Disclosure statement:
These captions and art pieces are created by a current client at Trauma Counseling. Please be aware of your own triggers before viewing the art pieces. These pieces are intended to increase ptsd/truama awareness and normalize the symptoms that may come along with ptsd/truama through art work. All artwork is subject to copyright by the artist who created the art.
Artist statement:
I do this type of artwork as a way to get out of my head, so I'm not trapped or stuck in my own thoughts. It's also to show others that it's not abnormal to have these thoughts, or images, or memories. My type of artwork I feel normalizes the trauma responses people can have. I want to show others that art is a great coping skill and you don't have to be an established artist to make art. For me when I'm having dissociation's or flashbacks, to grab a piece of chalk or oil pastel helps to externalize my current trauma response and this aspect is important to my healing process with artwork.
Title: "The land of PTSD"
A poetry piece expressing the struggles of having PTSD
Title: "Through whose eyes"
Medium: pencil
This piece is about the symptom of dissociation. At times dissociation can seem like you are looking and living life as a back seat passenger looking out from your own eyes.
Title: "Life is a continuous and honorable process."
Medium: sharpie, pencil, and shredded SI note
This piece is about my struggles with suicidal ideations in the past, with this piece I honored my past negative places and realized those thoughts were serving me a purpose at that point and time. Today I realize that back then, they were a place of escape for me. Through this piece I was able to recognize that these thoughts came with a great deal of shame and embarrassment and sharing I had these types of thought with others, has helped me heal from these pattern thoughts
Title: "Circulating thoughts"
Medium: mixed media
Mandala art can be a spiritual and ritual symbol representing the universe. The circular designs symbolizes the idea that life is never ending and everything is connected. The mandala also represents spiritual journey within the individual viewer
Title: "Trapped within the darkness of my brain"
Medium: canvas and oil pastels
This piece represents the madness mental health struggles one may face . The darkness seems all too consuming and like there is no way out.
Title: "I feel like everyone's watching me"
Medium: Sharpie on paper
This piece represents a common symptom of ptsd, which is hyper vigilance. It feels like no matter where you are somebody is always watching you. It feels like all eyes are on you.
Title: "PTSD rag doll"
Medium: pencil on sketch paper
When my trauma took over my life and had me grasped in its claws like the lifeless rag doll it turned me into
Title: "Tree of life"
Medium: collage and watercolor
This tree represents life and how somehow or another, it is always connected to the roots. And yet our entire lives being so deeply enrooted within our own roots, we can still can grow. We still can grow.
