to see their diagnosis, thoughts, etc. are not who they are. From here it’s much easier to problem solve and contain problematic inner material.

My undergraduate degree is from Metropolitan State University of Denver where I majored in Psychology major and minor in studio art with an emphasis in ceramics. For my graduate degree I went to Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. The school is a Buddhist based education combining the best of Eastern and Western healing techniques. Mindfulness practice is emphasized. Some of my classmates in grad school had art degrees so some of us came more from a fine arts based education, where others (myself included) has a stronger background in psychology.

Hope this helped to get things started, Kimberley! Please feel free to send questions, or we can arrange a call as well.

Me: This is absolutely wonderful to start with, thank you ever so much for taking the time to write back! You will impact my work in such an amazing way.  I shall compose a few questions for you and send them across soon!

My format of Harvard referencing is - surname of author, initial of first name, (year of publication), title, place of distribution, name of publisher.

Diana: So glad! Art therapy is an incredible field and I feel privileged to be a practitioner. Yes, please send any questions at your leisure.  I’m pretty open.

Here’s the citation:

Dissanayaki, E, (1995), Homo Aestheticus, Seattle, WA, University of Washington Press.

Me: Apologies it's taken me a little while to get back to you, I've had some other school work I've had to do first and can now concentrate on my dissertation again.

• What made you want to study art therapy? What value do you see in your work?

• Do you have any examples of case studies where art therapy greatly changed someone's approach to life and thinking?

• Why do you think art as a therapy is so enriching and so beneficial to our mental health?

•What kind of exercises do you do in your therapy sessions?

• You mentioned earlier that art and creating is in our DNA. How would you describe that inherent need to create and be creative, through the lens of an art therapist?

• Do you feel your own mental health is positively impacted because of being creative?

Thank you so much for your time and If I think of anything else I will be in touch. Have a wonderful evening and take good care!

Diana: • What made you want to study art therapy? What value do you see in your work? 

Years ago, I was an occupational therapy assistant. I loved that the profession, at that time, took a very holistic approach to healing.  I worked with clients on troubleshooting how they might come to re-engage in hobbies after injuries or disabilities, as well as helping them find new hobbies and passions. It was so rewarding to witness how these activities added meaning and purpose to their lives and gave them a sense of purpose. I was laid off from this job due to nationwide budget cuts. When I returned to school in 2011 I decided to pursue art therapy because I saw how using art as a healing modality not only facilitated  clients healing process, but also helped them find that sense of meaning and purpose (and more!)I had seen as an occupational therapist. 

As an art therapist, it has been rewarding to introduce clients to a new way of expressing and getting to know themselves, using art as a way to calm and ground themselves, and using the art process to heal themselves. 

• Do you have any examples of case studies where art therapy greatly changed someone's approach to life and thinking? 

I have not been in the field long. But I find art therapy with younger children can make an incredible difference. I worked with a six year old girl living in foster care. I will call her, Nina. Her mother was addicted to meth and was in an abusive relationship. I had tried to communicate to Nina that it was okay to feel sad about being separated from her mother. She avoided talking about the situation or her feelings about it. Nina struggled in school and was reported to be behaving aggressively toward her peers. I knew if I could get her to discuss her feelings and validate them, it would help her navigate these difficult circumstances and hopefully build a trusting relationship.

After seeing her for several weeks, I decided to create art journals with her. I told Nina she could put down anything at all (happy or sad) on her mind in words or drawings. She tended to draw rainbows and sunny landscapes, stereotypical images for a child her age. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her turn the page and begin writing. Before long,  she tapped my shoulder and showed me what she had written.

“Will I see my mother again?”

My heart broke. I began to reply verbally, but Nina shook her head “no” vehemently and pointed at the paper. She wanted me to write my response. It was as if the words were too painful to speak or hear. We continued to dialogue in this manner for the rest of the session. The art journal became a method for her to communicate with her foster parents and social worker. 

• Why do you think art as a therapy is so enriching and so beneficial to our mental health?

I think there are so many reasons art therapy enhances mental health. It appears to be different for each person. Art can be a way to externalize difficult emotions and thoughts which may provide some relief as well as help in creating a clearer picture of what a client may be experiencing. As with Nina, it can serve as a sort of language of self-expression. For children who may not have the vocabulary to fully express themselves as well as a way to communicate when words fail or may be too painful. Some art activities possess inertly mindful qualities. Repetitive actions can organize and calm a person feeling agitated, working with clay often achieves the same effect. Creating art engages multiple senses and fMRI studies have shown several areas of the brain light up simultaneously when a person is engaging in creating art. These are just a few of the many benefits.

• What kind of exercises do you do in your therapy sessions?

For me, it is important to meet the client where they are. Often it will begin by just talking and getting to know them. Sometimes we will work on a drawing together or try an art media they are interested in. I do lots of art journaling with my clients if they are open to it. Creating small tokens to promote calming and grounding when they feel stressed. Collages can be very useful for self insight and helping me get an idea of what is foremost on the client’s mind. When a client is experiencing difficult, possibly overwhelming emotions, I might have them create a box or container to symbolically contain the thought or emotion. I try to use these activities as a way to educate them about mental health and the way their brain works.

• Do you feel your own mental health is positively impacted because of being creative?  

Definitely!! I’ve always done crafty things but when I began using art as a way to intentionally process emotions, express myself, and as a mindfulness practice

Me: Thank you so very much for this, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer!

[LAUIL601] Practical Response: Third Year Anniversary of Mum's Stroke

Stroke

10" Circular Canvas

Acrylic with Palette Knife

2021

Three years to the day,

You collapsed on the concrete,

My world crumpled too.

Frozen in time as

Everything melted,

Teardrops melting you.

Shielded and curtained

Hiding prying onlookers,

I wanted to hide.

Oxygen tanks and

Blue uniformed staff circling,

My hand held tightly.

Drifting unconscious,

Body beginning to sag,

Please be okay, Mum.

Memories blurring

Our ambulance ride and

The waiting... waiting... 

Numb and swollen eyes

Our lives have changed forever.

I stare at my shoes.

My mind is blank.

You're only forty-seven.

Stroke.

Three years to the day

You collapsed on the concrete,

My world crumpled too.

I've never left that

February afternoon.

Tragic looping fall.

Instagram Feedback:

The quality of the feedback was not the best tonight. It was only a small who chose to interact and it was from an emotional level of understanding my situation - which I greatly appreciate the support of - rather than focusing on my painting. Only one of the 4 comments noted the motion, the speed. I suppose with it being such a personal moment, people may be cautious of what to say at this time.

Reflection: Today is the third year anniversary of my mum's stroke and I wanted to commemorate the memory of who she once was as well as work through the complex feelings that I have for this day - in both a written and painted response, using my authorial practice I have adopted these past few months.

As with all of my abstract expressionist pieces, there are no distinct symbols or objects - the one recognisable link running through all of my work is the blurred mark-making and soft visual language that tries to understand my new low level of vision since retinal detachment in 2018 and coming to terms with it.

In the case of this painting, the blur depicts looking through the scene through a curtain of tears and trying to make sense that of which does not make sense - a situation so traumatic, spontaneous and unpredictable, as well as the memory fog of looking back. The colours portray my mum and I through our hair, clothes and the scene of the concrete floor and the green curtain railing that was pulled across by the staff at SuperDry in the Trafford Centre. All whirring into one big drain as I unplug my mind and switch off once again, numbing myself with whatever I can find to avoid this awful day.

Creating both poem and art really, really helped and held high value though I cried a lot and it hurt to do. It was therapeutic. It hurt to recreate this right in front of me and face it. Face my fear alone without anyone here in my apartment. I shared it with my mum over a video call and I explained to her what I had done and it gave me some relief and some peace. She cried too, though she has no memory of these events. They are entirely mine to carry for the rest of my life and it is such a heavy burden to carry.

The burden feels somewhat lighter. 

[LAUIL601] Final Outcomes: "Girl Who Cannot See" Collaboration with Veronika Škutová

"Girl Who Cannot See" is a dark ambient, experimental and atmospheric retelling of my poem of the same name, released in the winter of 2020, recounting my experiences with cyberbullying in an online community. To be able to record my voice and read my poem, present my monoprint on a new platform and to new audiences and collaborate with a professional composer is so much more than I could have ever hoped to do with my work, and I feel so lucky to expand my portfolio in this way. I am so honoured to have worked with Veronika.

 Music (c) Veronika Škutová.

Words and Art (c) Kimberley Burrows

2021

electronic ambient art dark ambient experimental electronic graphic score

Instagram Feedback:

Reflection:

Veronika reached out to me in Instagram messages through my art page in early December, after seeing my "Girl Who Cannot See"poem, monoprint series, and struggle with cyberbullying -a sking if I'd like to collaborate on an audio poem with her combining my words and artwork with her composing. She is a recent graduate (2020) at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (Vysoká škola múzických umení v Bratislave) in Bratislava, Slovakia, with a specialism in Composing and also works as a piano teacher. 

Admittedly I've never done anything like this before and a huge part of me wanted to say no as the easiest path of resistance. I have no recording equipment like she does, aside from my phone with the basic Voice app, and I didn't want to look unprofessional in front of someone who may have better things than me. I decided to go for it, and put my heart and soul into my reading of my poem - it was cathartic to put this experience into a performance and into a container.

I'm very happy with the outcome to have surrendered to creativity in one of my darkest moments, and to have dared to collaborate. I consider it to be one of the final outcomes of the 601 module and has really pushed my practice into a new, accessible places reaching new audiences.

[LAUIL601] Secondary Research: Inkwell Arts

https://www.inkwellarts.org.uk

• Instagram: Inkwell_arts

• Instagram: inkwell_artscafe (promoting the healthy food served in their onsite vegetarian cafe)

• Twitter: @InkwellArts

• Facebook: https:/facebook.com/Inkwellarts/

• Email: inkwell@leedsmind.org.uk

• I found out about Inkwell Arts through Linking Leeds, where the person offering help for my mental health connecting me with charities and organisations mentions it. It sounds perfect for the kind of research I'm doing and the fact it is local makes it even better!

• Unfortunately it is closed due to the pandemic but I look forward to when I can visit one day in the future.

• Inkwell Arts is a mental health charity-run, multi-disciplinary arts centre with broad activity programme, plus cafe.

• "A Safe Creative Art Space in Leeds. Enriching lives through creativity and promoting positive mental health."

• As part of Leeds Mind and a registered charity

• The man page has a video. "Did you know creativity can increase happiness, improve mental health, boost your immune system, improve productivity, relieve stress, and encourage personal expression? Inkwell Arts is a creative well-being space. Art workshops. Well-being and mindfulness. Food and nutrition. Creative team building. Bespoke workshops. Expanding our outreach offer across Leeds and virtually in 2021. Promoting positive mental health through creativity. Contact inkwell@leedsmind.org.uk"

• About Us - Leeds Mind. Directs to the Leeds Mind website with their mission statement. "Welcome to Leeds Mind. The aim of our work is to help people build on their strengths, overcome obstacles, and become more in control of their lives.

We have faith and optimism in our clients and so the services we deliver are built around their needs. We support the people of Leeds to discover their own resources to ‘recover’ from periods of poor mental health, and to live life independently with their mental health condition.

Leeds Mind promotes positive mental health and wellbeing, and provides help and support to those who need it. We offer many services, including: counselling, group therapy, social support, peer support, social prescribing, employment support, suicide bereavement support, and mental health training.

• 1 in 4 people experience mental health"

• Also their fundraising, get involved, blog etc. Back to Inkwell Arts.

• Reflections from service users: 

"Being here has helped my confidence levels, the fact that we can come when we want takes away the pressure of having to constantly attend when sometimes I might not feel up to it. The bright friendly environment is something I love about this place; anyone is welcome and my family members who have visited have been greeted with the same open arms as I was. It’s thanks to Inkwell that I will be starting Art School in September, something which I would not have had the confidence to do before.”

“Craft Café has a friendly atmosphere, where all skill levels come together to try new things. It’s chance to learn new skills and have the freedom to express yourself. I’ve done a bit of volunteering here too which I’ve really enjoyed.”

“It is such a relaxed, ambient environment in this class with a great tutor and a chance to display our work. The fact that everyone has varying skill levels means that we all make sure we help each other out. This class is such a positive place for people who are struggling with their mental health, it helps to build confidence and setting yourself little goals is sometimes better for a person thanself-analysis.”

“These classes are great for me as I’m retired and on my own and it really gives me something to look forward to. Every week I leave feeling happy and excited to return. When I made the decision to start a sewing class, I looked around at a few in the area and this one really stuck out to me because others wanted an up-front payment for a full semester and seemed quite strict on attendance. I like the sewing classes here as I can choose when to come and pay per lesson; I’m not expected to pay the full price due to me being retired. I think that charging an up-front fee creates a sense of exclusivity which can put off those on a lower income or the retired. This is a lovely environment to be in.”

• Classes and workshops include virtual life drawing, yoga, courses around what we eat and mental health, beginner art courses, growing vegetables, herbs and flowers.

• Virtual tour to move around and familiarise yourself with the space (by Google Maps)

• Useful Links: Various links to mental health and well-being charities across Leeds and the UK including Leeds Mind, Elefriends, Sane, Leeds York Partnership Foundation Trust (LYPFT), Time to Change, etc. The one that stands out to me the most is Arts and Minds - "The Arts & Minds Network aims to bring together people in Leeds who believe the arts can promote mental well being. The network is open to anyone who in Leeds wants to see the growth of arts and health – including service users, carers, mental health workers, artists, arts organisations and mental health organisations." Relevant to my work.

• Blog and Online Resources: This seems to be a "how to" catch all section of making your own items at home, as the centre is closed due to the pandemic. There are many different food, craft and jewellery projects. There's also a section for meditation which encompasses things like general well-being: New Years resolutions, feeling wheels, self care advent calendars etc.

• There's a section for volunteering and a contact form. 

• I would love to reach out to them and ask some questions as a potential case study for my dissertation!

[LAUIL601] Artist Research - Merlin Evans: Drawn to Medicine

https://www.drawntomedicine.com 

"I have spent a number of years exploring visualising states of mental health, not only as form of personal reflective practice, but also through a number of activist roles within health organisations. Partner organisations, associations and clients: Mind, Age Uk, Breathe, Psychologies Magazine, Association of Medical Illustrators, Medical Artists' Education Trust, Royal Free Hospital, Stafford County Hospital, Mile End Hospital, University College Hospital, Harley Street Children's Hospital, St George's Hospital, Kings College London."

Merlin recently did a visiting lecture about her work as a professional, but what most interested me was the work she makes around mental health. As well as documenting some of that through notes, and reaching out to her in an e-mail, I want to unpick some of her illustrative works through artist research.

Summer Holidays

• Summer Holidays is a loose illustration with deliberate stippled dot mark-making. It has a childlike and naive tone of voice through the use of shapeless, abstract forms. The changes in line quality suggest speed, liveliness, and swift gestures. The lines are asymmetrically placed on the lower part of the "canvas". A figure can just be made out through the disconnected shape of an eyebrow and eye, resting on a pillow in bed. The disconnect from the yellow to the white draws the eye down to find that pillow and face as that is the only part of the canvas not immediately filled with dense dots. Dot-work suggests motion, with an emphasis and direction beating down on the figure in a heavy weight. Summer holidays are spent in bed while the sun is shining in from the window. The world keeps on moving, people have fun outside, but we are trapped in the prison of our bed and our mind.

• Figure 1 depicts the loose illustration of the shape of a woman. The main focus and emphasis of the illustration, where the eye immediately draws, lies on the female figure as she is the primary source of colour blocked out in rough, dark strokes, The eyes move to her ties and bonds which are at a higher value of red. Her curved forms sag downwards suggesting weight of those mentioned expectations where her hands are tied. Colours are dark and sombre, muddy and dark in value. Textures are painterly and drab. Proportionately her feet are small and she, as a figure, is asymmetrical and uncomfortable to look at. She is leaning more towards the right-hand side of the canvas suggesting a motion of going "off." Off the rails, unable to cope, collapsing under the pressure. 

• Figure 2 is very abstract. No recognisable forms are present and the illustration is filled completely with dots, where some are highlighted in a warm tone. Specially it is disjointed and, as someone with retinal detachment, reminds me of floaters in my eye. My immediate interpretation is that that warm dots are days that were good or surrounded with family, friends or love, and the rest of the dots tells a narrative of days that were lonely, bad mental health days. Like a visual visual diary dispersed in a visual language across a page in time and motion.

[LAUIL601] Developmental Work: Cyberbullying Monoprints and Poem

• Recently I have been going through an incredibly difficult time due to being cyberbullied through Instagram. I don't know the person at all, have never spoken to them or met them, but through their own jealousy of the experiences I have had with my favourite band they have started to attack me and my Guide Dog through their instagram stories spreading lies about me. It has really revealed another side of the internet and fandom to me. I never get too involved in social spaces for anything like this to happen and have no provoked anybody. It has come out of nowhere so I feel caught off guard.

• It is especially troubling and terrifying that it happened around the time of the anniversary of Sophie Lancaster's murder, who was targeted for being different and part of a subculture as I do

• "Often those that criticise others reveal what he himself lacks" Shannon L. Adler

• After my main instagram was compromised, separate from my art instagram, I took some time to contemplate jealousy, hatred, the internet in all of its parts, and society. This was also an opportunity for me to put art therapy into practice. How can I subvert what has happened to me and reframe it into positive outcomes? How can I put a container on this incredibly traumatic situation and use art therapy as a tool to heal and develop? What modalities can I use? Rewiring how I operate.

• Thinking of computer chips and motherboards, made up of colour palettes of red, green and black, I adopted an art therapist approach to making to work through my traumatic experience and self-direct a brief of a series of monoprints. Implementing my authorial practice, inspired by Peony Gent, I also channelled into words how I felt: I am alone in a battle. I am the girl who cannot see. 

• Using rough textured paper, acrylics and a gelatine plate I spread paint to blue worlds and circumstances with a rough hair-dye brush, creating an interesting, blocky visual language depicting a degrading, eroding, derogatory environment that eventually turns to complete darkness.