Drama therapy class experience

I really enjoyed the drama therapy class yesterday. It was really fun and playful but it was also so informative. One of the things that I thought was interesting was that he brought a tote bag full of colorful scarves. My first thought was that it was childish and silly to use a neon colored scarf, but when it came time for us to create characters I found the scarf so useful. In my group, we were discussing how creative we could be with the scarves, it could be a blanket, a dress, a shawl, a rope, a blindfold. The scarves allowed us to use our imaginations and helped us to convey our ideas to the audience. We didn't have to explain to the audience that we were a group of "mean girls" we used our scarves to show our group identity and we used them to show how we alienated another girl. I was blown away by how such a simple prop could change the performance.

Art Share: Happy Thanksgiving

Here is a turkey that I made for the social work office at the elementary school where I am doing my field placement. The idea, which another intern thought of, was for students to write down what they are thankful for and keep adding feathers to the turkey. I kept forgetting to ask the students I meet with to make a feather, but it was still a nice thing to have in the background, and I think the other interns did remember sometimes.  I think it can be nice to have a small, simple activity like this to add to the beginning or end of a session.

Art Share: Bullying Poster

Hi everyone, I wanted to share a picture of a poster that I helped a couple of students at my field placement create.  The other interns and I did some presentations about bullying a while ago, and some students wanted to make a poster. I think it turned out great, and we had a great time talking and making the poster together.

I have always been interested in drama therapy so it was a real treat to have a class dedicated to drama therapy this afternoon. I was a theater minor in college and I've really missed the fun, freedom creativity and insight that participating in drama activities can engender. I enjoyed our "sculpting" activity and I found it very interesting to see how various people created so many different story lines. This class reignited my passion and excitement for drama therapy, and I hope to learn more about it and engage in its practice more often! 

Art Share: The day after "dog met bunny"

The first thing I thought of when the class was told that we would paint the animals we created using model magic was, oh no ill ruin it. I feared what would happen if I ruined my creation. Would I be able to make another animal or would I have to find a way to be satisfied with the one i had ruined? It became more nerve racking when we were given the paint supplies. We were given basic colors and would have to create more in depth colors. I found it difficult to create the brown I wanted to use and so I settled on the color used for the spots. In the end I was pleasantly surprised by how well I feel the dog came out. He is nothing like I imagined but I like him all the same. 

Today's drama therapy class

I was a little skeptical yet still interested about what today's class on drama therapy would be like, mostly because I have little experience or exposure to it. After the various activities our facilitator had us perform, and the reflection of the processes, thoughts, and feelings of them I recognized how salient and effective drama therapy could be when working with clients. From "freezing" and continuing a group member's form, to creating figures and expressing ourselves as objects, each activity held clinical benefits and meaning behind it. During the beginning of class, the facilitator asked us to stand on one side  of the room demonstrating if we were comfortable with performing, and on the other side of the room if we weren't, or in the middle. I stood close to the "uncomfortable" side, but once we did the warm-ups and activities, I realized I began to feel safe and actually participated when I originally thought there would be no way I would do so since I tend to be shy. All in all, this was a great class and I would definitely like more into drama therapy.

Art share: The colors of youth

I created this image using oil pastels. My intention was to use as many colors as possible and see where the piece would take me. What i started to see in the image was a forest. However, this would not be an average forest. It would resemble something out of a cartoon or movie. The image soon reminded me of a sheet set i had when i was younger. The sheet set consisted of colorful trees, leaves, and animals. By the time i finished the image i wished i had space to create some of the animals i remembered from the sheet set, lions, zebras, and pandas. Overall, the image brought me happiness and reminded me of my youth.