Art4Healing® 7-Day Summer Intensive Certification 2010

Art & Creativity for Healing Inc. offers an Art4Healing® certificate program in partnership with Brandman University-Chapman University System

We graduated 12 new Art4Healing® Facilitators last week after a 7-day Intensive program that included trainees from Georgia, Arizona, San Diego, and Riverside,California.

What a pleasure it was for me to meet and work with these extraordinary accomplished women.

“Palette of Colors: Hollywood Confidential.”

The evening started with a silent auction, as guests, many dressed in 1960s Hollywood attire, mingled and perused the items, enjoying hors d’ oeuvres and a selection of martinis sponsored by Three Olives® Vodka. The evening also included a gourmet dinner with complimentary wines sponsored by ONEHOPE Wine, live auction and custom-crafted character event reminiscent of 1960s Hollywood that included a play with audience participation from attendees Donna Walp and Sheena Smith, and an interactive query game about Art & Creativity for Healing with prizes for the winners. The character event was produced and performed by characters from Killer Entertainment, voted one of the “Top Five Dinner Theaters in the Los Angeles Area” for MyFoxLA’s 2009 “Hotlist.” One member from Killer Entertainment also participated as an auctioneer, along with Founder/Director Laurie Zagon, for the live auction portion of the evening.

Laurie Zagon with Bill Billingsley, principal, San Onofre Elementary, and his wife Donna

This year, Art & Creativity for Healing hosted 24 military personnel from Camp Pendleton, where Art & Creativity for Healing provides its “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program. Ten of

Julie Godbury and Stephanie Greathouse with a character from "Hollywood Confidential"

the military guests were seated at a table donated by The Irvine Health oundation, one of the event’s premiere level, or “Ruby Red” sponsors for $5,000. During “Palette of Colors: HollywoodConfidential” program, Bill Billingsley, principal for San Onofre Elementary School and SSgt. Berton Chambers, USMC spoke about the positive impact

Colonel Andrew Wilcox; Sgt. Mitzlaff; SSgt. Chambers; SSgt. Guess; Lance Corpral Duran; and SSgt. Write with Laurie Zagon

that the “Healing for Heroes and their Families” has had on the 800 children who participate in the program at San Onofre Elementary School, as well as military personnel who often are unable to put their feelings regarding war-time experiences into words, yet successfully are able to use the Art4Healing® methods as an outlet for those feelings. Chambers’ wife Ashley is also a recent graduate of the Art4Healing Certificate Program offered through Brandman University-Chapman University System.

Local businesses and friends of Art & Creativity for Healing donated 110 auction items for “Palette of Colors: Hollywood Confidential,” including fine art, jewelry, travel, beauty and spa items, and more. Live auction items included a one-week stay in a two-bedroom, two-bath ocean view condo on the island of Maui, donated by Art & Creativity for Healing HeARTs for Healing Guild member Sharleen Baker, which sold for $2,500 to supporters Rebecca Haughland and

Patti Messerschmitt and Sue Stinson, auction co-chairs with Laurie Zagon

Kendra Poteet; a ride on the Goodyear Blimp, donated by Just Tires, Laguna Hills, was auctioned off for $4,000 to supporter Jim Stinson; and, a cruise on a Duffy Boat in Newport Harbor donated by Sue Stinson and Patti Messerschmitt, with lunch sponsored by the Corner Bakery, which was purchased by long-time supporter Markus Bohi for $1,500.

Sandy and Marcus Bohi

Event sponsors included Irvine Health Foundation and Sandra and Markus Bohi (Ruby Red); and Michelle Whiting & Associates (Cool Blue). Sponsors at the “Lucky Green” level include Brain Therapeutics Medical Clinic; Kirsten and Ted Aston; Alexis Denny; Jackie Fairney; Amber and Don Houchen; Erica and Nick Jones; Michelle and John Kay; Andi and Richard Mandel; Colleen McCallion; Patti and John Messerschmitt; Mission Viejo Emergency Medical – Mission Hospital; and, Sue and Jim Stinson.

Art & Creativity for Healing covers all administrative costs through revenue from its teacher training programs, 100 percent of the funds raised at the 2010 “Palette of Colors: Hollywood Confidential” will be used to support free Art & Creativity for Healing workshops for children including the “Art for Healing for Heroes and their Families” at Camp Pendleton; Families and Community Together Orange County, a partnership between Orange County Social Services Agency and Orangewood Children’s Foundation; and, Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC).

Since February 2010, we have been providing weekly workshops for wounded warriors with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and I thought I would share this letter from Dr. Kim, in order to demonstrate what a positive impact this program has had on the traumatized soldiers.

The “Healing for Heroes and their Families” initially began at San Onofre Elementary School, located on the northern tip of Camp Pendleton. The program now serves military families at both the San Onofre and Santa Marguerita Elementary schools; spouses of deployed military personnel at on-base community centers; and veterans with Brain Injury Trauma (BIT) at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego.

The purpose of the “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program is to assist military personnel and their families in processing their personal journey using collage, journaling and painting. Each year, Art & Creativity for Healing serves nearly 1,200 military personnel and their families through this program.

After a recent workshop at the Naval Medical Center, Jim Gonzales, Soldier Family Assistance Center Specialist commented “Recently, Art4Healing 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.”

“Our workshops help military personnel and their families use color, paint and abstract expression to not only depict the tough times they are currently experiencing, and also remember the good times they have already shared with the parent or spouse who is currently serving overseas,” said Laurie Zagon, Founder/Director, Art & Creativity for Healing, Inc. “As this remarkable program has grown, we are now working not only with the children and families of our nation’s heroes, but we also offer special programming designed to meet the needs of military families that have one or more family members dealing with special educational needs, and special needs of enlisted men and women who are working through war-related experiences.”

To date, the “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program has received funding from the Employees Community Fund of Boeing California through a $50,000 Crystal Vision Award; Leo Buscaglia Foundation; The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation; The Orange County Community Foundation’s Veteran’s Fund; and, Vons Foundation.

“We are grateful that these organizations recognize the value of the ‘Healing for Heroes and their Families’ program. Due to the tremendous demand for our workshops at the base, and the success we have achieved thus far, we are in the process of seeking out donations from foundations, corporations and the local community, so that we may continue the program indefinitely,” continued Zagon.

The “Healing for Heroes and their Families” program will be featured in a presentation at the Military Child Education Coalition’s 12^th Annual Conference, to be held July 21-23, 2010 at the Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.

• 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!

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.

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.

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” 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.