ABSTRACT
Art therapy is a dialogue which services relationship formation, activism, and social change. Art therapists have described frameworks for viewing, experiencing, and creating art for the purpose of finding connection with the world, its people, and their art. Art therapy can contribute to social change by facilitating the activation of imagination and creativity and allowing participants (including both viewers and artists) to “step beyond” oppressive paradigms. Through this conscious mirroring of “held truth” in art, individuals can reconnect to hope and health. Art is a never-ending improvement process that moves society forward, engendering innovation through encouragement. Art, in its inception, depends upon introspection, but once externalized, art becomes a plea for empathy. Through the art or images they create, previously overlooked populations are now allowed not only to be seen, but also to be heard.
