December 2002 Newsletter
Online Issue # 2

Profile of Colleen P.:

Following my HeART

My story begins two years ago when I was laid off from my job as a project manager for a manufacturing company. I had been working in that capacity for fifteen years at several companies. It was a job I knew I excelled at, and it paid my bills and more; but it offered little satisfaction. Although the layoff made me feel anxious (I had just bought a house), I also knew it was my opportunity to make a change.

I took odd jobs for about a year as I reread “What Color Is Your Parachute?” to find focus for what I might like to do. I visited bookstores to buy books and magazines on topics that interested me. I soon discovered I was interested in a broad (but specific) idea that centered around healing and the creative arts.

In some ways this was no surprise to me. I had volunteered my time leading creative art classes at a resource center in Minneapolis, MN for adults diagnosed with chronic and life threatening illnesses. I knew I loved doing this work.

One day I picked up a book titled “Art and Healing” by Barbara Ganim. As I read it and savored the artwork throughout, I heard a resounding YES from my heart. I wanted to be a part of this movement. I wanted to bring the arts to people who were in a health crisis. And I wanted to incorporate this more fully into my own life. I turned to the back of the book where it listed resources including graduate schools. There was a program called Expressive Therapy that integrated the creative arts with a counseling program; my undergraduate degree had been in psychology. This program intrigued me, so I sent for information from a few schools on the East and West coasts. I found the possibility of moving across country and going back to school exciting and scary. I would soon be turning forty and that added an extra push for me to make a big change.

I also received a phone call from an artist friend of mine who told me about the organization SAH (Society for Arts in Healthcare). She was a member and wanted to attend an upcoming conference, but family commitments kept her from going. I asked where the conference was taking place and she said it was in Providence, RI. I got quiet and a little anxious. I realized Providence was a couple hours drive from two schools I was interested in. I took a big breath and said, “Can you send me your information about the conference?” I knew, when I hung up the phone, that I was going on a trip.

I spent six days on the East coast: three days at the conference and three days visiting the schools in Boston, MA and Newport, RI. It was a great trip. I made many contacts at the conference with medical professionals, art therapists and artists who work in hospitals, and a few students from one of the schools I was interested in. I knew I was on my path.

I returned to Minneapolis and enrolled in a couple of counseling classes at Saint Mary’s University to see if I could manage school again. At first I was overwhelmed with papers and studying, but I also felt this tremendous excitement within me. I had forgotten how much I loved learning and being in an academic community.

So with two counseling classes under my belt, I applied to a graduate program on the East coast in Expressive Therapy. I was accepted and quickly decided to sell my house and most of my things to help pay for school and living expenses. I packed up my little Corolla with computer, clothes and art materials and headed east for my big adventure.

I am now in Cambridge, MA attending graduate school at Lesley University. The experience has been filled with surprises and detours. I fully expected to be interning in my area of interest, but am currently working at a day treatment center for adults with mental illness. This wasn’t part of the initial plan, but I’m finding the experience deeply rewarding and valuable for my training and education. I had no idea I would be where I am today, but my heart and the work I am passionate about continue to unfold and blossom and take me to places unimagined.

I know that art and healing can benefit us all. I believe the arts help to bring us home to ourselves. They allow us to connect with each other and create community so we don’t have to feel so alone in the world.

Editor's Note: If you wish to contact Colleen after reading her profile, please contact me and I'll be happy to forward your message to her.

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