Our two facilitators used Inner Self-Portraits during a group session with pregnant and postpartum teenage parents at a local high school we work with. These students have had difficulty with balancing their identities as students, teenagers, friends, and now parents, so the hope was this workshop would help them to dig deeper and learn more about who they truly are.

The students were given the options of using collage materials or drawing their own artwork. One particular student created a faceless portrait which she described as her inner self feeling “misunderstood, damaged, and confused.” She wrote of her inner self, You are an angel with broken wings. Will you ever understand me? Your childhood wasn’t your fault. This was a beautiful step for this student to begin to recognize and heal from past traumas and how they impact her perception of self today.

Another student created her artwork with colors, scribbles, and drawings. She wrote to her inner self, You are selfless, drained, and happy. She also wrote, I don’t feel like I know my inner self as much as I should. Keep trying because you’ve come so far to give up now. She concluded with a message to her inner self, I’ve been here for a long time. I never gave up on you.

These students were able to begin to get in touch with their inner selves and recognize patterns of self-talk. This workshop was a great activity to introduce the concept of self-identity, which they will continue to focus on for the remainder of their group.