This fall I put my studies into practice when I started hosting visual art and poetry weekly sessions at a refugee center. It was so beautiful to see how impactful arts could be in creating community, a safe space and a space for self expression for people who were in a difficult transitional space isolated away from friends, family and culture. I really came to understand how meaningfully I can impact peoples lives as an artist when I do community based work. My career goal would be to continue to work doing art with refugees as well as continue to advocate for the expansion of arts therapy practices, especially in underserved communities that need them most and have the least access to art and creative play. These communities include low income neighborhoods, prisons, and refugee centers.
I put my studies into practice when I started hosting visual art and poetry sessions at a refugee center. It was beautiful to see how impactful art can be in creating community and a safe space for self-expression for people who are in a difficult transitional place, isolated from their friends, family, and culture. I came to understand how I can impact lives as an artist when I do community-based work.