Danielle Creamer

Through my time at Saint Mary of the Woods, it has provided me with the opportunity for inner self-exploration to help increase my confidence in both my personal and professional identity. As an art therapist, I want to provide a supportive, calm, and non-judgmental experience in which individuals, families, and groups can increase their interaction with creativity and find guidance through imagery created during the art-making process. I will become the space holder for both the client, myself, and the art so that it can provide a dialogue in how to showcase the client’s resiliency and overcoming the obstacles life can provide.

By creating art through the program, I have been able to better understand different components of my identity.  Parts that are explored through my artwork in the exhibition are the development of my professional identity through response art based on clients, the life of an emerging therapist and student, and a better understanding of the work/life balance.  The increase in my spiritual identity is also acknowledged through the immersion of symbolism, animal encounters, and comfort found in nature and natural materials. My family identity is explored due to better understanding my roots, culture, and how this can be beneficial and detrimental with different populations. Lastly, my artist identity in which I was able to refocus on creativity, spontaneity, and the ability to explore numerous mediums.