Healing in Arts

Helping Teens’ Hopes and Dreams Soar

Healing in Arts spearheaded the Butterfly Dreams project in collaboration with Young Life. The art workshop took place in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico and left an indelible mark on a group of teenagers. Under the guidance of board member Kathy Pluymert, the art centered on the theme of belonging, using the analogy of monarch butterflies and how they huddle together to stay warm. By highlighting how each butterfly depends on the others for survival, she shared a personal reflection on how humans are designed to be part of something greater—a sacred message on the importance of each individual.

Pamela Alderman and Healing in Arts artist Yeram Leonard, who designed the butterfly motif, brought the artistic collaboration to life. Using the pointillism technique inspired by Georges Seurat’s iconic style, each participant painted a tile with a series of colorful dots. When assembled, the tiles formed four vibrant butterflies, symbolizing the value of each person’s contribution. As one teen eloquently put it, “The final masterpiece was a little bit of all of us.”

Butterfly Dreams fostered a sense of community, self-expression, and empowerment among teenagers while championing values of inclusivity and interconnectedness. We appreciate the efforts of Kathy and her son, Mitchell Pluymert, for bringing this project to fruition. Their commitment impacted the teens by nurturing creativity and instilling a profound sense of belonging.

Last summer, I had the privilege of leading two Healing in Arts workshops with military families. The first one took place at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Pensacola, Florida, and the second one at the Coast Guard Base in Kodiak, Alaska. For both art mystery projects, each participant painted a small wooden tile with Sharpie markers without knowing the final design. These projects invited a diverse range of people of any age to express themselves through art.

The collaborative nature of the art workshops added an exciting element to the creative process. Everyone contributed to form a rich tapestry of individual expressions. The reveal of the mystery designs added a fun layer of anticipation and celebration.

The final community pieces showcase the beauty of diversity and the strength that comes from individuals united by a common purpose. This shared moment of discovery reinforces the idea that everyone’s contribution, no matter how small, is valuable.

When put together end-to-end-to-end, three straight lines form a triangle shape. Triangles can represent the union of body, mind, and spirit. In Christianity, the triangle depicts the triune God. For session one of our Three Straight Lines project, participants selected three words that represented different aspects of their lives. Next, each person painted a visual representation of their words on a triangle-shaped panel. The creative exercise provided a way for individuals to explore and share their experiences.

In the second workshop, participants shared their artwork and told their stories. Everyone had the freedom to choose how to narrate their story. The flexibility allowed them to focus on the most meaningful aspect of their lives, whether it related to their work, family, heritage, or any other topic. The sharing fostered open and honest conversations.

Participant Feedback:

“I liked that the workshops allowed those of us who are not so great expressing ourselves with words an opportunity to use art and paint and colour to express our hurts and life journey on canvas. It would take a whole essay to sum up everything I benefited from this workshop. But creating something using a medium I am not accustomed to was very powerful for me.”

The Three Straight Lines project encouraged creativity, self-expression, and storytelling in a safe and supportive environment. The exercise encouraged diverse narratives and fostered a sense of connection, empathy, and understanding. It allowed participants to communicate their life stories through visual and symbolic representation, and then gave them the opportunity to share and reflect.

Overall, the Three Straight Lines workshops seem to be a valuable tool for personal growth, self-reflection, and building connections. This Healing in Arts partnership with Resonate Global Mission offered a unique and unconventional way to explore and share life stories, making it a memorable and potentially transformative experience. By combining the smaller canvases into one large collage, Three Straight Lines forms a sacred triangle that bonds our stories from beginning to end.

Three Straight Lines: A Healing in Arts collaboration with Resonate Global Mission

A Healing in Arts collaboration with Marshall Elementary School

The Painted Wings art piece showcases the beauty and potential found in every child. For this project, the special needs students at Marshall Elementary School helped create the artwork on the 3-foot butterfly shape donated by PlexiCase Inc. Using sponges and acrylic paint, students designed each section of the butterfly’s wings.

Art has the power to convey messages, emotions, and stories that words alone sometimes cannot express. At Healing in Arts, our healing-based projects celebrate the unique qualities and potential within people, encouraging viewers to see the value in each person. By involving the students in the creative process, the work not only fosters their artistic expression but also boosts their confidence and sense of accomplishment.

Special education teacher Sheila Allan responded, “For this work, the children learned a new art technique as they painted the back of the butterfly shape. When viewing the shape from the front, you see the colors that were painted first. Pamela, I’m so grateful for your friendship, creativity, and willingness to share yourself with my students!”

Creative work like Painted Wings can serve as a catalyst for positive change by raising awareness and promoting support for children’s development and well-being. The project reminds us of the importance of nurturing and celebrating the potential within each child, regardless of their abilities or challenges.

Fun initiatives like this one not only enrich the lives of the young artists, but also inspire the community to appreciate the diversity and creativity that children bring into the world. Art truly has the ability to touch hearts and minds, making it a powerful agent of positivity and joy in society.