Helping Hands: Drawn Together

In the past W&tS has offered wares as an incentive to support different needs: Owego, breast cancer research and support groups, aid to personal friends...Many things speak to us, and it's difficult to reach out and help all of them, but the recent school shooting in Sandy Hook cannot be overlooked.

While brainstorming ways to aid in the healing process. I kept going back to art therapy. I know my pregnant-mama limits, and I know Charlie has an ever-growing list of things (I'd like for him) to do around the house. We just have too much going on to spearhead something, so I put a little hook in the twitter waters and heard about Drawn Together.  Amber, the brains behind Damask Love and Drawn Together, is a pediatric psychologist, so she knows the ins and outs of the hapless victims of last week's violence. She has the knowledge, she has the plan, she needs the "stuff."

If you have some money to spare, might I suggest you donate some to help cover the increasing shipping costs for this project? Drawn Together has already collected enough supplies for about 200 creative kits for the kids to use as part of their healing through art therapy.

As an incentive: If you donate $20 or more, and send confirmation to nobiting at gmail dot com, I will send you an 8 1/2 x 11" print from the shop! If you have a print preference, please let me know and I'll try to get that one to you.

I don't have any experience in art therapy on a professional level (obviously) but I know how clarifying making art can be when you have time to put pen (or paint, pencil, etc.) to paper and let everything out. I can plainly see the joy on our little one's face when she gets to do the same. Providing such an outlet  during a difficult time seems like it would provide unlimited benefits for their future.

“One important aspect of art therapy is the creation of a safe space where traumatic feelings can be processed. Sometimes the verbal skill is lacking to describe traumatic experiences and by creating art, the person can feel more confident.”

— Breat, E.A., & Ostroff, R.

American Journal of Psychiatry 142: 417-424 (1985)