The
journey of life is hard enough, with the daily trials and tribulations we go
through, but when you hit bumps in the road that take longer to recover from;
it makes life even harder to deal with. My journey has taken me down a path I
never thought I would endure. Domestic Violence is a hard path to go down and
even harder to recover from. “An estimated one in every three women worldwide
experiences violence, with rates reaching as high as 70 percent in some
countries. Gender-based violence ranges from rape to domestic abuse and acid
burnings to dowry deaths and so-called “honor killings””
(http://womenthrive.org/issues/violence?gclid=CMLytrXOvbYCFQrqnAodTmEAXg).
My artwork has been a part of that journey of healing. I believe that art can
help heal others as well. My goal for this project is to pay it forward by
creating inspiring, encouraging, safe, and peaceful artworks. I will then
donate the artwork to the shelter for women who are just starting their journey
in the healing process to encourage them to continue on their path and give
them a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel.
The artwork that I have created, and
will be creating, will not only help others, but also contribute to my own
journey and healing. I have read many books along the way that have inspired
me, made me think, rethink, and given me hope to keep going. I have realized
that we have to constantly check ourselves, where we are in life, and make sure
what we are doing is what is best for ourselves. “The real difficulty arises
when we don’t sit down regularly to take the measure of our lives – whether the
times be good or difficult” (Wicks, 2003, p.62). When we forget to take care of
ourselves we forget why we are where we are. We then, no longer are happy or we
might let others treat us horribly. Sometimes, we don’t even realize how we got
to the point in our life where we are so unhappy, and then wonder what
happened? When I hit that point in my life, I turned to my good friend, Sally,
and confided in her. She had also been a victim of domestic violence and shared
her story with me. Sally helped me make a plan to leave my situation (S.
Antcliff, personal communication, November 30, 2008). I started making plans,
saving money and taking care of myself again, with her help. My journey began
my path of recovery, I started documenting everything, I exercised to help lose
the weight I had gained and feel better about myself, and I created a separate
bank account and a small business to save money. I started looking for teaching
positions in the Austin area, where I planned on moving to, with the help of my
parents. Many women are not given the opportunity or support from others to
leave their abusers, but when they do leave, most have buried their feelings,
the hurt, deep down and it is hard to bring to the surface. They have put on
their mask, their hard shell, to deal with all of the pain and to shelter
themselves from the world. Through counseling and art they are more able to
bring those feelings out, cope with the situations, and start to move on and
rebuild their lives.
A Window Between Worlds was founded by
Cathy Salser, to help make a voice for those that could not speak. “In 1991, Cathy left her job as an art teacher and
traveled from one domestic violence shelter to the next, living and making art
with battered women and paying for gas and art supplies with portraits that she
painted along the way. During the tour, she offered art workshops and training
at thirty-two shelters in eighteen states from California to Massachusetts” (http://www.awbw.org/awbw/about-history.php). She has
created more programs since then to aide in the recovery process.
“In
2012 alone, A Window Between Worlds:
·
Expanded their services by 116% over
the past four years within Los Angeles, and grew to reach over 16,500 women and
children annually nationwide.
·
Worked with over 469 trained
children's leaders and 321 trained women's leaders providing art workshops in
219 domestic violence programs in thirty states.
·
Provided 12,929 art workshops for
women and children in shelters.
·
Trained 118 new leaders to
facilitate art workshops for women and children.
·
Reached over 7,300 survivors through
the Women's Windows Program (each participating in an average of 4-5 art
workshops for a total participation of 30,000).
·
Reached over 9,200 children through
the Children's Windows Program (each participating in an average of 4-5 art
sessions for a total participation of 43,000).
·
Began children's art programs at 22
new sites and began women's art programs at 24 new sites (http://www.awbw.org/awbw/about-fact_sheet.php).
They have also started several exhibits
for artists and survivors to display their artwork and bring awareness to
domestic violence, some pledge to do everything they can to help end the
violence. They have also started a children’s program to reach out to the
children of domestic violence. Another article I read focused more on children
and their recovery. I have found there are many therapists that specialize in
working with children. My son went to a play therapist for a year to help deal
with his anger, and frustration. He too had a hard time, expressing himself
throughout this process and being too young to understand why he had to go to
his father’s house without mommy. “Anger. Fear. Loneliness. Frustration. These
are the monsters that gnaw away at the inner self, the familiar creatures that
destroy self-esteem and leave in its place anxiety and pain. To children who
may lack the skills or emotional resources to exorcise their monsters verbally,
art therapy provides the means by which problems are brought into the open
where they can be dealt with” (Robinson, n.d.).
The
artwork I want to create is inspired by the work of Lily Yeh, and how she takes
a horrible situation and creates something beautiful. This quote stated on her
website is the mindset of so many victims of not only domestic violence but of
many that go through trauma in their life. “Despair
becomes the biggest problem as everyone—inside the community and out—loses
faith that things can actually change. What’s needed most is a way to crack
through that sense of hopelessness” (http://www.pps.org/reference/lyeh/).
I
want the artwork I create to have a different message from what I have found
many artists putting forth and to be more on the positive side of things. Artwork
that is encouraging, that gives them hope of rebuilding their life, that there
is good in this world. I want to create a sense of peace, joy, and most of all
hope. I want them to know that even after all the struggles and pain they can
be happy again. They will be safe again. I want to encourage them to continue
on their journey of healing, I do not want to shove the pain back in their
face. “One of the most powerful things I learned,” Yeh told Yes magazine, “is
that when you…transform your immediate environment, your life begins to change”
(http://www.pps.org/reference/lyeh/).
I believe this is so very true. When you are around negativity your life
becomes more negative, and when you are around positive people and positive
words you become positive, making your life a better place to be. I want to pay
it forward and give women that are on their way to rebuilding their lives the
first piece of that positive world for them to build upon.
References
Robinson, A. H. (n.d.). Art Therapy: Releasing
Inner Monsters. Retrieved from International Art Therapy Organization:
http://www.internationalarttherapy.org/ArtTherapy_DV.pdf
Salser, C. (1991). Fact Sheet. Retrieved from A Window
Between Worlds: http://www.awbw.org/awba/about-fact_sheet.php
Salser, C. (1991). History. Retrieved from A Window
Between Worlds: http://www.awbw.org/awbw/about- history.php
Wicks, R. J. (2003). Riding the Dragon: 10 Lessons for Inner
Strength in Challenging Times. Notre Dame: Sorin Books.
Women Thrive Worldwide. (n.d.). Women Thrive Worldwide.
Retrieved from Women Thrive Worldwide:
http://womenthrive.org/issues/violence?gclid=CMLytrXOvbYCFQrqnAodTmEAXg
Yeh, L. (n.d.). Lily Yeh. Retrieved from Project for
Public Spaces: http://www.pps.org/reference/lyeh/
