Final Project!

I decided to do a 'short and sweet' comic of the misjudgments of art therapy. Many art therapists are mistaken with their judgement and that is why it's important to let the client tell the meaning of the image they created. I made this from an online comic generator (http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix).

If it is therapy, is it art?

I’m thinking that it is safe to assume that we have all seen the inside of a hospital. Have you ever paid any attention the interior design of a hospital? Probably not, but our brains have. The walls are usually completely white leaving no trace of creativeness anywhere. A children’s hospital is usually plastered in creativity, Doernbecher's hospital has animal or sun signs to direct people in the right direction. They have colored walls and more pictures on the walls. Why don’t adult hospitals do this? The question, “Are the paintings and artworks that hang in our hospitals as allopathic means of therapeutic healthcare?” has increasingly sprung within the last decade. Are the sculptures and detailed fountains that we see around our college campuses, hospitals, cities, etc. useful? These are all questions that the arts-in-healthcare-movement are trying to prove.

After 911 happened the New York Times suggested that everyone that was in the least bit involved of the attack should take on some form of therapeutic approach to help with the healing process. A large amount of galleries and museums opened their doors for no cost to citizens who were trying to seek recovery.  Local artists and citizens responded to 911 in an artistic approach.  They placed memorials all around the city that were tremendous impromptu creative outpourings that were created on paper, in wire, in wax, as sculpture, collage, in drawing, in painting, origami, and impressive flower techniques. Writers had even emailed poems and scriptures all around the world. They created new and exciting works of visual and poetic works of art. The horrific tragedy is believed to have brought an importance to the art world and art was far more appreciated after the event.

This focus is what I believe has brought art into a more serious manner in the last 10-15 years. Art has been used in more events big or small and has shown an important characteristic to the communities we live in. 

A part of having a healthy community is having healthy citizens. We stereo-type our neighborhoods that we live in by the income of the people that live in them. "Poor neighborhoods are where all the gangs are", which in most cases is correct. Instead of trying to prevent gangs from forming or breaking down the law for them, we affect the good citizens by raising the mortgage on all the homes within the community. That is why all of the gangs left North Portland and moved up to Gresham. Which didn't change anything, the gangs are still dangerous on our streets. What if we treated these gangs? We could put them in rehabilitation care or jail and get them the help that they need. The only problem that we would have is people complaining about their tax dollars being spent on these criminals. What most people don't realize is that the cost to move and the dramatic increase in mortgage rates can rather be spent on treating the individual instead of stressing them out, thus resulting in a healthier community. 

Gangs are afflicted with violence and drugs usage. Violence is mostly treated with anger management, but drug usage works best with art therapy.  Drugs also can cause the person to be more violent. If we can conquer the drug usage in gangs, wouldn't it be a nicer community to live in? We wouldn't have as many paranoia's or fears on the daily basis. 

The first step to becoming clean is admitting the certain intake of drugs that we take. The reason that the patient needs to be honest about the substances that (s)he is addicted too, is because of the constant need for prescribed medications.The survey that I conducted asked people about the medicines that they may take, I asked if people knew what was in their medications or if they were even self-cautious about their intake. I was pleased with the results. People either knew what ingredients their prescriptions consisted of, or they were self-cautious about them.  I for one don't like putting any unnecessary chemicals into my immune system. I am willing to pay extra for natural medications and rarely will take an ibuprofen. If the client is referred to a psychiatrist and they prescribe them with a pill that contains meta-morphine  and the client is addicted to meta-morphine--that results in a stronger addiction for the substance as well as the pill. Same concludes with other substances as well. 

Although art therapy has been proven to be the most effective way of therapeutic care, it is not effective on everyone. Some people disagree with the topic of art being therapy and that is perfectly fine. I believe that everyone should find a form of self-expression and pursue it. If we can find a way to release our struggles through a form of art that makes us happy, I believe that we can become happier individuals. Art can conquer any disability, depression, addiction, and struggle that we may have, and that is why I am so fond of it. I really enjoyed my topic and now I am certain that this is what I want to do with my career! I plan on continuing my research through my college experience as well as on my own time. Art therapy has become an outlet for so many individuals with their own experiences and stories. I can't wait until I become a licensed art therapist and I can start meeting people and hearing their stories through my own ears. I loved this class, and this project has definitely taught me a TON.  - Sarah Califf 

"Creativity is an act of defiance" 

                                          -Twyla Tharpe

Cozolino, Louis J. The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.This book was really helpful on researching about the brain itself. I maintained a lot information on therapy as well as learning about disorders in the brain. Very helpful and was surprisingly fun to read

Hanes, Michael J. "'Face-to-Face' with Addiction: The Spontaneous Production of Self-Portraits in Art   Therapy." Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2007). Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013. This article showed the usage of substances and how art therapy was used in the cure of becoming clean. It displayed a couple examples of how drawing a self portrait and looking at different angles can result in therapy.

Horay, Brian J. "Moving Towards Gray: Art Therapy and Ambivalence in Substance Abuse Treatment." Journal of the American Art . This article looked as therapy as art, and created a different approach to art therapy with substance abused clientele. 

vanMeen, Karen. "Editorial: Media Art AS/IN Therapy. (News)." Afterimage Nov.-Dec. 2001:3. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 July 2013

Recap? My response.

In my survey I asked if people were self cautious about the medicines that they take, I also asked how concerned were they with their health, and what therapy exercises they felt were the most important based off of their health. My results had a bipolar stance on me, I felt surprised about some answers and was a little disappointed with the others. I knew that people would put physical exercise more often that others, since it's what the media produces as the most important role in our health. Our movie stars and music artists, have all made us self-aware of our image. After researching, I've learned that it's not even close. I'm not saying that physical exercise is not important, but the motivation to exercise comes from a healthy brain, which is what therapeutic treatment creates. 

The number one cause of depression is loneliness, people are lonely because of the lack of social interactions that they receive. Yet, people feel the need to say that it is NOT important? My earlier blogs stated the theory of mind is a factor that deals with our maturing brain. If the theory of mind and frontal lobes aren't attached correctly that is when we develop brain disorders. Social health is the most important factor to ones health, it's what makes people less afraid to go to the gym or to join the soccer team. It's what prevents suicides, serial killers, kidnappers, drug usage, etc. I found it quite hysterical for people to say that it isn't important. Being social is one of the healthiest things that you can do for yourself. 

"People who continue to maintain close friendships and find other ways to interact socially live longer than those who become isolated. Relationships and social interactions even help protect against illness by boosting your immune system." -Manchester 

Not every person has the ability to communicate with everyone, older folks don't often have the ability to interact with others as they did when they were younger. Art therapy is used for those who can not physically talk to other people. Art brings together different types of artists in one community, in one place for them all to interact with each other. "A picture says a 1,000 words", artists most of the time ask about the emotion and effort it took to complete a piece  Which is very therapeutic . Not only are you creating a piece of art, but you are sharing it with other people getting the social interaction that we desperately need.  Why do you think some of us get so drowned in the social media, that we decide we need more than just 1? 

“If plan A fails, remember there are 25 more letters.”  Chris Guillebeau

Caruso, Iyna. "The pictures of health: art's healing powers more than simply a statement of style, art can improve and enhance one's physical, mental and emotional well-being." Evening Post Jan.-Feb. 2009: 70+. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013. This article explained the well being, and reason the usage of art therapy is used on patients.

Horay, Brian J. "Moving Towards Gray: Art Therapy and Ambivalence in Substance Abuse Treatment." Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2006): 1-9. Print. This journal piece was the first thing I helped and the most helpful for this topic. It clearly stated everything that I needed and have yet to finish it. 
Riley, Shirley. "Art therapy with adolescents." The Western Journal of Medicine July 2001: 54. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 July 2013 This article covered everything I needed to know about art therapy and adolescents. 
"Selected Art Therapy Resources. (News)." Afterimage Nov.-Dec. 2001: 3+. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013.
 Video: Art & The Mind – Creativity." Art Therapy RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2013. This blog is wonderful! It had an amazing documentary (with Lisa Kudrow) as well as useful information.
Bach, Matt, Peter Loken, Amy Voytilla, and Sivika Sirisanthana. "Art Therapy." Art Therapy. Malacaster, n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. This was by far the most useful website created by students, it briefly explained art therapy as a whole and was very useful. I learned about the approaches of art therapy and gained a lot of useful knowledge from this site. 

Cozolino, Louis J. The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.This book was really helpful on researching about the brain itself. I maintained a lot information on therapy as well as learning about disorders in the brain. Very helpful and was surprisingly fun to read

Caldwell, Lore. "Welcome to Growing Up Easier Publishing." Help Children Overcome Problems Such as Abuse, Learning Problems, Autism and More, Growing Up Easier. Growing up Easier, 2008. Web. 02 July 201

Goldman, Alvin I. "Theory of Mind." Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Cognitive Science. N.p.: n.p., 2012. 1-25. Print.
Hansard, Glen. "Art Therapy: A Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. This YouTube documentary displayed a handful of students who talked about their journey through art therapy. I also got to learn a bit about the brain. This documentary is also what led me to the fabulous book by Louis Cozolin
Mindblindness." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 June 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.
RESEARCH INTO THEORY OF MIND." Autism, PDD-NOS & Asperger's Fact Sheets. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind-Robert Seyfarth." YouTube. YouTube, 19 June 2010. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

Self-portraits and Substance Abuse.

The core definition of addiction is engaging in a particular behavior or taking a particular substance to relieve pain. Every individual that turns to substances has some form of depression that is caused by a certain memory or event.We all know that chemically dependent people are the last to accept any sign of addiction upon themselves, but why? People put themselves in denial without even realizing it, this is an act to disavow the disease of addiction. It acts as a defense mechanism to avoid facing painful realizations.

Often in art therapy, the individual is asked to draw themselves. The self-image that the client creates reflects the will that they have to change their habits. Clients that were in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, began their sobriety by taking a tour of the art studio first. The studio, as described, displayed a sink, long tables, and drawers of different materials. A Non-Directive approach is used to employ in the sense that patients will use a more open-minded approach to the idea. The large variety of media is used for the individual to easily express them selves in the process.

The "scribble technique" is used for patients who are often stubborn and defiant of the idea of drawing themselves. Bob, a patient that stayed in a psychiatric hospital, was an alcoholic father who still lived with his mom. Hospitalized by a recent depressive episode and recent alcohol binge, Bob has seen previous treatment for his alcohol addiction. He explained his mom as a very controlling and domineering woman. He stayed for 5 short days in the physc. ward and experienced two group art therapy sessions. During the first session bob was periphery of the group, keeping his boundaries he expressed negative emotion toward the idea of art therapy. He was hesitant to engage with the art media, and sat silently through the entire session.

Michael Hanes introduced the "scribble technique" to Bob in order to decrease the self-doubt that Bob had shown. This increased the amount of spontaneous imagery, rather than having Bob focus on his inhibitions, which defeats the point of creating the self-portraits. Hanes, started filling the page with scribbles, he'd turn the page while using different types of media. He would have Bob fill in the shapes, and piece them together. "He felt encouraged to view the shapes and forms brought about by the intersecting lines with the expectation of discovering some approximation of an image."

Bob mentions that he saw the relevance of a face. Hanes then had Bob add and remove lines to create his own self-portrait. "That looks like one hell of a drunk", Bob had said (meaning himself).  Hanes felt accomplished as the self-portrait that bob had created stuck out and created a perfect resemblance to himself. "That's what I look like when I'm dunk -- I don't like what I see", bob revealed. This exercise helped Bob step out of his comfort zone, and come to a realization of his addictive nature without even realizing that he had done so.

Bob was then asked to turn the page in order to try and find a semblance. Bob had managed to turn his image upside down, and explained how he saw a man with a blindfold. "The man is wearing a blind fold and he is frowning". The blind fold may have acted as a cape or mask in order to hide the true identity of Bobs chemical dependency. This is also another sign of denial, the blindfold that Bob wore on a daily basis prevented him to see the world as it truly was. "I don't want to see my problem--I am a hostage to my addiction". The images that Bob created gave the vibe of helpfulness and anguish. Even though Bob only attended two art therapy sessions, he completed the first step in any therapeutic approach, facing painful realities. After Bob's hospitalization ended he enrolled him self into Alcoholics Anonymous as well as out patient services.

Cozolino, Louis J. The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.This book was really helpful on researching about the brain itself. I maintained a lot information on therapy as well as learning about disorders in the brain. Very helpful and was surprisingly fun to read
Hanes, Michael J. "'Face-to-Face' with Addiction: The Spontaneous Production of Self-Portraits in Art   Therapy." Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2007). Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013. This article showed the usage of substances and how art therapy was used in the cure of becoming clean. It displayed a couple examples of how drawing a self portrait and looking at different angles can result in therapy.
Horay, Brian J. "Moving Towards Gray: Art Therapy and Ambivalence in Substance Abuse Treatment." Journal of the American Art . This article looked as therapy as art, and created a different approach to art therapy with substance abused clientele. 

New survey!

If any of you viewing my blog, would you please spend the time to take my new survey! It's anonymous and short, and would really help me.
Thank you to every one who takes it!
 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7ZHRY7B

Adolescents.

I'm having a really difficult time finding pieces of information on my topic of art therapy and substance abuse. After talking to librarians and spending time looking for information. I found several articles on mental health and how art therapy is used to help those with mental disorders. I'm thinking on focusing on the mental health of people as they age, and how they occur. I want to research on what causes people to fall into using drugs and alcohol. As well as how the mind develops into convincing them that they need to use drugs.

People that aren't involved in the art world look at art as entertainment. They don't see what goes into the work, the emotion, the thoughts that the artist had, as well as the time and dedication that it took to complete the piece. Art can benefit both the creator and the viewer. The creator gets a form of release when creating a piece it feels almost as if there is a huge weight that has been lifted off their shoulders. The viewer can get a interest out of the piece, they can make sense of the work. Every one sees things differently and even looking at a painting and discussing it has been known to make more connections in the brain.

Some of the research that I have found suggests that people's diets are what drives them to substance abuse. Scientists are still in the process of trying to prove that someones diet may lead them to using drugs and/or drinking alcohol. Some of the natural chemical malfunctions or the way the person eats can develop the need for certain substances. After taking the desired substance, the person then creates an addiction for it that makes them feel normal. They create a need for it and if the usage of drugs gets out of control it interferes with the chemicals in their body's which is the cause of many mental health disorders including schizophrenia, multi-personality disorder, etc. Currently this focus has been a conundrum for scientists.

Adolescents are usually self conscious about their self-esteem as well as their image. Being in public schools as well as dealing with the peers around them usually doesn't help their case. Depending on the therapist, the client is asked to make a collage or painting to depict what the client is there for, they go over the artwork and talk about what was drawn or pieced together. Adolescents usually are more drawn to creating symbols or graphic images. Riley explains how this concludes acts of using art as a language rather than using art as verbal questioning. The therapist may even have the client take the human-tree-house test. Depending on the drawing and how the client can pair these things together shows how angry, depressed, lonely, or happy the person might be. It is very commonly used. Adolescents turn to drug use and alcohol for several reasons. Peer pressure is one of the biggest cause for teens to turn to drugs. An individual might have gone through a formidable trama, that geared them to drugs and alcohol. A lot of teens also depend on their parents to support their drug habits, the amount of parents who pay for their child's addiction is surprisingly huge.

In the beginning of the therapy, the therapist must create a stance of neutrality with the client. They do this to establish the basis of any therapeutic relationship, which is trust. The therapist has no physic powers or 'magic', that causes them to see the meaning in the art product. They can guess and assume the message shown, but the meaning has to come from the creativity of the teen. The art therapist would most likely compare each art product, every session. They do this to show the progress of the patient. Noticing the art that a client produces, helps both the therapist and the client an idea of the youth's concerns and wishes.

For adolescents, using art in therapy is an experience to the teen that opens an unexpected pleasure factor that stimulates their need to be expressive. After studying the tagging and graffiti that shows abundantly in cities, psychologists believe that these marks are in tune with the adolescents development. For adolescents it is rather difficult to restrain the urge to 'make their territory' or 'mark their mark'.

"The emergence of an image is an extension of the processes of memory and conceptualization. Imagery introduces metaphorical language and personalized communication. [8] If adolescents are asked to show the therapist what needs to be corrected at home, or even in society as a whole, they can do so through the creation of an image. Visual representation concentrate meaning into a tangible form that conveys the entire scope of a situation."

 Even if the client draws a clear representation of an abused setting, it is the therapists job to show the appropriate interest. The therapist might make a false assumption, in regards the therapist must restrain themselves from making bold and hasty judgement's.

 More often than usual the calm respectful child turns into a moody teenager who refuse direction from any form of authority. How does this happen? It's not always the parents fault, even if they are first to blame, but rather society's. The family of the child is usually not prepared for this emotional outburst, and may react out on them. This happens because of the rapid change on teen, resulting on the family's reaction toward each other to become chaotic.

Family therapy is frequently visited, but family art therapy is the more accurate form of therapy. In talk therapy, psychologists often find that each family member likes to 'tattle tell' on each and everyone in the room. They try to point out what the other person is doing wrong, rather than trying to resolve their own issues. With art therapy, the therapist would most likely have everyone draw an image of change that they think needs to happen in the house. They compare these drawings at the end in order for each person to identify others perspectives. This has been proven to show change in the person themselves rather than blaming others. The art pieces that family's create is used as a dialogue. Instead of the "he said she said" drama, these drawings can be used as a way identify the issues that the family addressed in future references.

Art therapy can be used as an effective way to cure adolescents going through a struggling time. Situations that are too risky to reveal,  too embarrassing, or even too personal for the client to share; they all help the therapist gain an effort to help protect and support the client.

"My sufferings are part of myself and art. They are indistinguishable from me, and their destruction would destroy art" -Edvard Munch

Beck, Aaron T. Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse. New York: Guilford, 1993. Print. This article is useful. It covers everything I needed to know. I've skimmed random sections of it. And hope on getting more into it.
Caruso, Iyna. "The pictures of health: art's healing powers more than simply a statement of style, art can improve and enhance one's physical, mental and emotional well-being." Evening Post Jan.-Feb. 2009: 70+. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013. This article explained the well being, and reason the usage of art therapy is used on patients.

Dunham, Mardis, and Pam Rockwell. "The Utility of the Formal Elements Art Therapy Scale in Assessment for Substance Use Disorder." Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2006). Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013.

Hanes, Michael J. "'Face-to-Face' with Addiction: The Spontaneous Production of Self-Portraits in Art      Therapy." Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2007). Fine Arts and Music     Collection. Web. 28 July 2013. This article showed the usage of substances and how art therapy was used in the cure of becoming clean.
Horay, Brian J. "Moving Towards Gray: Art Therapy and Ambivalence in Substance Abuse Treatment." Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2006): 1-9. Print. This journal piece was the first thing I helped and the most helpful for this topic. It clearly stated everything that I needed and have yet to finish it. 
Riley, Shirley. "Art therapy with adolescents." The Western Journal of Medicine July 2001: 54. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 July 2013 This article covered everything I needed to know about art therapy and adolescents. 
"Selected Art Therapy Resources. (News)." Afterimage Nov.-Dec. 2001: 3+. Fine Arts and Music Collection. Web. 28 July 2013.
vanMeenen, Karen. "Editorial: Media Art AS/IN Therapy. (News)." Afterimage Nov.-Dec. 2001: 3. Academic OneFile. Web. 28 July 2013. This article displayed the different forms and age groups on art therapy. It displayed some stats as well. 
Video: Art & The Mind – Creativity." Art Therapy RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2013. This blog is wonderful! It had an amazing documentary (with Lisa Kudrow) as well as useful information.
Art Therapy Exercises To Try at Home | World of Psychology." Psych Central.com. Physch Central, 1995-2013. Web. 15 July 2013.This website is an advanced blogging site that people subscribe too for information. I haven't gotten too deep into the cite yet, but it does outline disorders of the brain. How they are caused and how to treat the disorder.

Bach, Matt, Peter Loken, Amy Voytilla, and Sivika Sirisanthana. "Art Therapy." Art Therapy. Malacaster, n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. This was by far the most useful website created by students, it breifly explained art therapy as a whole and was very useful. I learned about the approaches of art therapy and gained a lot of useful knowledge from this site. 

Cozolino, Louis J. The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.This book was really helpful on researching about the brain itself. I maintained a lot information on therapy as well as learning about disorders in the brain. Very helpful and was surprisingly fun to read

Caldwell, Lore. "Welcome to Growing Up Easier Publishing." Help Children Overcome Problems Such as Abuse, Learning Problems, Autism and More, Growing Up Easier. Growing up Easier, 2008. Web. 02 July 2013.
Edith Kramer." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

Goldman, Alvin I. "Theory of Mind." Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Cognitive Science. N.p.: n.p., 2012. 1-25. Print.
Hansard, Glen. "Art Therapy: A Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. This YouTube documentary displayed a handful of students who talked about their journey through art therapy. I also got to learn a bit about the brain. This documentary is also what led me to the fabulous book by Louis Cozolin
Margaret Naumburg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.
Mindblindness." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 June 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.
RESEARCH INTO THEORY OF MIND." Autism, PDD-NOS & Asperger's Fact Sheets. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind-Robert Seyfarth." YouTube. YouTube, 19 June 2010. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

Common Faces.

All over the world people have heard of Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, and YaYoi Kusama. How much do they actually know about them though? Would Van Gogh be as famous as he is today without the fogginess of psychological disorders surrounding his life? Would Pablo Picasso have made the same impact on the modern art world without the severe depression that he carried around? Would YaYoi Kusama have changed the views of Japanese woman in art without the self diagnosis of neurosis? These questions are commonly asked about famous artists.

It's no secret that Vincent Van Gogh isn't the only one with mental disorders in his family. His sister Wilhelmina developed schizophrenia shortly after Vincent passed, and was issued at the age of 35 in a psychiatric ward, she died in the asylum at the age of 79. Cornelis, his youngest brother, enlisted as a volunteer for the Boer army and may have died in war, or committed suicide. Theo, his closest brother, passed 6 months after Vincent killed himself. His father dropped dead at his door step spontaneously after a walk. His mother, who seemed to be the only calm undisturbed person in his intermediate family lived to the age of 87 and outlived her husband and all 3 of her sons.

Although, no one can 100% prove that Van Gogh had epilepsy and depression, the reoccurring studies have shown that it is highly possible. He's also been diagnosed with dysphoria, euphoria, and bipolar as well. Not only did the man kill himself at the age of 37, he is also known for amputating his own ear. After arriving in Arles, Vincent wrote; "I was surely about to suffer a stroke when I left Paris. It affected me when I had stopped drinking and smoking so much, and as I began to think instead of knocking the thoughts from my head. Good heavens, what despair and how much fatigue I felt at that time." Van Gogh had an addiction to absinthe and cognac. For the last 2 years Van Gogh suffered from horrific hallucinations and was considered a threat to the public. He was constantly thrown out of bars, and avoided in the public scene. His art wasn't appreciated until after his death, and people laughed at his work. His dedication was to be a perfectionist in his art, to get every line and curve to be right, to perfect the contour; all in the while of using bold colors and angst brushwork. He now has many art museums dedicated to himself. Before he passed he quoted "My only anxiety is, how can I be of use in the world?", it's safe to say that he accomplished that dream.

Pablo Picasso's clinical depression took over his art. He didn't have any other mental disorders, but showed his depression through his art. He drew portraits of sad woman, as well as portraits of depressed woman. Yes, there is a huge difference. You can be sad about losing a cat, but 6 months to a year later, you would most likely be moved onto a new cat. People that hold onto things, can't let things go, are people with depression.  One of his most successful paintings, as well as my personal favorite, "The Old Guitarist", was painted after the suicide of his close friend Casagemas. He often did portraits of his lover, Dora Maar.



YaYoi Kusama is also a fascinating person. She is known as a post WWII artist. The Japanese artist at the age of 84 still lives today and still produces art. At the age of 9 she self diagnosed herself with neurosis; she uses art to help with her condition of seeing visions. Her first vision, the vision that sparked her career, was of her and a table. The table had a vase of flowers on it, she envisioned that the flowers started spreading onto the walls. She felt obliterated with visions at the age of 10. Kusama also had a strong aggressive mother, and having issues with her mother caused her to see dots. Which is why Kusama expressess dots in all of her paintings and even her attire consists of dots. Kusama came from an upper-class Japanese family, who wanted her to become an art collector instead of an artist. Her mother always told her that men produced the art and woman were the ones to collect it. She was a very lonely and isolated person, and that's when she befriended Andy Warhol, who is a famous pop art artist. She has said that she paints the visions that only she can see, and has quoted, "If it weren't for art, I would of killed myself a long time ago" - Kusama. She is also featured in several museums and has one dedicated to her.

Now you're probably confused, why am I talking about these artists? I consider these artists good examples of using art as therapy. I also used Vincent Van Gogh as a great example, even though he didn't live for too long, he still completed what he wanted to do with his life. Think about it, he wanted to change the world and he did. He is one of the most famous artists to exist, everyone has seen his Starry Night painting. His painting, Starry Night, has been in children novels, remade to fit into TV shows, and highly recognized anywhere. He was a mad man with a dream and art made it happen. Both, Picasso and Kusama, have admitted that art has saved there lives. Picasso died at 91, and Kusama is still alive at 87, doesn't that say something about art? It's easier now, we don't have to be big artists to use art therapy, but we can ensure that it works, and it is known as the most useful form of therapy. Its's easier for us in today's times to get help and treat our needs.


 Blumer, Dietrich, M.D. "The Illness of Vincent Van Gogh." The American Journal of Psychiatry. Am J Psychiatry, n.d. Web. 27 June 2013.

This covers the biography of Vincent Van Gogh, what he goes through, and all of his disorders.

"Famous Artists Who Suffered from Mental Illness (Psychology Meets Art 1)." Psychundergrad. N.p., 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 28 July 2013.

Hansard, Glen. "Art Therapy: A Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. This YouTube documentary displayed a handful of students who talked about their journey through art therapy. I also got to learn a bit about the brain. This documentary is also what led me to the fabulous book by Louis Cozolin

Ryan, Dennis. "Mental Illness Can Help Create Great Art, No?" Mental Illness Can Help Create Great Art, No? Blogger, 7 June 2007. Web. 28 July 2013.

"StayOnTop: Depression." StayOnTop Depression. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2013.

This site covers Pablo Picasso, and his mental health.

Getting Side Tracked...

"...It's like the scientific principle of test, evaluate and design. Try something and it fails, you try something else. It fails, you try something again, and it succeeds, and all of those processes that are taking place are happening in this lab..." - Bob Baker

Thank you to everyone who answered my survey, especially the ones that left useful or humorous comment responses. I got one comment that really stuck out to me, and made me think about this topic in a different way. They said how they were currently in counseling for a previous addiction problem, and one of the fellow clients in their program was using art therapy to help with their therapy. I thought that this was instantly a good idea. "How does art therapy help those that suffer from addictions?". I am currently 10 months sober, and am fascinated with this topic. Although I haven't found that much useful information for it. I found one article and am hoping on getting my hands on more. The article that I did find is fairly new and explains how the art therapy world is merging toward substance treatment. So...I don't expect to find much.

"I am in a fellowship in recovery from addictions, we have an individual that is providing art therapy as a way to enlighten and broaden their way of dealing with their addiction. I feel that this is a way to go beyond the usual counseling and cookie cutter ways that are available today. I also feel that as children we learned to express ourselves through drawing, we were given a piece of paper and a crayon or pencil and were allowed the freedom to create whatever we wanted. This I feel is a very open minded approach to therapy in general and a very relaxing and personal way to find the inner peace we all are looking for." 

This was the one comment from my survey that stuck out to me. I do not know the person or what they are in recovery for, but I do wish them  the best of luck in their recovery. I hope that if they see this blog that it can somewhat help them with the usage of art therapy! The reason I quoted this was to get an idea from an individual of what art therapy is. I loved the wording and thought that it was a good example to share.

For starters, I plan on studying the most common addiction there is, which would include the usage of alcohol consumption. Leaders of the AA (alcoholic anonymous) society have been studying 12 step approaches for more than half a century. The most effective model that they have made conducts of using Motivational Interviewing (MI) along with a Stages of Change model (SOC).

Unrelated to my topic, I had to know what the model looked like, the image below is the best example I could find.

People build barriers, trying to pose as a person that they wish they were, putting themselves in denial of ever having a problem. The first step in any AA meeting is to admit ones shame and overcome the denial that they put on themselves. The SOC model resembles some traces of the use of art therapy.

Later on, the article by Horay explains how he read about a patient who drew 12 images for each step of the 12 step approach. In one of the images he draws a pierced heart dripping blood surrounded by a volcanic explosion. The therapist explains how he drew the whereabouts of hell. Toward the end of the recovery he drew a picture of himself on a grassland with a bright yellow sun and a clear blue sky. His drawings arms were outstretched toward the sun. These drawings showed the therapist signs of fast recovery, proving that the 12 step process and SOC were highly effective in the AA world.

 How do scientists break through the defensive mechanism among patients?

 “art expression with work centered around
issues of unmanageability, being out of control, and powerlessness [that] can foster the admission of alcoholism/
drug addiction, which in turn encourages [clients] to
engage in further treatment” 

Another way that patients in the AA were treated was to make the art process as difficult as they could. How did they make things difficult? Clients either had to draw in an isolated dark bottomless pit, or in a room with chairs lined in a circular pattern only to learn that they had to draw on their hands and knees. They were given turpentine and oils for media. Often, they were told to draw with their non dominant hand, or with their eyes closed. Why do they do this exercise? In fact they do this as a power restraint. Its to take away power from the individual. In 1995 Julliard suggested, "Treatment programs should focus on heightening patients' awareness of their powerlessness over their addiction". Hes right, alcohol often makes people feel like they have more power than they originally did. Taking away that power can help them come to the realization that they are equal to everyone around them.

How does art therapy help those recovering from addictions? Out of experience, while I was using I never liked to talk to people about my problems. I had a school counselor that met with me once a week. Although, he was really good and I got a long with him, I never liked opening up to him. Art therapy gives people the ability to talk without using words. You can express on paper what you are feeling, and even if the therapist can't interpret what they drew, it still gives the client a relief because they still 'told' somebody their inner feelings.

Beck, Aaron T. Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse. New York: Guilford, 1993. Print.

This book is useful. It covers everything I needed to know. I've skimmed random sections of it. And hope on getting more into it.

Horay, Brian J. "Moving Towards Gray: Art Therapy and Ambivalence in Substance Abuse Treatment." Journal of the American Art Therapy Association (2006): 1-9. Print. This journal piece was the first thing I helped and the most helpful for this topic. It clearly stated everything that I needed and have yet to finish it. 

Video: Art & The Mind – Creativity." Art Therapy RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 July 2013. This blog is wonderful! It had an amazing documentary (with Lisa Kudrow) as well as useful information. 

Class Survey!

As many of you know my blog is for a class assignment. My instructor wanted me to create a survey that will help me with my research. If you don't mind will you please take the time to fill out the link below. If you have any suggestions or comments please leave them! Every bit of information will help me, it is completely anonymous as well as short. Thanks to all who take it!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/R2FGVBJ

Art Therapy and the Brain.

Psychology to me is like a family tree. You can map out each place of every relative, although you can stumble when trying to map out your ancestors further back the timeline, and when you find something new it throws you off track. As I'm getting into my research I've noticed that there is much more to the brain than I thought and that's when I get thrown off track. I'm learning about different mental illnesses and what causes each of them. I find it fascinating how much there is to know about people, how their mental state is, and what they might go through on a daily basis. Since my topic is about how art therapy can affect the brain I thought it would be an excellent idea to jot down some facts about the brain, before I go into detail about how they are treated.

The attachment theory is very well known in Psychotherapy and brain development. While growing and maturing into an adult every different region of the brain develops as well. The brain also contains social organs. Back in 1976 2 researchers named Kling and Steklic found that different regions of the brain contain the lack of social behavior and loneliness (The Neuroscience of Human Relationships : Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. Louis Cozolin). The brains frontal lobe impacts social skills, behind the frontal lobe is the theory of mind. If not attached properly the brain lacks social skills, concluding sadness and loneliness. This is called the attachment theory.

What is ToM (theory of mind)?

Just like the name suggests, 'Theory of Mind' is a theory. ToM is part of the cognitive capacity of the brain. Other names for this ToM capacity include; commonsense psychology, naive psychology, folk psychology, mind reading, and mentalizing. Theory of mind is the ability to attribute other peoples mental states, beliefs, desire, knowledge, and intents. Some people don't have a sense of ToM and develop other mental disorders. The most common condition is ADD and ADHD, which are treated differently depending on the individual. ToM is tested quite often, using a 'False Belief Test', this video is a well addressed definition of ToM. There is also ToMM which is another form of ToM. ToMM stands for 'Theory of Mind Mechanism', which is one of the highly discussed modules postulated by the theory. I do not know much about ToMM although I am currently learning more about it.

Some side effects of ToM can result in many different life-long disorders. ADD and ADHD are some of the most common brain disorders. Even though they are very similar they have a huge distinct. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is caused by the dopamine levels in the brain. If the brain produces low levels of dopamine, it causes us to lose focus easily making it difficult to stay calm. ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) has the same effects although the individual's brain has the regular amount of dopamine in the brain. People with ADD and ADHD are huge contributors to the use of art therapy.

A famous method of art therapy among any individual is the tree drawing exercise. The client is asked to draw themselves as a tree usually on the first session. The therapist's job on the first meeting is to create a strong rapport between themselves and the client. The therapist can tell by the outcome of the drawing how the client is feeling and the purpose of them being there. For example, if the client draws a hole in the center of the tree it usually means that they feel empty inside. The therapist then knows that the client is there for a lack of a social/family life. etc.

Simply, there are 2 basic ways for a therapist to approach there client. Edith Kramer was the first person to champion the thought of being 'process intensive'. She was concerned with artistic quality, and development. She treasured the healing qualities of art as well. The process intensive approach is used to help the client learn something about him/her self.  Kramer is known as a social realistic painter, she is a follower of a psychoanalytic theory as well as a fore mother of art therapy.

"Art is used as a catharsis, an emotional journey to which self-actualization and discovery are the end result."  - Malacaster.EDU

The other way to approach a client is for both the client and therapist to not be concerned with the outcome of the art, but rather being able to see the way that the client is consciously or unconsciously expressing themselves. Margaret Naumberg thought that this was the best way to approach a client in their journey through art therapy. Naumberg is a famous art therapist, and one of the first people to succeed in art therapy. She also founded the Walden school of New York city, and named her approach the 'dynamically oriented art therapy'.

I've already read several articles, and chapters in books, and I feel as if I need to step back and focus more on art therapy as a whole. I've learned so much about the brain and how people view the world, the different disguises that people create, and how we can read others mind's on a daily basis, but I haven't read about art therapy as much as I plan too. Now that I know more about neuroscience I am now starting to research about the ways that art therapists can treat the individuals needs. I'm really enjoying my topic, and just hope that I can re-create some of the readings that I've read into an interesting blog.

Citations:

Art Therapy Exercises To Try at Home | World of Psychology." Psych Central.com. Physch Central, 1995-2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

This website is an advanced blogging site that people subscribe too for information. I haven't gotten too deep into the cite yet, but it does outline disorders of the brain. How they are caused and how to treat the disorder.

Bach, Matt, Peter Loken, Amy Voytilla, and Sivika Sirisanthana. "Art Therapy." Art Therapy. Malacaster, n.d. Web. 15 July 2013. This was by far the most useful website created by students, it breifly explained art therapy as a whole and was very useful. I learned about the approaches of art therapy and gained a lot of useful knowledge from this site. 

Cozolino, Louis J. The Neuroscience of Human Relationships: Attachment and the Developing Social Brain. New York: Norton, 2006. Print.

            This book was really helpful on researching about the brain itself. I maintained a lot information on therapy as well as learning about disorders in the brain. Very helpful and was surprisingly fun to read

Caldwell, Lore. "Welcome to Growing Up Easier Publishing." Help Children Overcome Problems Such as Abuse, Learning Problems, Autism and More, Growing Up Easier. Growing up Easier, 2008. Web. 02 July 2013.
Edith Kramer." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

Goldman, Alvin I. "Theory of Mind." Oxford Handbook of Philosophy and Cognitive Science. N.p.: n.p., 2012. 1-25. Print.

Hansard, Glen. "Art Therapy: A Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. This YouTube documentary displayed a handful of students who talked about their journey through art therapy. I also got to learn a bit about the brain. This documentary is also what led me to the fabulous book by Louis Cozolin
Margaret Naumburg." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.
Mindblindness." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 June 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

RESEARCH INTO THEORY OF MIND." Autism, PDD-NOS & Asperger's Fact Sheets. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind-Robert Seyfarth." YouTube. YouTube, 19 June 2010. Web. 10 July 2013.

Theory of Mind." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Sept. 2013. Web. 15 July 2013.

Art+Therapy=?

"You do not have to be an artist to use art therapy" - Angelina Rodriguez

Art therapy is a combination of both art and psychotherapy. It is more useful than regular talk therapy in several ways. A lot of times it is difficult for an individual, at any age, to open up to a complete stranger for a hour or so. Art therapy uses materials to help people describe on paper what they are feeling, instead of being expected to openly express themselves. Art therapy is a variety of things, it's not just a pencil and paper. Many people use; sound art, performance arts, visual arts, expressive arts, (music, theater, dancing, journalism, poetry, writing, painting, sketching, and communications).

How does an art therapy session go? Different art therapy sessions can happen in different ways. Usually the client will walk into a room displayed with different materials. The client is then asked to express them selves, their personality, and the way the client is currently feeling.

Art therapy is usually more common in children, although children usually don't have advanced social skills. Using materials and paper can help them 'talk'. People usually deny the fact that children may have some serious issues, although if children don't have social skills, how can you tell? A lot of young kids get bullied in school or at home, and usually don't even know that there is a way to vent the way that they are feeling. The child's self esteem is usually enhanced in different areas of a child's mental health.

Adults aren't much different than children when it comes to uses in art therapy. They have much different reasons to use art therapy, although the benefits are usually the same. Adults do hopefully have social skills, but have problems shutting down, and admitting their own feelings. Many adults who use art therapy go for a specific reason. Seniors with Alzheimer's use art therapy to help them connect to the person that they used to be. New parents use art therapy to help them become better role models to their kids. Adults going through a divorce, coming out of abused relationships, or have problems at work, can all benefit from art therapy.

Citations:

Caldwell, Lore. "Welcome to Growing Up Easier Publishing." Help Children Overcome Problems Such as Abuse, Learning Problems, Autism and More, Growing Up Easier. Growing up Easier, 2008. Web. 02 July 2013.

Hansard, Glen. "Art Therapy: A Documentary." YouTube. YouTube, 08 Oct. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013.