Written by Tina Anima

Diana was an angry 12 year-old. She never knew what would set her off, and it was scary when her temper flared out of control.

Bounced between relatives and the foster care system since she was an infant, Diana didn’t have many stable forces in her life. She never knew who her father was. Her grandma was raising her while her mother grappled with health issues, but then her grandma died. Diana moved in with an aunt, and during that time, her mother died as well. Diana’s grief spilled over into anger.

A clinical social worker who works with foster care youth remembers meeting Diana when the pre-teen didn’t have the coping skills to figure out how to handle her rage and grief. Diana needed a way to express her feelings.

She gave Diana a Chill & Spill journal, and Diana gravitated toward Chill & Spill’s free-form activities.

A page in her Chill & Spill journal prompting her to respond to prompts such as “I want…I need… I fear… I wish…” gave Diana a springboard for poetry.

Diana has even submitted her poetry to a newsletter for foster children, and was proud to see her poems published. “Now, my anger is more like a cushion because it’s softer than it used to be,” she writes in one of her poems.

Now that she’s beginning to understand the reasons for her feelings, Diana is figuring out healthy ways to cope.

“She’s more aware of her triggers, and her blowouts are not anywhere near what they used to be,” her social worker said.

“I need my space. I need to go in my room,” Diana says now, instead of throwing a tantrum.

Art with Heart began in 1996 in the founder’s basement, in between the washing machine and the furnace. This arrangement worked for a while, but after ten years, it was time to move.

In 2006, we were invited to be part of a dynamic nonprofit building, and took up residence in 380 square feet of space. Although we are completely in love with our space, it can no longer accommodate everyone – and as much as we love desk-sharing, it’s just not working anymore.

So, the time has come for us to explore other opportunities. Ideally, we are looking for a space that has shared assets: a space big enough to have meetings and trainings, do art, store our supplies, and do our mission to help kids! We have our hearts set on mid- to south-of-downtown. If you have any thoughts or leads, please send them ASAP to us at info@artwithheart.org!

- Written by Sue R., Arts Coordinator, Spokane, WA

Shawn was 12 when he came to live with us at the residential group home. He was placed with us because his parents needed help in dealing with his oppositional and defiant behaviors which caused a huge strain on their family relationships.

As I worked through the Chill &Spill book with him, he had his “A-HA” moment when we did the “Fly Away” activity together.

This activity asks you to imagine yourself as a seed that a bird takes and puts somewhere safe. It asks you questions like “What kind of plant do you become? Who discovers and tends to you?” etc.

He drew himself as a tree taking root and starting to grow. He included a small person holding a watering can, pouring water on the roots. Shawn added other things that strengthened the tree, like the sun and a rain cloud.

He was then asked to explore who in his life provided him nourishment like that. He paused and looked perplexed at first. He had been in daily conflict with his family prior to coming to the Ranch and this question made him stop and think.

Shawn looked at his picture for a moment and studied the symbols of nature then slowly began to write. He identified his parents, sister and friends as people he could turn to when he was upset – people who loved him.

This was a shift for Shawn to look upon others not as a source of conflict, but as nurturers of his growth, safety and comfort. Becoming aware of his support group was a very important step for him, one that gave him the courage to make an immediate change.

During a recent home visit, Shawn’s social worker got a phone call from his mother who shared this story: She and Shawn were sitting in the living room together. She noticed that he was unusually calm and relaxed. Out of the blue, he said, “I love you, Mom” and proceeded to sit on her lap and give her a hug. This wasn’t the angry, defiant and detached child she’d been struggling with for years. She was deeply touched and felt hopeful for his future.

I can’t tell you enough how much I believe in Art with Heart’s work. I am privileged to see, on a daily basis, the change that occurs in our boys as a direct result of Art with Heart’s program. You are helping to change the lives of so many young people. Thank you!

Ethan lived in several foster homes before being adopted at age 6. He had been abused and as a result, was highly aggressive and often exhibited violent behavior. His adoptive parents placed him in a behavioral treatment center when he was 8, where he lived until he was 10. After that, he moved back with his adoptive parents, but it wasn’t too long before he ended up assaulting his mom.

Traditional anger management programs were not working, and Ethan was running out of time before being charged as an adult for committing criminal acts. He was 14 when sent to the residential treatment center

There’s an activity in Chill & Spill called “Action and Reaction” it’s all about teaching kids how to identify their emotional triggers. Through the activity, I asked him to diagram what makes him feel “out of control” both physically and emotionally.

He wrote very little. Instead, he drew and colored a lot. To show how he felt before he hit someone, he ended up drawing fire coming out of his hands.

He had never realized that he had this burning sensation before this activity. It was a huge revelation to him to be able to connect the tingling in his hands to the onset of a violent episode. This was Ethan’s first step toward gaining control of his anger. Before he didn’t know that he had a choice – someone made him mad, and he hit them. Now, he knew that he had choices. For him, this meant the difference between going to jail or getting back on track.

Ethan continued to learn more about his anger triggers, and how to express difficult emotions. Chill and Spill was hugely instrumental in allowing him to become aware of, express and manage his anger. For Ethan, this was life changing.

I am happy to report that he, like Brian, was able to be reunited with his family and is now successfully living at home and doing well in school.

- Written by Sue R., Arts Specialist, Spokane, WA

Brian was 13 years old when he was sent to the residential treatment center I worked at. He’s a very bright and talented boy who used to like school and had been involved in choir and drama. But his mother’s mental illness prevented her from meeting his basic needs. Brian was ordered by the courts to move in with Dad, who had remarried, had five other children, and was unemployed.

As a result of the chaotic situation, Brian began shutting himself down because he felt that nobody cared about him. His self-esteem plummeted and his anger took over. He began acting out, causing major problems both at home and at school. He became too much for his dad and teachers to handle and was sent to the Ranch. As we worked through each Chill & Spill lesson, I began to see changes in him.

One particular activity called “Powerful/Powerless” really resonated with him. The activity asked him to create a collage by cutting out pictures from magazines that represented what those two words meant to him. For “Powerful,” he chose pictures of people singing, and students receiving awards. When we talked about the images he chose, he said, “When I’m doing these things, I feel powerful. I feel strong when I’m achieving.”

As Brian worked on the “Powerless” section of the collage, he chose pictures of young people with their heads bowed down looking frustrated, sad or troubled. As he did this, he realized that he really missed being a good student and being involved in the things he enjoyed. It was in this moment he realized that his negative behavior had chipped away at his dreams, and he wept.

For this young man, who felt overwhelmed with anger all the time, this was the impetus he needed to realize that he alone had the power to put his life on a different track.

As time went on, with more lessons from Chill & Spill, there was noticeable improvement in his school performance and less acting out during home visits. Eventually, Brian was able to be reunited with his family and is now successfully back in school, doing well, and feeling powerful.

- Written by Sue R., Arts Specialist, Spokane, WA

When Sue R. began teaching art at a residential treatment facility for troubled boys, she soon realized that the kids, while they enjoyed the creative classes, weren’t getting a lot out of them. She felt that she had a larger opportunity and began searching for something that could take the boys’ art experiences a step further.

“I wanted something to help them express what was going on inside of them, because self-expression is critical in truly helping them heal from their painful histories.”

When asked why this was important, Sue elaborated, “The boys we work with here are experiencing behavioral and emotional problems. An overwhelming number of them come to us having been adopted and then are ‘given back’ to the state because they are too difficult to handle.

“Most have been abused, and more than half have a criminal record, are run-aways, or have substance abuse issues. Many also have suicidal tendencies or psychiatric disorders that affect every aspect of their lives. Each one is struggling to learn how to make healthier decisions.”

As she began gathering ideas for a therapeutic intervention program, she found Art with Heart’s Chill & Spill program through an online search, and said that he had found what she had been looking for.

She immediately signed up for one of our first Chill & Spill Intensive Trainings, and became the first non-therapist to put her new knowledge into practice with the boys she worked with.

She began her new art classes by giving each student a brand new Chill & Spill book. Using the Therapist’s Companion as a guide for their time together, Sue used art to help the boys learn about healthy choices and self-expression.

Said Sue, “The introspective activities found in Chill & Spill provided the boys with a safe harbor, some place to go to talk and create, without fear of repercussions or ridicule, a place where someone would listen.

“The program freed the boys from being defined by their circumstances, and encouraged them to rise to their possibilities by communicating difficult issues and emotions, reducing stress, and normalizing feelings.”

Since adopting Chill & Spill into her classroom, she found that the boys were more easily able to open up during class.

“The therapeutic activities found in Chill & Spill helped the boys find the words to talk about, come to terms with, and move past their trauma.  They learn how to build stronger relationships with those around them – and most importantly…. they learn how to manage their behavior.”

She also found an unexpected benefit. Whatever the boys uncovered during their sessions, she shared with the clinical team, who then used that information to develop an even more effective treatment plan to help the boys get on the right path.

“I have been privileged to see, on a daily basis, the change that occurs in our boys as a direct result of Art with Heart’s program.”

NOTE: SUE WILL BE SHARING SOME OF THE STORIES OF CHANGE IN OUR BLOG. WATCH FOR THEM!

The last Art Buddy workshop of the year took place on October 13th. It was elbow to elbow with 24 in attendance. Support for this program came from donations at the recent Color of Hope Benefit Breakfast.

The workshop, designed to teach volunteers how to bring creative expression to hospitalized children, offered participants the chance to learn best practices from a Child Life Specialist. The techniques and information they learned through presentation, discussion, and hands-on activities, will help them bring Art with Heart’s books and methods to hospitalized children. Those who attended and are interested are eligible to become an Art Buddy at Swedish or at Harborview Medical Centers. Their next step will be signing up and undergoing volunteer training at the hospital of their choice.

Watch for dates of next year’s trainings. Also be on the lookout…we are changing the program’s name! More information to come…

Art with Heart Benefits from United Way’s “Day of Caring”!

On September 16th, over 11,000 volunteers from 122 different companies shared their time and talents with nonprofits around King County – helping on 416 projects, donating an estimated $1.1 million worth of labor.

Art with Heart was fortunate to have the talents of six volunteers who spent an afternoon with us packaging gift cards featuring artwork from our Oodles of Doodles book.

You can purchase these adorable greeting cards by visiting our online shop.  Thank you Susie and your team for your hard work and showing you truly care!

What a great group of folks that attended the last Chill & Spill Intensive Training of the year. Led by Annie McCall, M.A., L.M.H.C., the 22 participants got to do hands-on Chill & Spill activities such as free-association writing, Found Word Poetry, collage and painting. Participants came from all over – from Seattle, Tukwila and British Columbia – and represented many different agencies and private practices.

“I’m excited for new modalities to use with my clients and growing my resources,” said one participant. “I learned it is okay not to be an “artist” and great tips for running a group,” said another.

Our next training will take place in February 6th and 7th, 2012. Please contact Nancy@artwithheart.org if you would like to be sent the registration materials when they are made available.

In the meantime, inspired by the energy of the crowd, we created a new Chill & Spill User’s Group on Facebook. Join today to stay in touch with others from the trainings, as well as the latest news and resources – such as creative examples of how others are using the book with kids. We hope to see you on Facebook soon!