Virtual FUNraising Event

Art & Creativity for Healing is currently in need of art supplies for the children of infantry families who reside on Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Station. We need:

• Acrylic Paint Pots (sets of 12)
• Tubes of acrylic paints (any size) – Red, Yellow, Blue, Orange, Green, Violet, White, Black and Brown
• Canvas Panels (9×12, 11×14, 5×7 and 4×6)
• Small White Foam Plates
• 10.25″ White Foam Plates with three compartments
• Large Packages of Q-Tips
• Cases of Baby Wipes
• Paper Towels
• Packs of Markers (8 pack)
• Packs of Color Pencils (12 pack)
• Small Pencil Sharpeners
• Packs of Oil Pastels (12 pack)

We are also accepting donations of $10 each to cover the cost of the materials for one child. Each year, Art & Creativity for Healing serves more than 750 children and their family members at Camp Pendleton.

To donate, or for questions regarding this Virtual FUNraising event, please contact Art & Creativity for Healing at (949) 367-1902 or by e-mail at info@art4healing.org.

Thank you for your support!

Outcome Report Measures Impact of Art4Healing® Methods

During the period of Jan. 2008 through Oct. 31, 2009, DoctorS Nonprofit Consulting evaluated nearly 1,400 clients from Human Options and Families and Communities Together (FaCT) Orange County who were receiving services from Art & Creativity for Healing. We were very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive findings of the evaluation, and excited to be able to measure the effectiveness of our programs using the quantitative data gathered by DoctorS Nonprofit Consulting.

For clients of Human Options participating in the Art & Creativity for Healing programs, the outcome evaluation included the following key findings:

• The top three reasons that Human Options participants took the 2008-2009 workshops were abuse (61%), depression (24%), and anxiety (6%).
• 84% of participants strongly agreed that the workshop was better than expected, 83% strongly agreed that the workshop helped them express their emotions, and 82% said they felt better after the workshop.
• 87% of the participants that completed the survey were satisfied with their workshop.

With regards to Art & Creativity for Healing’s partnership with FaCT Orange County, the outcome evaluation included the following key findings:

• The top three reasons that FaCT participants took the 2008-2009 workshops were depression (27%), anxiety or stress (21%), and time with family/fun (16%).
• 68% of participants strongly agreed that the workshop was better than expected, 69% strongly agreed that the workshop helped them express their emotions, and 69% said they felt better after the workshop.
• 78% of the participants that completed the survey were satisfied with their workshop.

Photos from Camp Pendleton

Happy Monday to everyone! I thought I would share some recent photos from our “Healing for Heroes and their Families” at Camp Pendleton. These photos are from a recent workshop at San Onofre Elementary School located in San Clemente, at the northern tip of Camp Pendleton.

To provide you with some background on the program, “Healing for Heroes and their Families” was Initiated in 2008 at Camp Pendleton. The program uses collage, journaling and painting techniques to help military personnel and their families process feelings associated with the rigors of military life, including overseas deployments. Earlier this year, the program was expanded to serve military families that have one or more family members dealing with the special needs of enlisted men and women who are working through war-related experiences.

Since November 2008, more than 750 children and adults at Camp Pendleton have participated in the “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program, and Art & Creativity for Healing has trained six on-base counselors and educators in the “Art for Healing Methods.”

In 2010, Art & Creativity for Healing expects to serve an additional 750 children and adults through the “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program.

Art4Healing Level One Training Goes Online

Over the past several years many people from throughout the United States and around and the world have inquired about the availablity of our Art4healing Level One Facilitator program. Up until recently, the only way to participate was to travel to our studio in Laguna Niguel. We’ve actually had people come from as far away as Switzerland and New Zealand to participate.

Now, with the Art4Healing Level One Facilitator Training program available online, anyone, regardless of location, can learn the Art4Healing techniques and introduce this method to their friends, families and local communities. I believe that this will become a wonderful way to train people who are interested in our programs, but live much to far away to make it feasible for them to come and train with us at our studio.

The first Art4Healing online training program will begin in February 2010. For more information, please click here.

Paint Your Way to Inner Peace

On Saturday, January 9, eight women participated in the Art4Healing “Paint Your Way to Inner Peace” workshop. It was truly a blessing to have each of these women in this workshop. They each created some wonderful paintings, some of which I am sharing here in this blog posting.

“Paint Your Way to Inner Peace” is a half-day Art4Healing workshop that offers a creative and soothing way for adults to express personal feelings through abstract art. Art & Creativity for Healing offers this workshop several times a year.

Compassion Fatigue Workshop with Marines at Camp Pendleton

Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to facilitate an Art4Healing “Compassion Fatigue” workshop for a group of 8 Marines at Camp Pendleton. It turned out to be a wonderful experience meeting and getting to know these young men. They painted extraordinary paintings to express of how they feel about their lives. What an honor to be with them…

Art4Healing via Webinar with Microsoft

Last week, we facilitated our first Art4Healing workshop, via Webinar, with employees from Microsoft Corporation.

I was hired to facilitate the workshop by the Senior Director of Communications at Microsoft. She and her team of 10 employees were participating in an in-house corporate retreat, and wanted to add our Art for Renewal & Stress Management workshop to the curriculum.

This wasn’t a typical Art4Healing workshop because all of the participants were located at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Wash., while I led the workshop from Laguna Niguel, via Webinar using Microsoft Live Meeting.

The workshop took place on the final day of their in-house retreat, and turned out to be a wonderful experience for everyone who was involved. It was truly amazing that with the latest technology advances, and Microsoft Live Meeting Webinar software, we were able to conduct this workshop across such a great distance.

Following the workshop, several of the participants shared their experiences:

“Laurie – thank you for a wonderful session with my team last week.    It was a terrific experience, we learned a lot about ourselves and each other, and we’ve got some beautiful art to display.”

Laura King
Senior Director of Communications
Enterprise & Partner Group

“Laurie, thank you so much for the session. What I found amazing is how

One of the Art4Healing paintings created by Steven Ramirez.

you reached into each of us and pulled out this incredible stuff. It’s a testament to your many years of teaching and demonstrates that you

know just how to bypass that pesky committee and go right to our creative side. I really appreciate what you did for me.”

Steven Ramirez
Community Engagement Manager
Microsoft CIO Network

“Laurie Zagon of Art & Creativity for Healing led our Microsoft Enterprise Marketing team through a powerfully creative workshop that opened our team’s way of thinking about our Microsoft world and our inner selves. Through the use of color and image exploration, we expressed ourselves in ways that surprised each and every one of us – and reminded us that artistic, creative talent is truly at everyone’s fingertips. I highly recommend Laurie for any similar corporate or personal type of workshop.”

Shivonne Byrne
Director, Brand & Content
WW Enterprise Marketing, EPG, Microsoft

Art & Creativity for Healing Spreads Holiday Cheer at Camp Pendleton

Yesterday was an exceptional day for our “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Air Station! We delivered 520 “art boxes” to children in grades first through eighth at San Onofre Elementary School, located on the northern tip of Camp Pendleton.

This special delivery was made in partnership with Southern California Vons/Pavilions employees; the Irvine FedEx Office; the Art4Healing Club at Dana Hills High School; Orange County Girl Scout Troops; the Art & Creativity for Healing HeARTs for Healing Women’s Guild; and community volunteers who donated the boxes and also helped to prepare them for delivery.

This is the second year that Art & Creativity for Healing has partnered with local businesses and organizations in helping to share the joy of the holiday season with children at San Onofre Elementary School, which has been hit very hard by overseas deployments of military personnel.

In 2008, we began our “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program to help children at the school process their feelings regarding the absence of a parent who is serving our Nation in Iraq or Afghanistan. We are grateful to the community for their continued support of this program, and more importantly for their generosity during the “Season of Giving.”

Of the 520 “art boxes” donated to students at San Onofre Elementary, 200 boxes were donated by Southern California Vons/Pavilions employees; 100 boxes were donated by the HeARTs for Healing Women’s Guild; 75 boxes, plus the shipping of all the boxes to San Onofre Elementary School was donated by the Irvine FedEx Office; 60 boxes were contributed by the Art4Healing Club at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, Calif.; Orange County Girl Scout Troops donated 15 boxes; and, the remainder of the boxes were donated by community volunteers.

Each of the “art boxes” included markers and colored pencils, watercolors, small journals, sketchpads, sketching pencils, and wrapped holiday candy. The “art boxes” were delivered today to San Onofre Elementary via FedEx and distributed to each classroom for grades two through eight, by 12 community volunteers.

Children’s Holiday Party 2009

On Sunday, December 6, Art & Creativity for Healing hosted its annual “Children’s Holiday Party” for children who have had a difficult year. This year, 20 children, ages 4-13 years old joined us for an afternoon that included ornament decorating, goodies from the chocolate fountain and a visit from Santa.

Each year, I have such a wonderful time watching the children paint their glass ornaments! The chocolate fountain is always a hit, along with the various goodies including marshmallows, graham crackers, bananas, etc. that the kids, and their accompanying parents, get to dip into the luscious chocolate.

Thank you to all those who made this event possible!

Veteran’s Day Workshop at the Balboa Naval Hospital

Last month, on Veteran’s Day, Art & Creativity for Healing facilitated an “Art for Renewal and Stress Management” workshop at the Balboa Naval Hospital in San Diego. It truly was once of the most wonderful and moving Art4Healing workshop sessions ever. One participate was a young soldier in his early 20s who shared his testimony about being blown up, and the grief he feels over the loss of his fellow marines.

Several participants were Marines who had recently returned from Afghanistan and Iraq with brain injury trauma (BIT). We also had several staff members participate and here is what they had to say about the workshop:

“Recently, Art4Healing is provided a demonstration and therapeutic art exercise for select staff members here at Navy Medical Center San Diego. I found the experience very enjoyable, and the activity provided a fun method for folks to express themselves and a non-threatening way to explore thoughts and feelings.  The instructors were gently motivating and very kind.  I strongly feel that this kind of activity is of great value to our patients and staff.”

Jim Gonzales
Soldier Family Assistance Center Specialist

“The art experience was a wonderful way to elicit discussion and see life’s issues from a different perspective. Thanks for the opportunity to participate.”

Susan Swisher, LCSW

“I had an amazing time at the workshop. I was able to relax and just deal with things that I have been holding in. Through the painting, I was able to express my emotions and not feel judged. I wasn’t required to share my thoughts or feelings unless I felt comfortable doing so. The staff was amazing. The music and setting were peaceful. Thank you for this opportunity. I can’t wait for our soldiers to be able to participate in such a rewarding experience.”

Lori S. Stamaris
US ARMY FAMILY READINESS COORDINATOR
San Diego, Calif.

Due the wonderful response from this workshop, Art & Creativity for Healing is planning to return in the Spring to offer additional workshops at the Balboa Naval Hospital.