Chris, a Prevention & Education Specialist, who specializes in helping kids who have been sexually abused, first heard of Chill & Spill from his Program Manager, who showed him a copy. Chris decided to give it a shot by presenting the book as a “thank you” gift to the group of middle school boys he had been working with on a weekly for the past couple of years.

He was nervous that the boys wouldn’t “get into” it and had a second activity up his sleeve…just in case.

“To my surprise, between the time the first boy received his shrink-wrapped copy and the last boy to be handed the book, they had all torn into it and immediately personalized them with their names. They didn’t need to be prompted at all.”

He gives the boys homework, asking each one to come back the next week with any one activity of their choosing completed. The boys then have the option of sharing their work with the group or keep their work private.

Chris tells us that the doodling and sketching aspects of the book have enhanced the group’s ability to dialog, especially in regards to some of the tougher issues brought up. Some great discussions have emerged as a result of the book.

Says Chris, “By keeping their attention split between doodling and dialoging, I believe it creates space for individual reflection and courage to contribute to the conversation at their own pace. I would recommend this book to group facilitators and educators who would like to present their participants with a cool and clever gift which can easily be incorporated into or enhance their group format or curriculum.”

Crystal was in 8th grade when she joined a Chill & Spill group, hosted by the school’s Prevention and Intervention specialist. The group, made up of middle school students dealing with drug and alcohol problems, was a way for kids to find a healthy outlet for the things they were dealing with.

“Chill & Spill helps get your ideas out on paper — and then you actually realize a lot of things about yourself you didn’t know before. I had never thought about how much I was concerned about my family.

“I’ve had a couple of stepdads and the book really helped me cope with the fact that they weren’t the greatest guys to be around when I was little. And I always thought it was just me dealing with these problems, but in the Chill & Spill group, I met a few others that were going through the same thing. The book helped us talk about it and write it down.

“What I like most about this book is that it helps you get over the problems you are going through and move on.”

Today, we got to visit one of our Magnificent Marvelous Me Pilot Program partner schools. This photo was taken of a first grader who used markers to explore the things that are the same in everyone, and the things that are different about each individual. She didn’t know it, but she took a first step in learning what empathy is all about!

The teacher told us that one of the children in her group had never spoken up before starting the MMMe after-school class, but that it has been instrumental in helping him feel self-confident enough to express his opinions.

We had a blast at our first ever Kid Pop Family Dance Party, held at the Crocodile Cafe. Kids danced the Hokey Pokey, the Funky Chicken, and made all sorts of other fun dance moves. The little ones came decked out with feather boas, fancy ballerina skirts and sneakers. Everyone large and small enjoyed doing the limbo, all to benefit kids in crisis! Thanks to everyone who attended and got to enjoy the festivities!

This holiday season Art with Heart would like to help hospitalized children and our Art Buddy volunteers at Swedish and Harborview Medical Centers by holding an Art Supply Drive! Art with Heart trains volunteers twice a year to become Art Buddies to volunteer their time in the pediatric wards. They utilize their artistic talent to introduce children to the joys of creativity in the hospital environment and encourage them to find their own voice amidst hardship. The Art Buddy volunteers and kids work together using Art with Heart’s publications and other art activities with the hope their lessons will carry on and they will become caring, successful, and imaginative adults. In order to fulfill this goal, they need supplies!

We can make their job easier and help them reach out to more kids by supplying them with heART Kits.

These kits include:

• Gift cards to Target or any local art supply store
• Non-toxic crayons
• Non-toxic colored pencils
• Non-toxic colored markers
• Construction paper
• Sticky foam pad shapes or plain colors
• Popsicle sticks
• Snack sized ziplock baggies to pack crayons in
• Blank mask templates
• Stickers (letter, characters, princess),
• Bottles of mod-podge

From December – March we will be gathering art supplies and accepting donations to build these kits for Swedish and Harborview medical centers. If you would like to give back this holiday season and support the positive efforts of our Art Buddies, $25 would provide kits for 5 kids! Donate here or coordinate with us to drop-off donations… Happy Holidays and keep creating!

If you are interested in volunteering to help pack supplies, please contact nancy@artwithheart.org

Art with Heart has helped some 60,000 children deal with the stress and strain of hardship since our founding 15 years ago. We are well known in the Seattle community and nationwide for our work in expressive art therapy, including the creation and distribution of our therapeutic books and supportive trainings for caregivers to help children in distress.

In May 2011, an art gallery opened in Pioneer Square, near our location, using the name “Art with a Heart” that resulted in confused vendors, donors, community partners, and volunteers. We repeatedly and respectfully asked the gallery owners to change their gallery’s name for months, but they refused every time. As a result, we retained pro bono legal counsel who assisted us in taking legal action to prevent infringement of our trademark and trade name. The King County Superior Court ruled that their gallery’s use of ‘Art with a Heart’ constituted trademark infringement and permanently prohibited the gallery from using that name, along with derivatives. As of this writing, the gallery owners have not fully complied with the Court’s order.

Today’s ruling follows other previous rulings from the same court and imposes financial penalties on the owners if they continue to exhibit willful noncompliance. In the previous court decisions, the King County judge has ruled repeatedly in favor of the nonprofit as the rightful owner of the trademark in question.

The gallery owners have attempted to harm the reputation of Art with Heart with disparaging remarks posted online and in numerous emails. In our 15+ year history, we have never experienced this kind of animosity – but this will not distract from our mission of helping fragile children facing crisis, such as after a diagnosis of cancer, a natural disaster, or the tragedy of a school shooting.

The posts in this blog are just a few examples of the healing we encourage to bring joy and creativity into the lives of children facing hardship. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

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