Last year, I had the privilege of facilitating an art therapy group in Singapore Prison. The journey of witnessing art's transformative power to foster change and hope has been deeply moving. Working alongside inmates who were determined to change their lives gave me the courage to address areas in my own life that needed breakthroughs.
Recently, I shared this experience in an article published in the Journal of the American Art Therapy Association. Due to confidentiality, I paralleled the inmates' powerful and poignant expressions with my own art and poetry. My hope is that this work will shine a light on the extraordinary spirit of resilience, humanity, and restoration that flourishes within the prison walls.
"Even though therapy was ending, members attempted
more ambitious works, including collaborative pieces and
artworks of a larger scale. The collective working, witnessing,
gazing, and holding seemed to restore vitality to the
group, despite the uncertainties of their future. Members
had a newfound sense of identity and purpose, no longer
defined solely by their status as prison inmates but as
young adults with goals and dreams. There was a palpable
sense of hope to begin again."
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