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Relating Cultural Identity and Identity As Art Therapis
Relating Cultural Identity and Identity As Art Therapis
Relating Cultural Identity and Identity As Art Therapis
To cite this article: Chantel Laran Lumpkin PhD, CFLE (2006) Relating Cultural Identity and Identity as Art Therapist, Art
Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 23:1, 34-38, DOI: 10.1080/07421656.2006.10129529
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Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 23(1) pp. 34-38 © AATA, Inc. 2006
When I first considered writing this article regarding has a high identification with the majority culture but a
my being an African-American art therapist, I pondered low identification with one’s ethnic group. Lastly, the cate-
how I would approach the issue relevant to my current sit- gory of marginal identity indicates low identification with
uation and position as a university professor teaching both one’s ethnic group and the majority culture. I have
courses in human development and family life education. included the model in Figure 1, as a framework to illustrate
After completion of the graduate program in Marital and how I associate each of the cultural identity categories with
Family Therapy/Clinical Art Therapy at Loyola Mary- my art therapy identity. The rest of the article expounds on
mount University, and an intense art therapy internship each of the categories.
working with abused children, I chose to switch focus from
therapeutic intervention to preventative education. I then Bicultural — Playing the game
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pants were also provided with warning signs of possible dents enrolled in 27 approved graduate degree and institute
problems common to the socio-economic environments programs. Except for two, all students were the only Blacks
and cultures, but cautioned to consider the context when in their specific program. Including myself, eight students
assessing problems. Finally resources for follow-up with were included in the study, which was presented later at the
other social service professionals were provided. 1996 AATA national conference and included as a chapter
in the Hiscox and Calisch (1998) text on cultural issues in
Troubled youth art therapy (Lumpkin, 1997). The study was intended to
discover if other Black graduate students shared my experi-
Last year, I was asked to conduct a workshop with ences of loneliness as a visible minority in an area of study
troubled youth enrolled in an alternative education pro- focused on the visual. They did.
gram. Of the six youth in attendance, four were white A second research study was conducted while I was a
males, one was a black male, and the last youth was a white doctoral student at Michigan State University, to complete
female. Using art therapy strategies promoted by Land- requirements for a qualitative research course. In this study,
garten (1981), Linesch (1988), and Riley (1999), I provid- I facilitated an art therapy session with four African-
ed collage materials, having separate boxes filled with American graduate students; three female and one male, of
words, objects, and culturally representative images. The differing majors. They each completed two drawings: a
youth were asked to select pictures and words and apply Hand Trace and a Bridge Drawing (Hays & Lyons, 1981).
them to manila folders to denote their inside and outside This study was designed to provide opportunity for net-
personas, as symbolism for their self-esteem and what they working and discussion of issues related to Black American
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present to others. Ethnic issues were not presented as a graduate students attending predominantly white institu-
problem by the youth as they were very free about selecting tions of higher education. I presented on this study at the
varying multicultural images to represent self and family. 2001 AATA national conference (Lumpkin, 2001).
However, they did question me about being a black profes- I relished these opportunities to focus on art therapy
sor and art therapist. Based on the process and finished issues pertaining to African-Americans and other Blacks, as
product, I assessed developmental and behavioral concerns they helped to validate my experiences and provided
and then shared my findings with staff. The staff members opportunities for self-understanding, support, connecting/
were surprised at the insight provided by art therapy and networking, and catharsis through the group process, shar-
my knowledge of the adolescent culture, as I correctly iden- ing, and artmaking. As India.Arie (2001) notes in her song,
tified issues of self-mutilation, attention-deficit disorder, “Brown skin, I need some every now and then.”
and sexual abuse.
Assimilated — Visibly invisible
Separated — Brown Skin
True assimilation requires one to abandon one’s minor-
Phinney (1996) designates the second cultural identi- ity identity in favor of being accepted by the majority cul-
ty as being separated, or distinguishing the self as having ture: to become invisible within the group. Culturally, this
low identification with the majority culture. In this catego- is a difficult category for most Blacks to fit into as American
ry, one would be totally immersed in one’s culture, to the society does not readily welcome me into the assimilated
point of being referred to as ethnocentric. Some would say melting pot, for my pigment would shift the color of con-
that by identifying myself as a Black (rather than African- tent to a shade more in line with being designated as Black.
American) art therapist, I am noting a separated identity. If assimilated, one has to deal with the psychosocial issues of
Ironically, I believe that when I identify as Black, rather guilt over sacrificing one’s true self in favor of acceptance by
than designating my separateness, I am claiming my glob- the majority, and, therefore, being visibly invisible.
al connectedness with others of African ancestry who Professionally, assimilation is also difficult as one may have
might not be Americans. This separateness from the larger to sacrifice ideals and focus on a lesser-known or valued
society, but ethnocentric focus and connectedness with field of study (i.e. art therapy) in order to gain tenure and
other Blacks, allows me the comfort of immersion and rest promotion in a more recognized field.
within the characteristics of my visible culture without I find this dichotomy of being assimilated and visibly
apology or concern for how these traits might be viewed by invisible fascinating. As a Black person, I am visually visi-
the majority culture. This is a state of mind I find necessary ble by virtue of my pigmentation especially when viewed
to allow for stress management and spiritual restoration as among a group of the majority culture. Yet, at the same
little effort is necessary to adapt (Tatum, 1997). time that I am visually noted I also tend to be psychologi-
As a Black art therapist, I tend to focus my research on cally dismissed, thus deemed invisible, as result of being
Black populations and issues influencing them. My gradu- perceived as a minority. This is illustrated at group events
ate research in the Marital and Family Therapy (Clinical when among colleagues I am overlooked for consideration
Art Therapy) program at Loyola Marymount University of assignments or opinions, or presumed to be one of the
was a national study of Black art therapy students enrolled hired help rather than a member of the professional organ-
in American Art Therapy Association (AATA) Approved ization. One could say the dichotomy is one of being invis-
programs. At the time of my study there were 18 Black ibly visible: being accepted but, on the other hand, being
(African-American, Haitian-Canadian, and African) stu- constantly reminded of my Blackness and separate identi-
LUMPKIN 37
ing to prove my worth before I am acknowledged or Linesch, D. G. (1988). Adolescent art therapy. Levittown, PA:
accepted. This has led to charging less straightforward Brunner/Mazel.
paths than perhaps those journeyed by art therapists
belonging to the majority culture. As my goals include set- Lumpkin, C. L. (1997). We wear the masks: A study of Black art
ting up clinical practice providing art therapy to culturally therapy students. In A. R. Hiscox & A. C. Calisch (Eds.),
Tapestry of cultural issues in art therapy (pp. 221-228). London:
diverse children and families and teaching art therapy in a Jessica Kingsley.
public institution of higher education, I feel the need to
first gain academic footing in the latter to build a founda- Lumpkin, C. L. (2001). Using art therapy to address retention fac-
tion for the aforementioned goal. Lastly, I realize that being tors affecting Black graduate students. Paper presented at the
an art therapist is not one-dimensional; nor does one size American Art Therapy Association 32nd Annual Conference,
fit all. In other words, there is no single definition that cap- Albuquerque, New Mexico.
tures all that an art therapist is; nor does each art therapist
define him- or herself the same. In her book, I am an Artist Phinney, J. S. (1996). Understanding ethnic diversity: The role of
(1994) Collins notes that whenever an artist uses her sens- ethnic identity. American Behavioral Scientist, 40, 143-153.
es to perceive color, form, line, and texture, she is validat-
Phinney, J. S. & Devich-Navarro, M. (1997). Variation in bicul-
ed as being an artist. This helped me to understand that
tural identification among African American and Mexican Am-
whether I practice full-time, research, provide or use art erican adolescents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 7, 3-32.
therapy related strategies, or teach art therapy in a formal
program, I am indeed an art therapist. Riley, S. (1999). Contemporary art therapy with adolescents.
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