Starting a New Journey: Exploring Art & Creativity as a Path to Wellness & Healing

I've been an artist for as long as I can remember, although that name "artist" has shifted as I've gotten older and have had many different types of experiences as an artist. I was an actor at a young age and loved acting in plays. Whether they be impromptu performances on the playground or in a theater, I relished every moment. When I moved to LA, I had experiences that forced me to shift my perspective and decided that I desired more creative control over my artistry, so I went back to school to get my communications and digital media degree, where I fell in love with film, experimental film, hybrid filmmaking, and interactive media. From there, I pursued an artistry around media arts that could make meaningful change.

As I started to grow my portfolio in media arts and social justice, I realized that in order to do this fully and empathetically with the causes and the people I was working with, I needed to do some reflection and turn the medium inward. I had an intimate journey with this media and creating content that was representative and me and my personal stories and struggles. These works were short, experimental, fragmented, cryptic, and poetic ---- uniquely 'me.' I loved undergoing this exploratory process. I discovered so much, was able to face "demons" I had avoided but would continually cycle within my body and mind, and ultimately, I was able to heal and start feeling like myself, and my identity became more clear to me and what I wanted to do in this life. I decided to turn my gaze to a new practice: art therapy, utilizing these artistic practices for individual and community good. To help others find an alternative medicine to their healing journey, one that is natural, homeopathic, and fulfilling.

This Fall, I am starting Southwestern College, where I am pursuing a graduate degree in Art Therapy. I decided to start this blog to document my journey and growth.

Before I was able to begin this journey, I had to revisit practices and psychology in a more academic setting. Of course, the academic setting is more rigorous and centered around perfectionism than I would like, but it was an important step to my journey because I discovered this and how to be kind to ourselves when we are learning a new modality to express ourselves. Much like the developing brain, we will go through growing pains in order to reach a new state/stage of the human experience.

In particular, I loved drawing as a form of expression. Different from my digital mediums, it is something you can take anywhere with little fuss and no screens. What I also found intriguing about this medium is that no matter how the image turned out, it served as a stronger placeholder for memory than even a photograph. Perhaps this is because there is a physicality and thoughtfulness that shapes it. Additionally, using certain pencils, like charcoal, would leave quite permanent marks. Even if I erased as hard as I could, I could not get rid of the ghostly mark left behind—a sign of imperfection, of change, mistakes that become part of ourselves and are unique to us, as individuals.

I also took a class in Ceramics at CNM in person. I was working a full time job at the time, so this class was nice because it took place on Saturdays. This was a tough medium, and the journey was difficult because of my schedule. It was a medium that takes time to learn; however, I loved the feel of the clay. Its problem-solving served as a microcosm to my internal processing and helped me discover a lot about how I face and deal with problems.

In reflecting on all of these experiences, I see a continuous thread of curiosity, care, and transformation woven through my artistic life. Each medium, challenge, and moment of reflection has brought me closer to understanding myself and how I want to show up for others.