social media’s role in cultivating art therapy connection, community, & creativity

Social Media’s Role in Cultivating Art Therapy Connection, Community, &

CreativityGretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S

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What is Social Media?

The term Social Media refers to the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue.

Enabled by accessible communication techniques, social media substantially changed communication between organizations, communities, as well as individuals all over the world.

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

#Connection

LinkedIn is a social networking site related to ones career, profession, business, and work activity.

Some Highlights:•Build a network of connections within the art therapy community and with other professionals, projects, groups;

•Showcase a resume like profile highlighting your work, community, educational, and professional experiences;

•Join groups that relate to professional interests & topics;

•Receive and provide recommendations based on experiences.

www.linkedin.com

The world’s most used social networking site

•Facebook provides a dynamic & instant global connection for staying connected to friends, family, colleagues, current events and news through status updates, shared photos, pages, groups, games links, videos, & more.

www.facebook.com

“Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based

messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets".”

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter

Pinterest is now the third most-popular social network in the U.S., behind Facebook and Twitter. (Mashable, 2012). Pinterest is a virtual pinboard social photo sharing site that allows

users to create and manage theme-based image collections. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, 're-pin' images to their own collections or 'like' photos. Pinterest's mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting via a

global platform of inspiration and idea sharing.

Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest

Advantages of Social Mediafor the Art Therapist:

• Decreases sense of isolation

• Provides support

• Connect & meet with new professionals and experts in the field

• Become more involved with the field and art therapy community

#Community

Benefits & Value of Online Art Collaborations & Communities for Art Therapists

•Global networking among art therapists & students

•Empowers art-making & well-being

•Creates inspiration and hope

•Facilitates connection and a sense of community

•Decreases isolation

•Learning opportunity and awareness

Role of Social Media in Online Collaborations

• Promotion and Participation

• Administration, Photo, & Video Sharing

• Participant Sharing & Blogging

• Project Archiving

#Creativity

Chilton, G., Gerity, L., LaVorgna-Smith, M., & MacMichael, H.N. (2009)An Online Art Exchange Group: 14 Secrets for a Happy Artist’s Life. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association 26 (2). 66-72.

Online art communities create:•Structure•Support•Expression•Generosity•Gratitude

•Role of Liberation•Empowerment•Power of support: exchanging art & creative gifts•Motivation & accountability

Additional Considerations:•Social media becoming more visual: more photo, video, and image sharing: i.e. Pinterest, Instagram popularity

•Access is moving from the web to become more mobile with smartphones and apps

•Social media self-care & balance, ethical considerations and conduct

The Art Therapy Alliance is an on-line community founded in 2008 as an effort to embrace social media and connection for promoting

art therapy, the work of art therapists, and build community.

The Art Therapy Alliance network manages groups, disseminates news, promotes art collaborations, and more related to the field of art therapy through social networking, blogs, community projects,

and its website.

Join the Art Therapy Alliance Network:

• Facebook: facebook.com/ArtTherapyAlliance

• LinkedIn Groups: tinyurl.com/arttherapylinkedin

• Pinterest: pinterest.com/arttxalliance

• Twitter: twitter.com/arttxalliance

• On the Web: arttherapyalliance.org

Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S | info@arttherapyalliance.org