Art

Therapy
for a
Peaceful
Mind

Maren Shallman
Sophie Johnson
Jourdann Utke
 Stress
is constantly present.
When the stress of everyday life
becomes a burden, everyone has
a different method of coping. Some
exercise, some lose themselves in their
jobs, and others simply cry. There are
multiple ways to relieve stress, and they all
may not be effective or healthy.

Art Therapy is a positive

and moving way to
understand your own
feelings and release
negative tension.
Often, you uncover buried emotion and
feelings that were not realized. As design
students, we experience high levels of
stress quite frequently. Over the past
few years it has become more and more
obvious that one cannot bottle everything
up forever, or eventually one will burst.
The question is, how will you positively
release anxiety?

Problem
Stress affects everyone. Stress does not begin as
stress. In the beginning, slight tension arises
from a more relaxed state. As the occurrences
and influences of everyday life start putting
on the pressure, the urgency builds. Anxiety
comes from a variety of sources, such as
jobs, school, relationships, etc. Whatever the
cause, we are all heavily burdened down by
everyday stressors and desperately seek
ways to relieve that tension. When these
underlying feelings get the better of you, it
is important to have some kind of emotional

1
 outlet, a
way release the
strain.

Oftentimes, individuals struggle to express

themselves in the limiting world of words and
language. Speaking to another person simply
is not enough, and communication through
conversation often fails. We have provided a
space in the Virtual Peace Garden for individuals

express
to themselves
through artistic means
and revitalize an anxious
disposition. This space is ideal
for expressing feelings through physical
creation opposed to verbal communication.
This space may not be ideal for everyone,
but it is available for those who want
to utilize the space. By the unspoken
exchanging of ideas, you, in turn will
possibly discover underlying feelings you
may have been previously unaware.

This Art Therapy garden provides a much-needed

outlet for the world-weary mind to relax and engage
in physical creation of artistic compositions. "It is
this idea of self-exploration that can often lead
a person to some insightful conclusions about
themselves. Don't be surprised if the effects
of art therapy lead to a general sense of
relief and overall better mental health." (Art
Therapy) The main focus of the garden is

to provide an escape where

stressed individuals can disappear for a
few hours. Author Natalie Goldberg states
that, "stress is basically a disconnection from
2
 the earth,
a forgetting of the
breath." (Goldberg, 1990)

Solution
We, as a design team, strive to reconnect
individuals with the earth. People who visit
this space will be able to express opinions
and emotions in a safe, calming environment
where they will be free to stimulate their
senses and connect with the scenery that
encloses them. Nature surrounds on all
sides. This private living studio space
provides an inviting atmosphere where you
feel one with your surroundings.

The first stop in the Art Therapy Garden

will be an outdoor hands-on painting
studio. This studio is designed to release
tensions built up from every day life. There
will be easels lined up with blank canvases
ready for anyone to paint, whatever they
are feeling. Author Rhyne states that the
use of art materials to make images allows
her to reconnect with the simple wisdom from
her youth. (Rhyne, 110) Through painting, it
is possible to create a release from current world
stress and reconnect with the youth-like simplicity
that will allow the visitors of the Art Therapy Garden
to reconnect with a simplicity that will result in
a peaceful state of mind. Rhyne states that,

"imagery can provide a

path not only into the
suppressed feelings of
me as a child but also
into present recognition
3
 f o
what I need
and want now." (Rhyne,
111) Painting provides a therapy in the
way that it reconnects the artists to his or
her emotional state of mind. Losing sight of
true desire is easy to do in the doldrums
of daily monotony. Caught amidst a wind
tunnel of stress and endless to-do lists,
stress takes over. The United Design
Operation proposes the building of a
painting studio in order to help our visitors
get back their emotional sanity through a
peaceful moment where nothing else exists,
but the canvas and the paintbrush.

The second stop in the Art Therapy

Garden will be an interactive outdoor
clay studio. Visitors will be invited to use
their hands to build and mold clay pieces.
Hand building and wheelwork will both be
available options for one to explore. This
room will also include a clay pit where
individuals are able to remove footwear and
kneed the clay with their feet. People are
free to stomp, dance, or jump; anything to help
loosen the tension. The United Design Operation
proposes the building of an interactive clay studio
in order to help our visitors get back their
emotional sanity through a peaceful moment
where nothing else exists, but the clay and
the hands.

The end of the passage will open into a

wide outdoor clearing. Paintings will be
hanging midair, as if displayed in a gallery.
While there are no physical walls, the barrier
created by the trees will act as an invisible
4
 façade to
present artwork.
These pieces will be arranged
vertically, beginning at the ground
and working their way up to the sky, one
above the other, with no height limitations.
The motive behind this curious decision to
stack the paintings in a perpendicular line
stemming from the earth is a metaphor of
an emotional weight being lifted. Clay works
may also be displayed either on the ground
or suspended in midair. Individuals are
then obliged to fly upwards to depart the
forest, and in turn, take in other artworks.
Visitors will have the option to display their
work for others to view, or simply take
their pieces with them. The United Design
Operation proposes the building of an open,
outdoor gallery space in order to help
our visitors get back their emotional
sanity through a peaceful moment where
nothing else exists, but the creations of
others.

Many people are under the impression that

he or she must be an artist in order to

Since this
create significant artwork.

particular studio and gallery

space is to be used purely
for internal reasons, the
question of artistic talent
is irrelevant. Anyone can benefit
from it. The Art Therapy Garden helps
the average person, as well as individuals
with mental disorders, emotional abuse,
cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder.

5
 One does
not come to this
positive environment to offer
criticism or pass judgment on others
work, but to concentrate fully on the
advancement of their own emotional
release.

We are relying on the idea that individuals

will stumble upon our space. This will
ensure seclusion. We want an air of
privacy, where one can be alone with their
thoughts, and are therefore guaranteeing
minimal numbers of people in the studio
at one time. When you are alone, there

no self-consciousness,
is

no self-restraint, and
one is truly able to let
go and explore their
senses.

If left unchecked, content within the gallery

could prove to be tasteless and unsuitable. To
ensure that does not happen, we, The United
Design Operation, will act as curators. This is
not to judge artwork as "good" or "bad" but to
simply sift through and remove inappropriate
pieces. This allows all ages to be welcome
to participate and view.

Qualifications
The United Design Operation consists of
three individuals. Together we posses both
artistic and architectural backgrounds.
Colaboration is a key component in our designing

6
 process.
We all work with
different mediums allowing for
variation in our design.

Through interpreting architecture and

participating in the art world we have gained
a greater understanding of the need for an
artistic, emotional outlet. As a design team,
we understand the needs of the client and
are fully committed to meet and surpass
expected standards. We love experimenting
with different mediums and are always
eager to try something new. We have
enough creativity and motivation to take on
this project. If given the chance, our team
will produce a well-designed, thoughtful
result that will be both functional and
aesthetically pleasing.

Life often takes you by surprise. You can

either panic and breakdown, or calmly
take control and force all of the negativity
out of your being. We have found that
Art Therapy is one of the best ways to
safely soothe an unbalanced disposition.

Artistic creation begets

emotional satisfaction and a
more peaceful state of mind.
By creating this Art Therapy Garden, we are
providing a natural, enclosed, quiet space
for the Second Life society to satisfy their
growing need for balance. "It's a beautiful
thing when you're sharing art in an open,
friendly, loving environment with other
people that are on the same wave." (Art
Therapy) A revitalized mentality prompts
a renewal of the self.

7
Bibliography
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