WHERE LIVING IS A VACATION

I chose to do my final art piece on a social issue or current event that I feel passionate about and a way to utilize art therapy. The recent suicides in my home town of Lake Orion have really taken an emotional toll on me, my family, and my community. We have lost 9 Lake Orion students ages 15-22 in the past 4 years, 3 of which just in the last month.  This devastation makes me sick to my stomach.  Antidepressants, heroin, and other substance abuse have been the cause of this problem, but the biggest issue is that all of these young people felt ALONE. They had no one to talk to and no way to express their pain...which is why I would like to change that and let people suffering from depression and substance abuse know that there are other ways of releasing their emotions and healing their pain, instead of just ending it all.

This project was extremely therapeutic for me because it was the only way to help express the way I feel about this situation.  I want to also relay a message to everyone in our community, making them aware that there is a problem and people need to stick together and help one another to prevent more suicides from happening in the future.  I've posted an image of my project on a suicide prevention page on facebook in hopes to relay this message as well and would like to pursue working with depressed and suicidal individuals in the future through art therapy. I feel that many people think that no one understand them and there are no options to heal the emotions they are feeling, trapped inside of them, however, I know for a fact that art and the creative process of making art is healing.  Anyone can make art, anyone can release what they are feeling onto paper and it may not heal all of their pain, but it's better than just taking a drug that only makes you feel worse in the end anyway.  I will continue to spread the word about suicide prevention and the benefits of art therapy and together, our community can stand tall and make a difference!

Ports O' Call 2011

TAE's Ports O' Call auction was held on Sunday.  I was there for most of the event and was very pleased with the turnout.  The venue was wonderful, everything was nicely spaced out and had its own place including the art that was on display upstairs.  I was so surprised at the amount of items there were to auction off, but my favorite aspect was the treasure box auction.  I actually helped sell some tickets and the display was very well planned out, I was also very excited that both of mine were auctioned off!  I enjoyed being able to walk around, enjoy some of the yummy food, listen to the awesome entertainment, and look at the items, I even bid on earrings and won them!  I was also happy to see the signs that I had designed, they looked very nice on display next to the baskets....Here are some pictures from the event....

I was so glad that the so many members from the community turned out for this great cause to keep such a great program running.  
Throughout the semester, I have witnessed first hand how many people TAE has affected and helped express themselves through art.  It is such a great program and has been a wonderful and eye opening experience I will be visiting them in the future and telling friends and family about them in hopes that they will be able to benefit from TAE like so many already have!

Preparing

My last day at TAE was spent making signs and preparing for the auction on Sunday.  When I walked in, I was surprised to see how many baskets would be auctioned off containing all sorts of goodies for all ages.
Judy had me choose the colored board, paper, and other supplies in order to design the signs for the prizes that would be sitting on the tables so people could bid on them. I knew they had to be visually appealing.
I had a lot of fun matching the text and photos with the background of the signs, using all sorts of colors and special scissors to add to the edges and make the signs more appealing.  In less than two hours, I was able to complete 5 signs and was very happy with what I was able to accomplish. I was very excited for the auction and couldn't wait to see the turn out and how many supporters of the arts would show up to keep this great program running! I'm very glad I got to help and be a part or such an exciting event!

Barbie Society

I've been thinking for a while about the different populations of people I would like to help with art and people with body image issues have always intrigued me.  I've also struggled with my body image throughout my life, so it makes it easier to relate to people who feel that they aren't good enough and with today's society telling women that being rail thin, tan, and having perfect features is considered "beautiful," who can blame them?


Yesterday on the Anderson talk show, the topic was plastic surgery.  There was a 23 year old girl on the show who had already had breast implants when she was 18 and a nose job when she was 20.  Her father was a plastic surgeon and was telling the audience that plastic surgery is ok for ugly people.  What the hell is ugly and who has the right to label anyone as such? What happened to being happy with who we are and the way we are born? And why is everyone so afraid of aging? It's life! Get over it! It made me sick that this woman sat there and insisted that she needed botox at a year older than myself.


  I just don't understand people.  Our society has become so brainwashed by all of this media telling us that looking plastic is pretty, however, real life Barbie dolls just shouldn't be a reality.  No one is perfect, no matter how much they strive to be and no amount of plastic surgery will change that fact.  The most shocking part about the show was a book that is now published called "My beautiful Mommy." It is a children's book telling children why their moms are getting plastic surgery.  It even has a picture of a before and after page of a much more attractive cartoon woman, standing next to her daughter....WOW....
It's things like this that gives me motivation to make a change and help those struggling with doubts about their image. I want to let women know everywhere that they don't need to pay to be beautiful because they already are and if people don't accept them for how they look, then they shouldn't be given the time of day to begin with. 

What is going on?

Having missed volunteering last week at TAE due to knee surgery, I have been thinking about other things going on in my life. After speaking with James more about spirituality and living more through God, it made me want to regain my faith back.  I haven't gone to church in over 4 years but decided to try it out again.  That wasn't the only reason I decided to go however....
Recently, I received the news that a classmate of mine who I went to high school with and hadn't talked to for a while, killed himself.  It was a huge shock to our whole town, however, it is not anything new here.  In the past three years, Lake Orion has lost over ten of its grads to suicide and all within three years of age.  It disturbs me, especially because Ryan, and every other person who's committed suicide seemed like the happiest and most outgoing people who had so much going for them.  The thing I remember most about Ryan was his lovely, radiant smile. He truly was one of the nicest, most genuine guys I've ever met.  He had been struggling with a drug addiction and admitted himself to rehab, but the past few months were too rough on him, he felt alone and couldn't bear the pain any longer.  


I attended his funeral, listened to the pastor talk about this pain that no one, no matter how much they wanted to help him, could heal.  He was alone and no one could make him feel whole again.  I sat behind his family and watched them wrap their arms around each other, still too in shock to realize what was going on, and what their future would be like without their only son and only big brother.  I cried as my friends from school that I grew up stood up at the alter and cried like little babies, hugging each other as they reminisced their times with Ryan. All I could ask is WHY? WHY would such a loving, caring, happy person do this? What would drive them to the point of taking their own life.  It is a question I don't think I will ever understand and so that is why I've started going to church again...so that I don't have to know the answers to every unanswered question and instead can let someone up above lead me in the right direction.  


Not only did this make me want to regain my faith, but it also opened my eyes to helping those through art who feel alone. I want to prevent this from happening in the future, I want to help those who are in pain deal with their emotions by expressing themselves through art.  In Ryan's memory and all of those who have been lost before him in these past few years, I want to bring light to this sick darkness and let those who are in the dark know that they are not alone and there is hope.

Holy Star

Last time at TAE, I worked on organizing the still life shelf and some data processing.  I also painted the inside of my treasure boxes to make them look more desirable for the auction.  James was at the Studio, watching me as I did this and I asked him if he'd like to write a poem.  He responded, "only if you write one with me." I hesitated for a moment because it has been quite some time since I've written anything. In high school after my grandfather died, I was very into writing poems but I really haven't found much time in the last few years.  However, I knew that if it would help James, then I would give it a try.  We decided that our views are the same when it comes to our society and the negativity that comes with it...we sat for about twenty minutes, each of us writing every other line, trying to piece the poem together.  This is what we came up with:

Holy Star

The world will be a better place, when all the evil is gone...

Politics, greed, and war all around, 

they drain the fluids of good and love.

Material things set aside, open your eyes to life's beauties 

and welcome the necessities that come from above.

The world will be a better place when we all learn how to love.

What you own(have) doesn't define you and makes you who you are,

when you're able to spiritually reach up and touch that Holy Star.

Love has the power to break walls or any boundary, 

to where you gain the satisfaction and acceptance from the good and holy.

The world will be a better place, 

open your eyes and let your heart see

After writing the poem, James insisted that we make it into a song, since he is a musician.  He grabbed the guitar and asked me to sing.  I told him I don't have much of a voice and he replied, "yes you do, you've just never tried." I was hesitant at first but as he played a melody and sang it once himself, coming up with a tempo and all, I took his lead and proceeded to sing(or attempt to sing).  I was amazed at how good it made me feel, although I can't say it was an award winning performance, James was right...maybe I am a little too hard on myself and should just try things before I decide I just can't do them.  I was amazed at his ability to encourage me and he said he enjoyed writing and singing with me very much, even wanting to continue writing and perhaps recording songs in the future.

"This place saved my life"

My last time at the Art Experience was very eye opening.  I continued to work on stuffing envelopes for the auction coming up and visited with others.  The more I come to the studio, the more I feel comfortable; it has a very calming and peaceful atmosphere.  This place doesn't judge, yet embraces....everyone and everything.  It is a place to express freely, any idea or song or poem.  

I was greeted by James; who had promised to show me his CD he had made.  We listened to it quietly while others around us continued creating their art.  I also brought in a painting of my own to hang up in the studio for the show that weekend, which I couldn't have been happier about.  I haven't really had the opportunity to share my art with others so I was very excited and painted the sides of the canvas to make it look more professional. James insisted on picking out the color and said since my painting has a lot of blues and greens that I should paint the edges a mixture of both colors and I agreed.  As I painted, he asked me why I make art and what I want to do with it. I told him I want to help people through making art.  He began to ask me about my spirituality and told me that there are good and bad people in the world and if one trusts in the Lord, he will always be safe.  

This got me thinking about the loss of my spirituality the last couple of years and I decided that since this is a difficult time in my life where everything is changing, I may want to take his advice and confide in the Lord more often because maybe he can help me.  My family has always been religious, especially my mom but once I left for college, I didn't really go to church anymore or pray as often.  James said that you don't need to go to church to be a believer, you just have to live through the Lord.  I decided that I will try harder to pray and ask God for help in difficult times instead of stressing so much about things I can't control, it's not healthy.

I also met Carrie, a woman who comes into the studio often and once we began talking, we realized we had a lot in common.  "Bean" as they call her, actually graduated from my high school in 06, one year before me. We talked about people we both knew and things we do for fun as she sat and painted her peacock.  She told me the last few years have been rough for her, she lost some good friends and it made her sad.  She said that The Art Experience saved her life and she's never been happier since she started coming here.    She said that people here don't judge her and she has the freedom to express herself however she'd like.  She also talked about a group she joined a couple years ago and some of the projects they did together.  Hearing all of this made me realize how much good art can really bring people. It is a means of coping with any issue and it is easier to relate to others when everyone can just get together and make art.  I wish more people realized just how important expressing ourselves is and I was so happy to hear that The Art Experience has changed Bean's life and continues to every day.