On the Grid: Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC Art Therapy Blogging, Online Communities, Events & More!

GRETCHEN ON THE GRID & ON THE GO:

BLOGGING, ON-LINE COMMUNITIES, EVENTS, & MORE

Blogging

Creativity in Motion- Gretchen's blog that focuses on creativity, connection, and collaboration, as well as highlights her art-making, current projects, art therapy, community organizing, and more.

Art Therapy Alliance Official Blog- Embracing social media in art therapy for connecting, making contacts, collaborating and building community.

Art Therapy Without Borders Official Blog- Promoting international art therapy initiatives in mental health, healthcare, & education worldwide.

The Trauma Network- A growing network of therapists who are coming together to learn new ways to advance their clinical practice, exchange resources, interventions, ideas, as well find support. Gretchen is a core contributor for The Trauma Network's blog focusing on providing resources and content related to domestic violence.

Art Therapy Community Organizing

6 Degrees of Creativity- 6 Degrees of Creativity is inspired by the "Six Degrees of Separation" concept that each of us, no matter where we live in the world are only about six relationships away from one another, as well as embraces the power of social networking, the arts, and interactive creativity to make a difference through art-making, creative goodness, and community.

Art Therapy Alliance on LinkedIn- Includes subgroups on different topics and specific populations for sharing of information, ideas, resources, and networking with other art therapists. This community is the largest on-line professional networking group available for art therapists, art therapy students, and interested professionals.

Art Therapy Alliance on Facebook- Receive news, resources, and status updates about art therapy in the media, on-line, and from the blogosphere.

Art Therapy Alliance on Twitter- Updates on art therapy news, resources, alerts

Art Therapy Without Borders on Facebook- This international community receives news, resources, and status updates about art therapy worldwide.

Twentytwelve On the Go Events, Happenings & Projects

Now Open! Group Strategies & Interventions with Traumatized Children and Adolescents Online Course. My online continuing education course offered through The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children focuses on the benefit, strategies, interventions, and considerations important to facilitating group work with traumatized children and adolescents. Course content introduces participants to themes, sensory based activities,therapeutic books, games, and creative interventions to implement in the group setting with traumatized youth. Register here.

Through May 31 | Spaces and Places: Where We Create- An art therapy community photo documentary project inviting participants to submit a photo of their creative work space and favorite tools of the trade. Through social media and digital photo sharing, this collaborative project aims to provide education, awareness, inspiration, and understanding about the spaces & places, settings, populations, and materials that art therapists, art therapy students, expressive arts therapists, and art organizations work in and use for their practice. For more information visit: http://www.arttherapyalliance.org/wherewecreate.html

Consulting with Intific (www.intific.com), one of the teams awarded Phase I funding for a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) grant for "IN-Comics: Online Graphic Novel/Sequential Art Authoring Tools for Therapeutic Storytelling." The goal of the IN-Comics project is to create a new form of digital expression that is ideal for therapy, education, and training, particularly with combat veterans and military personnel.

April 18 | Art Therapy with Traumatized Children- Lorain County Collaborative on Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention 7th Annual Child Abuse Awareness Conference at Lorain County Community College's Spitzer Conference Center. My 2 hour presentation will highlight the benefits of using art therapy in trauma intervention with children. Download the conference information here.

April 21-April 22 | Creative Approaches to Building Community: How the Arts Effect Positive Social Changes - 2 Day Conference hosted by the Seton Hill University Graduate Art Therapy Program and the Student Art Therapy Association (SATA) at the Seton Hill University Visual Arts Center in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. On April 22, I will be presenting The Benefits of Social Networking in Cultivating Art Therapy Connection, Community, & Creativity through Online Art-Based Collaborations. For more information about the conference contact Nina Denninger at denninger@setonhill.edu or call 724-830-1047.

May 14-18 | Papermaking as Art Therapy for Trauma Intervention- As part of The Arts and Military Conference hosted by George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, Drew Matott and I will conduct a five-day papermaking workshop for art therapists and survivors of trauma. The workshop will focus on technical training and practical applications of papermaking as trauma therapy.

July 10 | Finding a Safe Place: Creating Safety for Domestic Violence Survivors through Art at The National Institute for Trauma and Loss Childhood Practitioner's Assembly July 10-13 in Clinton Township, Michigan. This half day workshop will present important themes and considerations when addressing safety issues through art expression with child and adult survivors of domestic violence.

August 1 | Picture Me: Using Art with Traumatized and Grieving Children

VCE Trauma Learning Series Detroit, Michigan.

September 6-8 | Releasing and Reforming: Art Therapy as Social Action- Buckeye Art Therapy Association Annual Symposium- Margaret Mahan, Drew Matott, and I will be in the Columbus, Ohio area to teach a full day pre-conference course about how the papermaking process can be beneficial with populations as a form of social action and therapeutic transformation in trauma and loss intervention. During the BATA Symposium, we will present a keynote presentation on the topic of art as social action, focusing on lecture and visual content related to utilizing papermaking and creative expression as a cathartic process to give meaning, create transformation, and provide empowerment through releasing and reforming fibers into new stories and new beginnings. A workshop offering the following day entitled, “Expressions for Peace” will invite Symposium attendees on the following day to create their own reflections and expression for peace on handmade paper flags created from Peace Paper’s recent travels.

October 12-13 | Kansas Art Therapy Association Conference, Emporia, Kansas- Margaret Mahan, Drew Matott, and I will be conducting a two-day workshop for art therapists, including a lecture highlighting Art as Social Action and Papermaking as Trauma Therapy. This event will also include an exhibit of Peace Paper artworks.

Publications, Interviews, Honors, & Mentions

Handbook of Art Therapy- Second Edition, Edited by Cathy A. Malchiodi- November 2011. Chapter on Art Therapy with Adolescents and Co-Authored Chapter on Art Therapy & Domestic Violence, Guilford Press