These drawings were created by a participant who sought services due to a history of family violence. For this participant, I used inspiration from the Touchstone Journey and The Monster in Me workshops. For this piece, a single pencil became a tool for profound discovery of the self.

In the initial drawing, the participant described how the shy figure not showing her face represented who she was before therapy. It was the part that was afraid to speak up and defend herself against abuse because she feared the outcome.

As her drawing progressed, the graphite began to take on a new energy. The queen figure she said represented the person she found through therapy and art. She shared that art has been a powerful healer in this journey, and a source of connection with her granddaughter, whom she is teaching to be empowered and resilient.

“It reminded me that I was once elected queen in my town,” she shared. “Something I had completely forgotten, and through this artwork I remembered.”

As we are wrapping up, she has been extremely thankful for these types of workshops because of the difference they have made in her healing journey. 

For me, the most striking element of this artistic process wasn’t just the artwork itself, but the restoration of memory. Through the process of creating, she reconnected with a forgotten memory and her inherent worth.