Megan Gunkel

The pieces in my show speak to the growth I’ve had as an artist and an art therapist. I began this program directly out of my undergraduate art degree and walked into the program with a crippling sense of not being a “good enough” artist. Much to my delight I found along the way that art therapy is not about the final product, but rather about the process. In this paradigm shift I have experienced more freedom as an artist to play and use art as a process rather than as a product. My pieces reflect this exploratory nature. From tissue paper collage to illustration on cardboard to mixed media altered book pages to a painted table to a digital collage — This program has given me freedom to express myself and my journey of becoming an art therapist in a myriad of ways. No longer held captive by art critiques or standards of flawless execution of designs, I have been able to embrace the title of artist. My pieces also focus on my experiences working with my first clients and my inner journey in becoming a therapist. I am thankful for the opportunity and blessing it is to study art therapy and to continue on my journey to become an art therapist. 

Covering Humanity

This piece reflects the dichotomy between complex and vibrant humanity and a blank, medical face covering that we’re all donning due to COVID-19 precautions. When mask mandates first came out I was struck by how much body language and communication were taken away by covering a person’s mouth. As I moved into my internship and was fortunate enough to meet with clients in-person, I again was struck by how difficult it was to read client’s facial expressions. While under the mask we’re all complex people, the presence of the mask makes it more difficult at times to understand or read what a person is communicating through their facial expression.

Gift of Art Therapy

I completed this piece for a course earlier on in the program to depict how I see art therapy. I illustrated myself holding a mystical looking orb out to the viewer with torn book pages running up my arms and torso and holding down the bottom edges of the pages, and a DNA pattern arising from my arms and torso alongside the book pages. The book pages symbolize the research backing of the profession and my constant learning about the profession, while the DNA pattern represents a sense that this profession combines many parts of who I am. The mystical orb symbolizes the gift of art therapy and how some parts of the profession cannot be researched or explained scientifically, but are rather an unexplainable experience that offers healing and hope.

Alone

I created this altered book page spread in response to a client. It captures one of my interpretations of severe mental illness (SMI) and a struggle I have witnessed with clients fighting for their independence and to believe that their presence alone is enough in the presence of stigma and isolation that often occurs when a person experiences SMI. In this, there are times when they are often left to be alone, isolated from the care of their families.

Psychosis

This mixed media piece came about as I reflected on my observations of clients who experience psychosis. The focal point of the piece was created with a string painting, then filled in with watercolors. At first, an image may occur to the viewer, but at the end of the day it isn’t a full-fledged image. This represents my experiences of talking with clients in the midst of psychosis. At first what they share verbally makes sense, but after a while I am not sure of what they are saying as they are not in touch with reality at that point in time. The background is comprised of black dots as verbalizations made in psychosis may not fully connect. In the metallic marker on top of the dots, I included some phrases I’ve heard individuals say when in the midst of psychosis.

Ancestral Resiliency

During the Social and Cultural Issues in Art Therapy and Counseling (AR 526) course I created this painted table in response to a homework assignment and continued painting it past the semester. I aimed to combine Pennsylvania Dutch and Swedish folk art motifs to represent both of my ancestor’s heritage lines. As I painted the table I contemplated on the resiliency that has been passed onto me through my ancestors and present-day family. I thought of the challenges my ancestors and family have faced and the values, strength, and resiliency they have passed on in spite of those challenges. Painting this table filled me with a sense of humbled gratefulness for my family and ancestors. I hope that whomever joins me around this table will share stories of their own challenges and be reminded of the strength and hope we have in spite of it all.

Therapist Metamorphosis

This digital photo collage combines photos of myself throughout my journey to becoming an art therapist. The bottom right photo is of me at my senior undergraduate art show, where I created a show about art therapy. The photo to the upper left of the undergraduate picture is one that represents a time of inner turmoil I had while in this graduate program. During that season, I wondered if I was on the right path and if I should continue on in the program. To the upper right hand side of that image is one of me at a point in time during this program when I felt more assured of this path to becoming an art therapist. The collage ends with the most recent picture of me as I finished up my first internship, which was my first time practicing as an art therapist working with clients. Despite these ups and downs, I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity and look forward to seeing how I continue to develop as an art therapist.