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Monday, Jul 07, 2008
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How art plays into wellness |
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| How art plays into wellness | ||
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by Wendy Sloneker -
Special to the SGN Exposed: A Celebration of Queer Artistry HaLo Studios 500 East Pike Street April 4, 7 There's more to spending creative time than meets the eye, regardless of what the medium is. From abstract ceramic sculpture to rubberstamping or scrapbooking, alternative views and perspectives emerge offering examples of our collective similarities as well as singular differences as individuals. Moreover, creative self-expression offers life lessons as well as access to relaxation. "Art has always been used to chronicle and portray a wide range of emotions and experiences, from profound joy to the deepest sorrow, from triumph to trauma," says speaker, author and art therapist Cathy Malchiodi. "Since our earliest recorded history, art has also served as a means of reparation, rehabilitation, and transformation, and has been used to restore physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being." Similarities and differences Art-making and creative communication goes beyond words - this is one reason why art therapists use art with small children; their language skills aren't as developed and do not need to be. But everyone can use pictures, symbols, and movement to tell a story and release it from the body. The effects of creative expression on health can be dramatic. A recent study published in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management found that art therapy can reduce a broad spectrum of symptoms related to pain and anxiety in cancer patients. Many hospitals and institutions now regularly utilize art therapy to help their patients communicate the painful side of their illness in such a way that they can feel understood and respected. At Seattle's Center for LGBT Health, Gay City Health Project and Verbena Health are putting their own spin on the arts and wellness. "When we think of 'health,' most people think of their physical well-being," says Gay City's Robert Yoon. "But wellness incorporates much more than that; wellness takes into account our mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health as well. That's where creativity and the arts come into play." One of Gay City's latest projects uses literary arts to communicate Gay men's experiences. In Gay City: Volume One, notions of representation and identification are explored. Executive Director Fred Swanson says that "the arts allow LGBT people to see their lives and stories portrayed, and also to experience the feeling that others 'get it' - the sense that other people also recognize Queer moments in literary and visual arts." Gay City: Volume One is one of several projects that seek to use the arts as an innovative medium to explore difficult health and community issues. With the "Speed, Sex and Sanity" program, spoken word, film, painting and theatre production have been employed to allow Gay men to explore their relationship to crystal meth and to one another. Gay City's arts efforts also employ technology, with the launch of Gay City TV. GCTV is an innovative digital media and film project that uses the internet and event-based digital recording to bring ideas and people together. Verbena Health is also offering an outlet that links wellness with the art-making process. Local art therapist and volunteer practitioner at Verbena's Wellness Center Sharon Sanborn, MA, LMHC notes, "As you express yourself, you see yourself." The creative process is an unpredictable one, which can be scary. Sanborn assures, "You begin to trust the process, and the risk of going into the unknown. You befriend the unknown instead of running away from it." Art therapists act as guides in self-discovery and healing through art-making. People experiencing traumas or difficulties can get lost or frustrated and abandon the creative process entirely. An art therapist is able to set a reasonable challenge, and contain it into a safe space by gauging emotional responses and keeping track of time. You don't have to be traumatized to pick up a pen or a brush or a hook and play with it. Beginning is a great, well, beginning! Testing the waters Playing with art supplies, trying new techniques, or just futzing around offers a safe practice place in risk-taking and decision-making as well. Choices must be made: colors selected, mediums considered, sizes of brushes, types of patterns, whether or not patterns will be used at all. Dipping a proverbial toe into the waters of creativity just to see what happens doesn't need to cost a lot of money, take a lot of time or be shown in a gallery immediately upon completion. Take the pressure off and play. Whether it's fast and scrawly swipes on scrap paper with a new pen, tentative strokes of paint to board, a few stitches in stolen minutes while waiting in line or for an appointment, creativity can be snuck up on and grabbed during random moments of the day. And what about the bus as an option for forced creative time? Many a knitter, doodler and writer practice their craft on bus lines throughout the city. Another option: viewing art Verbena Health and Gay City Health Project are even using the arts in their fundraising efforts. Early next month the organizations host "Exposed: A Celebration of Queer Artistry" as a benefit for the Center for LGBT Health. The exhibit features the work of nearly two dozen of Seattle's most gifted Queer artists, showcasing a variety of media. Featured artists include: Kathy Admire, Cody Blomberg, Nabanita Dutt, Anna Perrone Heinrichs, Allie Jones, Jeff Larson, Ellen Leggett, Kerb Lydick, Sandra Jo Palm, Miranda Pingitore, Gregory Poore, Derek Sparks, Justin Orvold, Robert Yoon , Suzanne Spratt, Thomas Wurst, Josh Summer, Claudia Trott, Debra Bacianga and Ingrid Berkhout. A spoken word showcase by the Bent Writing Institute will also be featured. The exhibit premieres Friday, April 4 at 7 p.m. at HaLo Studios (500 East Pike Street). See www.gaycity.org for tickets and more information. Wendy Sloneker is the Development Coordinator at Verbena Health and has taught art and creativity workshops on both East and West Coasts. |
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