Nami (ICC Student Staff Leader)
On December 7th, 2021, we held an online art therapy workshop event with the International Art Therapy and Color Psychology Association. As the name suggests, the association conducts art therapy activities utilizing color psychology to improve well-being. For this event, we had three therapists from the association who facilitated the workshop: Mr. Tamio Suenaga, representative director; Ms. Megumi Sakumoto, director; and Ms. Kayoko Manome, director.
Background and Objective
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt to an isolated and socially–distanced lifestyle. As a result, many people have difficulties and struggle mentally with the “new normal.” I am one of them. Ever since the pandemic, my insomnia and anxiety have gotten worse, which resulted in an unhealthy lifestyle. However, I am just one out of many students experiencing this. Many college students like me, especially freshmen, struggle because we have to study in isolation without real connection with peers.
In the wake of this pandemic, teletherapy has become one alternative in many countries to solve the problem. However, it is undeniable that therapy is still relatively costly. Among many therapy methods that people choose to relieve stress and deal with anxiety, art therapy is one of the more accessible and affordable methods. One of the reasons is because it is a fun activity that can be done individually or in groups. The creative process of artmaking, not necessarily the result, is one of the reasons why it is considered an alternative healing method that enriches the lives of individuals and communities. Therefore, I wanted to create an opportunity for Waseda students to learn how art can be utilized as an alternative therapy method to relieve stress and improve wellbeing.
Event Planning Process
Overall, I think the planning and scheduling were smooth and efficient. There are many reasons behind this, but I will share three important points in this report. Firstly, I finished writing my proposal early, and I was able to find the perfect association to collaborate with quickly.
Secondly, I was blessed to partner with a responsive, cooperative, and professional association for this event. As a result, I was able to secure a date with my guest pretty early, which really helped because it gave me plenty of time to prepare and promote this event.
Thirdly, I found a suitable promotional method to attract the targeted audience for this event. I put a lot of effort in finding professors who are researching or teaching psychology or mental health in Waseda University. With the help of these professors and other promotional methods, we were able to attract people who do not usually participate in ICC events but were interested in this theme.
The Event
Presentation by Mr. Suenaga (Image by ICC)
We started the event with a short presentation on art therapy by Mr. Suenaga. He shared his insights as a color psychology researcher and art therapist. Mr. Suenaga talked about how color can be utilized as a medium to improve mental health, relieve stress, and ease anxiety for people of all ages. Through color, people can express their emotions and release their subconscious feelings, which gives a therapeutic effect that could also lead to better emotional control. Mr. Suenaga showed coloring pages by children who had experienced trauma. From his examples, participants could see how art and color helped those traumatized children express their emotions through art therapy.
After Mr. Suenaga’s presentation, we moved on to the main activity: the art therapy workshop, followed by a Q&A session. The workshop lasted for about an hour, where participants got to talk with one of the three art therapists in their breakout room. Before the event, we asked every participant to color and submit their own coloring pages provided by the International Art Therapy and Color Psychology Association. Mr. Suenaga, Ms. Sakumoto, and Ms. Manome analyzed the submitted coloring pages and gave feedback to each participant during the workshop. Because every participant worked on the coloring page beforehand, we feel it helped to create a friendly and safe environment where participants could comfortably share their feelings and talk about their experience.
After the workshop, we had a short Q&A where the participants were given a chance to ask further questions and deepen their understanding about the workshop. We received interesting questions from the participants who seemed deeply interested in art therapy and mental health, such as the psychological explanation behind people’s tendency to use certain colors. At the end of the event, many participants thanked Mr. Suenaga, Ms. Sakumoto, and Ms. Manome directly and in the post-event survey for their excellent talk and art therapy session.
Challenges
I proposed this event before COVID. However, I could not do it for two reasons. First, other staff thought that the theme of this event did not resonate with ICC’s vision and mission. Second, I got too busy with internships and other things. In other words, it was not good timing. When I finally found the perfect timing, I decided to give it a shot and proposed this event again. Thankfully, this time, other staff understood the importance of this topic and its relevance to our vision and mission. Sometimes, your idea gets rejected not because it is not significant but simply because of the timing. Therefore, I learned that before submitting an event proposal, I also have to consider the timing and see how my idea fits the current narrative.
Reflection
In addition to giving the chance for participants to experience art therapy, my goal for this event was to raise awareness of the importance of taking care of our mental health and well-being by encouraging students to address, explore, and communicate their emotions. I also wanted to provide an opportunity for students to learn from each other by dividing them in groups, instead of one-on-one sessions. From the post-event survey, we received some interesting comments: “I learned a lot from listening to other people’s analysis,” and “I felt like I understood myself a little more by looking at other people’s coloring pages.” Although it is difficult to measure the result in numbers, looking at the comments, I think we achieved the objective of this event. I also hope that students who participated became more aware of their subconscious feelings and remember that color and art are always there to help them express those suppressed emotions.
This was my first online workshop, as well as my last event at the ICC before graduating. Looking back, I had to face many obstacles and challenges that gave me valuable lessons. Regardless of the problem, I prioritized the participants and their experience in every decision I made. I’m deeply grateful for the precious opportunity to hold this event and for every person who kindly helped me realize it.
Guest Speakers and Participants (Image by ICC)
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Please see our Instagram post (requires login) about the event!
