Art Therapy Personal Statement

During my first five years of practice, I want my roles to be that of helper, educator, professional, and researcher. As I progress through the profession, I will be assisting clients in accomplishing their goals while educating them in ways to do so effectively in a professional manner. In congruence with this, I also hope to do neurological research on individuals with neurological conditions and sensory integration of premature infants.

The University of Michigan offers a myriad of options for underclassmen to fulfill their goals. From the School of Kinesiology to Nursing and everything in between, it can be downright overwhelming. For me, however, it was easy. The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) is where I belong.

Past experiences influenced my decision to pursue art history, both academically and professionally. My undergraduate studies in Art History and Visual Arts first

My love of art began at a young age, spending hours coloring or doodling. The creative process is cathartic for me and something I try to find time for every day either in music or by artistic means. When I was in eighth grade, I attended a college fair with my older sister and someone asked me what my interests were. The immediate answer was art and music. As we looked around at options, a degree in Art Therapy was proposed by one of the private colleges at the event. I was intrigued by the thought of being able to help people while creating art. This initial introduction led me on a quest to discover more about the field and eventually my decision to pursue a degree in Art Therapy. I really wanted to attend a public college and was thrilled to learn that UW-Superior was offering both an undergraduate and Master’s program. After touring the university, it became very clear to me that the campus was one where I could both learn and grow due to the smaller campus and individual attention given to each of the students. I am also very interested in participating in the campus band and choir programs as music is another one of my

Upon researching careers in design, I think therapeutic design would best suit my future goals. I am an art therapy major, therefore, I believe in the expressive healing power of design. At first, I thought design careers only pertained to the advertising industry, home design, or architecture. However, the concept of therapeutic really applies to not only myself but also in the field of art therapy. After walking the TED talk about design being used as a tool to help others problem solve within their communities, the values of design changed my how I viewed it. I like the ideas of design being used a problem solving tool for the greater good. In art therapy, design is being used to assist with someone’s emotions, hopefully creating a comfortable

Ever Since I was a little girl, I dreamt of becoming a skilled artist and seeing the world to uncover the mysteries that ancient artists had to tell. Art has always been a huge part of my life ever since I first held a crayon in my hand. From redrawing characters from

Often contemplating working to earn my Bachelor Degree, and musing on the possibility of continuing my education in the field of Art, I am now taking the opportunity as my family’s business will be permanently closing our doors by the end of this year. I made the decision to return to Tidewater Community College to complete a full Associate Degree and to explore my options for moving on to a four-year program. Unsure at this time what four-year institution I will transfer to, I am looking forward to exploring the myriad of possibilities with my Advisor. My current goal is to further pursue programs in Graphic Design and a Fine Art field. Additionally, I would like to seek to receive my teaching credentials in Art after completing my Bachelor Degree. I believe furthering my education in this manor will reveal more opportunities than if I limit myself to just one

I never questioned that I would pursue a future in the field of Illustration because when I am drawing and painting I feel the most comfort. Whether I am reading a book, hiking, taking a picture, or even listening

At the age of five, after the death of my father I was closed in a bubble of depression. My only escape was creating false scenarios of my father and I. It wasn’t until seventh grade that I picked up a paintbrush and for the first time I got lost in the paint. I felt the sense of peace and calmness, for once I didn't felt lonely from the lost of my father. The start of my drawings and paintings mostly consisted in basic geometric shapes and doodle images. Through the process of learning I became frustrated and lost the interest. Attending Lone Star to pursue a degree in Graphic Design I knew I had to take art classes. It was an exciting yet scary feeling because it had been four years that stopped drawing. I was able to reevaluate the reason

I could get lost in a painting or drawing, and forget about the world. When given time to express my creativity, I could focus better on my academic classes. I knew that art would be the key to my success in life. I didn’t see any other options, art was it, it would be my

I have always loved writing. Despite receiving criticism of my writing not being “satisfactory”, I pursued writing because of my passion for it. Furthermore to my love for writing is creating art. I grew up with an artist at home, but never considered myself as one as I was mediocre in elementary and middle school. This changed in high school, where I found my love for computer art and began winning Scholastic awards. With this new found interest, I began spending much of my free time playing around on Photoshop and creating pieces. One ended up being an American Vision Award

For as long as I can remember, I have always created worlds of my own. All that was required for me to create these universes was a piece of paper and a pencil. As I grew up, I discovered that drawing was not just a hobby but a solace. This comfort would only evolve and I would eventually find a new joy in my art that would forever change the way I viewed my talent and the world. This realization is what lead me to the decision that being an artist is what I love and a college education at the University of Texas at Austin will grant me with the optimum opportunities to pursue my passion.

I’ve always known that I wanted to pursue art education. Ever since I was a little girl, seven years old to be specific, I have wanted to be an art teacher. I remember vividly sitting in my second grade art class talking to my teacher and realizing that everyone has different skills and abilities, and that perhaps art was going to be mine. It was there in Country View Elementary School that I became fascinated with colors and the idea that an artist can start with nothing and create a masterpiece. Soon after that I came to the conclusion that I needed to do art every single day of my life. This realization that I loved creating art continued, and when I was in middle school and beginning of high school I spent several summers at a summer art camp. The camp

I hold a Master’s in Clinical Art Therapy from NYU. It was through that program, which provided me with the opportunity to determine what I needed to further learn, that my intention of

Art. To me is something undefinable, what I want my art to show you is a piece of myself and a piece of yourself. Something we can all relate to; a memory, a song, a poem, art should make you feel something. Art is a gift, a tool we can use to hide beauty in ordinary places and things. I want to broaden my understanding of design and the world that art is beyond my knowledge and experiences. Because my love for creating burns so bright and deep within me, I am determined to find a career path that will allow me to explore the world of design and art every day. A number of art forms are endless and this seems like a daunting task to find just one path that can express the enjoyment and involvement I want to have with art. Throughout my life I have been endlessly drawing, painting, sculpting and creating--often times I feel almost cursed with such talent to create because the ability seems endless. I have taken a number of art classes exploring my passions as a High School Student and created many different types of works including oil, acrylic, and watercolor paintings; etching, embossed, and screen printmaking; charcoal, graphite, and pastel drawings; Sculpting with ceramics and plaster as well as wheel pieces. I find that there is few mediums I have yet to experiment with. I have become accustomed to Acrylic paintings as I have recently started to create paintings and sell them to community members. I participated in a local art fair and it opened my eyes to what art