Drawing for Healing workshop

The workshop is designed to offer a safe, non-threatening environment and setting for attendees to process and heal from the challenges of the daily world news and learning about past events such as the Holocaust, slavery, genocides, wars, hate crime attacks, etc.

The workshop is almost always facilitated in-tandem with one of my guest tolerance education with art power-point class presentations, or, following an exhibit tour.

The workshop can be, but does not have to be, on the same day as the power-point class; it could be a day or two later.

The workshop can be facilitated following an exhibit tour or other program with my art and other human rights art, photography, etc., on display, e.g. at human rights, Holocaust remembrance & genocide awareness programs.
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The workshop is not a ‘how to draw’ studio class.

The workshop is offered as a safe way to heal and process, in a non-threatening environment, with others, following Holocaust and/or related educational programs, e.g. wars, hate crimes, genocides, storms and the usually awful world news.

What supplies are needed?

a) Sturdy white paper, non-newsprint. Size: 16 x 20 inches. [A 2 size paper, UK] Smaller size paper does not work well
b) crayons — no pencils, no pens!
c) tables (e.g. typically 4 participants per table unless it’s a really long table
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In 2013 an art instructor at Seattle Central College taped a very large (in width and length) roll of black paper on a floor; the students sat or kneeled on the floor and each drew a section - area on the drawing paper. That was new for me and it worked wonderfully. Click to see a 1 min., 22 sec. video taken at that workshop.

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Easels could also be used; and or paper tacked to walls for participants who like to and are able to stand while drawing.

What ages of participants?

All ages. The youngest workshop attendees have been ages 4, 5, 6 and up. The oldest have been in their 80’s and 90’s.

Workshop sizes – how many can attend?

On average there are up to 20 participants per workshop.

There can be more participants. Two examples:

In 2017 I guest presented a power-point and Q&A with 150 pupils, ages 14 to 16, in an auditorium, at Caerleon Comprehensive school, Wales, UK. Sixty pupils who attended the lecture participated in the workshop: 20 per classroom. During the 2 workshop phases I went back and forth between each of 3 art classrooms. In the first phase I verbally introduced the exercise and what (imagery) participants will be drawing. The second phase was discussion, co-led by instructors, of each drawing done by participants. Questions, answers and feedback are strongly encouraged.

A 4 min., 20 sec. video excerpt of the discussion phase in one of the 3 classrooms at Caerleon.
In 2015 I guest presented a power-point with 3 combined classes of ten and eleven year-old pupils at Maisondieu Primary, Angus, Scotland. Following the power-point with a Q&A, the pupils went back to 3 separate classrooms. I went back and forth between each classroom during the drawing phases of the workshop.

The url of a 6 min., 21 sec. taken during the Maisondieu Primary workshop.

The inception and background of the Drawing-for-Healing workshop

The workshop idea was from a workshop I attended at the Int’l School for Holocaust Education, Yad Vashem, Jerusalem, Oct. 13, 1999. The workshop was facilitated by Leah Thorn of Britain. Her workshop was titled “Whirlwinds destroying the whole world - performance poetry in Holocaust education.” From her description page: “Emphasis of workshop is on participants and their discoveries. No previous experience with writing or performance is necessary.”

Ms. Thorn spoke of how people see movies (e.g. Schindler’s List), hear Holocaust survivors or other genocide survivors speak, and other difficult topic-subject programs, then go onto their next class, back to work, back home, etc., each and all with no processing time nor even discussion of what they’ve seen, listened to, watched. I thought her exercise program terrific.

In 2000 and 2001, with her permission, I led several classes modeled on her group collective poetry writing exercise, e.g. 10 and 11 year old school pupils; adult university students from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.; and adults of a Reconstructionist denomination synagogue in Seattle. I thought, however, “Hey! I’m an artist and I use art to teach lessons of the Holocaust and about prejudice, stereotyping, etc. Why not apply Leah’s group collective poetry writing and reciting workshop to artmaking?”

My first Drawing-for-Healing workshop was with a class of German language & literature students, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Washington, 2003. Since then I’ve facilitated the workshop in 2 schools in Wales and around 18 schools in Scotland; first year M.A. Art Therapy majors, Haifa Univ; teacher training at an Israeli school; and various U.S. venues.

Six workshop videos - Seattle, Wales, Scotland

Maisondieu Primary, Brechin, Angus school district, Scotland -Tolerance educ w/ art workshop, 2015 (6M, 21s)

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Webster’s High School, Kirriemuir, Angus school district, Scotland, 2015 (15 min., 58s)

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Forfar Academy, a state secondary school, Angus school district, Scotland, 2015. Workshop session 1: Anger (3M, 48s)

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Drawing-for-healing workshop with an art class, Seattle Central College, 2013 (2 min., 5 sec)

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Drawing for healing workshop with an immigrant ESL/English class, Seattle Central College, 2013 (6 min., 28 sec)

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Drawing phase & discussion, Caerleon Comprehensive School, Wales, 2017 (5 min., 35 sec)