Happy New Years friends!  We took a bit of a break to enjoy the holidays and to reflect and recharge. With the start of the New Year comes new energy and continued commitment to our mission and vision. We are happy to be back to work on SpeakArtLoud!

Looking Back

The idea for SpeakArtLoud sprang to life in a workshop in the fall of 2009 (this is also where Board members met one another), since then we have been working on creating SpeakArtLoud. We each are busy with jobs, family and other community activities, but slowly, over time, we have made great strides.

This past fall SpeakArtLoud attained non-profit status, this was a big hurdle and it means that we can now begin a new chapter in our development. We are looking forward to what comes next!

Goals are dreams with deadlines.
~Diana Scharf Hunt

Organizational Goals

As an organization we are very young and we know there is still much to learn and much to do, but we are so excited about the future!

This year we will begin by focusing on the following:

• Expanding our Board – Look for an announcement soon (consider applying!)
• Developing a Curriculum – We’ll seek funding and a curriculum writer (hello art therapists!)
• Partnering with Others – Research and reaching out will keep us busy (connect with us!)

As we work on these goals we may also seek out advice and assistance. We may look for advisers and volunteers or ask questions from friends on Facebook and Twitter (we really appreciate those who already have so graciously helped us, thank you friends!).

I believe the most important single thing, beyond discipline & creativity is daring to dare.
~ Maya Angelou

Big Dreams

We believe having a vision, something big to work toward, is important in creating your future.

So, dreaming big and looking beyond 2012, SpeakArtLoud has a long-term goal of working at an international level. This is a big dream but we believe it is possible.

We know that art is everywhere and that equality for woman is a global concern.  By partnering with organizations locally, nationally and abroad we believe we can use the arts to empower women and improve communities around the world.

Together we can create a beautiful future!

By Jennifer Lucas  – We are pleased to bring you this guest post from Jennifer Lucas. In addition to writing, Jenn does web design, practices Bikram Yoga, dabbles in various art forms and has an interest in non-profit management. Oh yea, she was also one of SpeakArtLoud’s first volunteers!  

Writing is My Art

Writing has been an important part of my healing process for as long as I can remember.  I’ve dabbled in painting, collage and other art forms, but I always come back to writing.  I write poetry, short stories and I have started a memoir a thousand times over.

For me, just taking a few minutes to write down my thoughts and feelings is a healing experience. Sometimes just the act of getting the words out of my head and onto paper makes room for what is even deeper and that is where I find I really heal.

I was in an abusive marriage for 15 years; I’ve been divorced for six years and have three children.  I was also raised in the LDS (Mormon) religion and was married in the Mormon temple.  I raised my children in the Mormon faith and did the best I could to live “in” that religion, though I could never really “be” in that religion. I struggled with my belief in the Mormon Church for most of my life.

After I got married I had to hide the physical abuse from almost everyone, leaving me feeling empty and alone. I made my way out of the Mormon Church while still married, causing my ex-husband to ramp up the emotional and financial abuse.

It was ultimately my writing that helped me get away, but it was also my writing that cost me dearly and I’ve learned some valuable lessons over the years about art and the healing process.

Lessons I Have Learned

(1) Turn Off Your Inner Art Critic

For years I was lucky enough to be able to write unfiltered.  I wrote poems and short stories and I blogged online.  But after my blog was discovered (more on that in a minute), everything I wrote was tainted by my inner critic who told me my writing was terrible, that people would make fun of what I wrote and that no one was interested in what I had to say.

After my blog was discovered I was unable to write for years. I would start writing and within minutes what I saw on the page was white-washed words that held no meaning to me.

It took some time, but after struggling with my inner critic I started writing about how much I disliked my critic and how much I hated what she was telling me.  In many of my writing sessions I had a pit in my stomach, I squirmed in my chair and my anger would spill out on to the page, but after I got all that out of my head my inner critic left me alone to write what was in my heart.

In the last year or so I’ve been able to put pen to paper and really get back in the groove of writing and really feeling that healing process that comes from my art.

(2) Your Artistic Process Is A Powerful Part Of Your Healing, Be Careful Who You Share It With

About nine months before I left my ex-husband I decided to start writing online.  I started writing online because I wanted desperately to connect with people and deep down I wanted validation that getting divorced and leaving the Mormon Church was not selfish.

I had reached out to Mormon leaders in the past, talking to them about the physical and verbal abuse, but many of the leaders (all men) told me to honor my husband, read my scriptures and pray and everything would be fine.  I was counseled that leaving my husband was a selfish act and would harm my children.

By the summer of 2004 I was struggling so much that I told my story to the world, publishing it all online. I used a fake name, showed only a baby picture of myself and never used anyone else’s real name, but as my blog became more popular it was only a matter of time before it was discovered by people I knew.

The fallout was epic.  I lost a lot of friends and my ex-husband and I, who had a tenuous co-parenting relationship at best, could not overcome the fallout.  We haven’t spoken in years, and while that may seem like a good thing, it makes life very difficult for our children who’ve grown almost to adulthood with parents who do not communicate.

There is a deep connection between art and healing. Make sure that the people you share your art with love you, care about your feelings and can be constructive (if need be), but are also understanding of the relationship between your art and your healing.

(3) Be Gentle With Yourself and Respect That Healing Is A Process

When I was 9 years old my dad left our family while we were on vacation; he left our family in a small town with nothing but our suitcases. I wrote a play soon after that scared me so badly I had to sleep with my mom for a week.

I’m 43 years old now and I am still writing stories that touch me deeply.  Some days I let it all out and feel replenished and vibrant. Other days, I’m writing about feelings and memories and places I’d completely forgotten and by the time I’m done I’m exhausted, my head aches from crying and I crawl in bed, pulling the covers over my head just like I did when I was 9 years old.

I was abused by a man and by a patriarchal belief system that upheld that man’s power for over 15 years. Before that I took care of my mother and my little sister after my dad left our family.  I’ve been away from my abusive ex-husband for six short years, while I’ve made leaps and bounds in my healing and have radically changed my life and how I chose to live it, I am still healing.

Sometimes I wonder why I’m not done yet and sometimes I get frustrated with the tears and the post-traumatic stress. But then I remember to be kind to myself, to give myself space and time to recover.  I must be gentle and respect my process.

I am always healing.

November is Arts and Health Month. This month our blog will focus on the relationship between art and health.  For more information you may visit the Society for the Arts in Healthcare, the international non-profit organization that founded Arts and Health Month.

The pursuit of art on a regular basis may be the key to healing our minds and bodies. Kim Blair

When I think about the relationship between art and health I typically think about the connection between creativity and the brain, mental health or stress reduction.

I tend to not think about the connection between art and physical activity.  However, there is a relationship between art and physical activity and, as we all know, physical activity is important to good health.

You see, art is such a fundamental element in our life that we can easily overlook the presence of art.  We may not recognize how often art is a part of our activities or how often art influences or enhances our health and well-being.

 Dance – an art form. The body – an instrument. Learn to play the instrument and master the art form. Debbie Dee

Dance is an art form.  Maybe calling what I’m doing on Saturday night art is a stretch but listening to music (art) and dancing (art) is a perfect example of how art can be a part of our physical activity and help to keep us health.

Dance is a great exercise. Dancing can raise your heart rate, burn calories, and tone muscles. Dance also helps with:

• better coordination
• increased flexibility
• improved balance
• physical confidence

One of the best things about dance is that for many people dancing doesn’t feel like exercise. Instead, it is a fun and social activity.  Art, in this case dance and music, enhances our experience making our activity more joyful.

Whether you study ballet, practice tap-dancer, do hip-hop moves, belly-dance with friends or take weekend ballroom lessons you are getting a great work-out all while practicing a long standing art form.

And that is one of the most beautiful things about art, it connects us to traditions.  With dance, you are repeating rhythms and movements that have been part of human behavior for centuries.  You become part of something greater and continue to keep art alive.

Next time you turn up the music and dance take a moment to appreciate the art you are practicing.

(1) Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.   ~ Marianne Williamson

(2) Hope has two beautiful daughters. Their names are anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are. ~Augustine of Hippo

(3) The most common way people give up their power
is by thinking they don’t have any.
 ~ Alice Walker

Thoughts on Recognizing Your Worth   

(4) Never let the hand you hold, hold you down.  ~Author Unknown

(5) Where I was born and where and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest. ~ Georgia O’Keeffe

(6) There is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. ~ Martha Graham

Thoughts on Supporting Women 

(7) There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women.  ~ Madeleine K. Albright

(8) Educating girls worldwide is the best way to advance the role of women. ~ Geena Davis

(9) Remember our heritage is our power; we can know ourselves and our capacities by seeing that other women have been strong. 
~ Judy Chicago

(10) When women thrive, all of society benefits, and succeeding generations are given a better start in life. ~ Kofi Annan

“One in three women may suffer from abuse and violence in her lifetime. This is an appalling human rights violation, yet it remains one of the invisible and under-recognized pandemics of our time.Violence against women is an appalling human rights violation. But it is not inevitable. We can put a stop to this.”
– Nicole Kidman, Actress and Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM

October is national Domestic Violence Awareness Month.  In recognition of this we are talking about the role of art has in raising awareness of violence against women and in helping women who have experienced violence to heal.

Gretchen Miller, Certified Art Therapist, shared a wonderful piece on her experience in using art therapy with survivors of domestic violence here and I shared a bit about my early work in a domestic violence shelter here.

Poetry

Poetry and is an art form that can be used to raise awareness about domestic violence, as well as a medium to help those who have experienced violence express their feelings.  (Please note, poems will not be shared in this post as we do not want to be a trigger,  links will be provided.)

The work of poet Eavan Boland  addresses issues such anorexia, domestic violence and the impact of violence against women on family and community. Her poem Domestic Violence intertwines images from domestic life and personal history with the history of her country, Ireland.

Other poets such as Lucille Clifton,  Toi Derricotte, and Gwendolyn Brooks have written poetry that references the all too common experience of physical, emotional and verbal abuse in women’s lives.

Spoken Word

In addition to written work, spoken word poetry can be a powerful form of expression.

I recently discovered the work of Renee Mitchell, a former journalist with The Oregonian newspaper, now a poet and performer who speaks about domestic violence, specifically the impact of verbal and emotional abuse.  In this interview Renee Mitchell speaks about realizing she was in an abusive relationship and she shares her powerful poetry and music.

Change the Conversation

I would like to leave you with this beautiful spoken word performance piece, “If I Should Have A Daughter” by Sarah Kay.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
–Margaret Mead

We are please to bring you this guest post from Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC Registered Board Certified Art Therapist, Certified Trauma Consultant

In recognition of October’s National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and SpeakArtLoud’s vision and voice for women, I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute this guest post about the benefits of art therapy to help empower women exposed to domestic violence.

Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is defined as “a pattern of abusive behaviors — including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion — used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship” (National Online Resource Center on Violence Against Women).

Abusers use a variety of controlling and battering tactics to frighten, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure, and sometimes kill a current or former intimate partner.

For a victim of domestic violence, often the impact the abuse is too difficult to verbalize through words alone and impacted by strong feelings of shame, humiliation, guilt, and fear around speaking about the abuse (Malchiodi & Miller, 2011).

Art Therapy

Art therapy is a way to assist survivors to safely express and contain these difficult and terrorizing feelings, cope with traumatic memories and triggers, as well as support emotional stabilization and strengthen a sense of safety.

Art therapy is the deliberate use of art-making to address psychological and emotional needs through art media and the creative process to help in areas such as, but not limited to: fostering self-expression, creating coping skills, managing stress, and strengthening sense of self (The Art Therapy Alliance). You can also find more information about how art therapy is used with domestic violence from the International Art Therapy Organization.

Working in a Domestic Violence Shelter

As an art therapist working in a domestic violence shelter with women and children exposed to and traumatized by family violence, I have witnessed the benefits, value, and power of art therapy to help provide a voice to survivors and begin on a path towards healing and recovery free of abuse, violence, and control.

Through art-making, survivors can make sense of and find their way out of chaos, frightful memories, and the raw emotion of their abuse to discover a sense of grounding, strength, safety, understanding, and hope.

Art therapy helps provide an empowering outlet for this process, where the telling of a battered women’s experience does not have to be spoken aloud, but can be communicated through the language and reflection of art expression.

This short video was created with art expressions by survivors and advocates to raise awareness and share their stories about domestic violence:

References:
Malchiodi, C. & Miller G. (2011). Domestic Violence and Art Therapy. In C. Malchiodi (Ed), Handbook of Art Therapy (2^nd Edition), New York: Guilford Press.

Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC is a Registered Board Certified Art Therapist and Certified Trauma Consultant who practices in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio area. Her work specializes in children, adolescents, women, and families impacted by trauma, domestic violence, and grief & loss. Her website www.gretchen-miller.com highlights her work, interests, and passions related to art therapy and her creative practice.

Fall always reminds me going back to school, time for reading, writing and thinking, and so it seems a good occasion to re-engage with our blog.

Speaking of reading and writing, I have been struggling with a bit of writers block lately. I have spent so much time focusing on organizational development and working on tax documents so that SpeakArtLoud could attain non-profit status (which we did in September, yippee!) that I have lost touch with my creative side.

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I shared my struggle with writers block on Twitter and received a few helpful suggestions.
@kdsmithwrites  A “walk about” always helps when I’m stuck. Added bonus – sunny skies!

@Brainzooming Saw your writers block tweet. Here are 26 ideas for beating one from my blog: http://bit.ly/lH2uK4 Best wishes!

@arttherapynews How do you overcome a creative block? Answer chocolate (Though, I do not think there is any evidence linking chocolate with creativity I still gave it a try)

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I pulled out my copy of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink to remind myself of the value creative thinking has on the world.

In this book Pink makes the case that creative professions and right-brain abilities will drive social and economic development.

Pink identifies 6 right-brain abilities and includes creative exercises at the end of each chapter to help readers explore these areas. Here is a brief summary of these 6 aptitudes and a quick exercise to tap into this skill.

1. Design brings beauty into our daily life, makes items easier to use and improves “flow” of systems.  * Watch this What is Design video and design your own toaster *

2. Story can help us understand one another, improve diagnosis and healing and connect us to a purpose. *Interview a friend or family member, ask about a memorable event in their life *

3. Symphony is about being able to combine pieces into a whole, to see relationships and blend ideas.  * Cut images out of magazines and make a collage of your future*

4. Empathy gives us the ability to understand people, to create relationships and to care for others.   * Take the Empathy Quotient surveyto get a sense of your EQ *

5. Play allows for self-expression, can reduce hostility, improve morale and make us more fulfilled.* Go to a playground and swing or give the monkey bars a try, at the very least watch kids play*

6. Meaning is linked to spiritually and happiness and have health benefits and social benefits. *For one week write down one thing you are thankful for *

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So, readers, how do you tap into your creativity? What tips do you have for overcoming a creative block?

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The 2011 TED prize  was recently awarded to French artist JR.  JR, who remains anonymous by never revealing his full face or sharing his name, mounts large photo displays in urban settings.

From the slums of Paris to the favelas of Brazil, JR uses art to call attention to the people and the places that make up the often overlooked urban scenes.

In JR’s TED talk (which is worth watching!) he shares images of his work.  The large-scale photo murals are stirring; it is hard not to be captivated by the images of faces posted across broken bridges, rooftops and walls.

However it is his recently completed documentary film “Women are Heroes” that has most captured our attention.

In “Women Are Heros” JR draws attention to women, splashing their pictures across the communities – mother and grandmothers, sisters and daughters. No longer can women be overlooked.

Through visual art women become a significant part of the fabric of the community. Women are seen. Women are present.

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This is a guest post from Jada Wright-Greene, founder of Heritage Salon.  After reading a piece where she raised the question of why there are not more African-Americans visiting museums I realized I had never considered this and wanted to find out more about her work.  Museums hold not only art but also serve to record our history and culture.  We are inspired by Jada’s passionate for sharing history and culture.

Passion and Drive

At the age of 17, soon after I arrived on the campus of Bethune Cookman College, I began working at the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation (Home of Dr. Bethune).  It was here that I realized my love of historic house museums.  At a time when most college freshman are at parties or hanging out with new friends I spent hours working at this historic home museum without pay and I loved every moment.As years went by I was still in love with historic homes. I love historic house museums because when you enter an historic home it gives you a sense of connection with the person that once lived in that particular space, it’s an opportunity to see the personal side of history.

Soon I discovered museum studies.  I worked in several small museums, and though I was never able to get that “big museum job” I knew I had to do something with my passion and drive for the museum field.

Three things drove me to channel my passion, (1) not gaining a big museum job, (2) discovering my name in a publication about African-American historic homes seven years after college, and (3) learning I was the first African-American to graduate from the Museum Studies Department at Michigan State University.

I knew then that I was not ordinary and felt I could make a difference. I knew I had to make my voice heard and share my passion with others.  Out of this Heritage Salon was born.

Creating Heritage Salon

Heritage Salon was created from my vision of sharing African-American museums and historic homes with the world. I also wanted to answer the question of why there are not more African-Americans visiting museums. I noticed at an early age I would be one of the only African-Americans visiting museums and, eventually, one of the only African-Americans working in a museum.

I knew, that because of my love of this field and my persistence in making others aware of this love, no one could better share African-American museums and historic homes with the world than me!

My vision for Heritage Salon is for the site to become a resource for individuals interested in the field.  Others can read about my passion and learn about museums around the country. I hope one aspect is for teachers to use the site as a resource for teaching and as a way to introduce their students to African-American museums.

Heritage Salon has moved and inspired me to pursue a Ph.D in African-American Studies with a focus on Museum Studies. I hope others can be inspired by my love, my passion, and my drive to make museums a part of their lives.

More About Jada

Jada Wright-Greene is committed to her passion of museums and introduces everyone she meets to her love. She has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bethune Cookman College (2000), Masters in Urban and Regional Planning and a certificate in Museum Studies from Michigan State University (2004).  Originally from the south, she currently lives in the Midwest and devotes her free time to her husband and two children.

• Read more about about Jada in this article, “Phenomenal Michigan Women: Jada Wright Green – Persistence, Passion, Perseverance“
• Learn more about African-American museums and historic homes at Heritage Salon
• Follow on Heritage Salon on  Twitter.

One of the things I appreciate about art is how it brings history to life.  Art helps me to understand the past in a way that no history book ever has.  Art is personal, nuanced, and rich with emotion, connecting us to personal stories and experiences from the past, providing greater depth and meaning to history.

The Harlem Renaissance

I remember first hearing of the Harlem Renaissance in a college art history class, until that point I had never been aware of this creative period in American history.

The Harlem Renaissance refers to a period in America’s history when there was a wealth of art, literature, music and dance created by African Americans.  It was during this period, after the end of World War I to just before the Great Depression, that The Great Migration occurred, when a larger percentage of black Americans moved from  the south to industrial cities in the northeast and mid-west.

This was a period when significant social and geographic changes were taking place in the nation, and the art from this period both reflected theses changes and helped to drive further social change.

Women Artists of the Harlem Renaissance

This period in American history was also an historic time for women, after decades of struggle women gained the right to vote in 1920.  The art and writing of many of the African- American women during this period addressed not only race issues but gender issues as well.

Here are three women artists working during the Harlem Renaissance who’s work both reflected and helped to further social change.

(1) Zora Neale Hurston

Writer Zora Neale Hurston published poetry, short stories, novels and an autobiography, but it was her 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” for which she is most famous.  After publication the novel, a coming of age story of an independent black woman met initially met with mixed critical success.

However, Alice Walker’s 1972 essay in Ms Magazine “In Search of Zora Neale Hurston” resulted in the book being reprinted and it is now a highly acclaimed novel.

Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me. – Zora Neale Hurston

(2) Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller

Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller a visual artist, started her art career by winning a scholarship to attend Philadelphia Museum School for the Arts and after earning her degree continued her art education in Paris, where she studied under Auguste Rodin.

Fuller’s sculpture Ethiopia Awakening depicts an African woman in a regal headdress, the lower portion of the body wrapped like a mummy, and is is described as symbolic of the emerging voice of black America.

(3) Bessie Smith

Blues singer Bessie Smith, considered one of the greatest singers of her era, performed on the vaudeville touring circuit, recorded for Columbia Records and made an appearance in a film and on Broadway.

She collaborated with numerous jazz and blues musicians, including Louis Armstrong.  Smith was bold and independent, and this was reflected in her music.