The Overview
The Art Therapy Project is a nonprofit providing group art therapy in a safe inclusive space for people in need of mental health services. Clients feel connected and inspired while exploring their personal journeys, increasing their self-awareness, and improving their quality of life. I began volunteering for The Art Therapy Project in Dec 2023 and have loved being their freelance designer!
The Problem
The Art Therapy project is in need of volunteers to help with their social platforms, campaigns, blog posts, banners, social engagement and awareness, UX/UI, and the 2024 Spring Spectacular!
The Solution
I volunteered to help out with all the tools and skills I have in my toolbelt! My main task was to report to/work with Rebecka in order to help create illustrations, banners, social posts, and artwork, as well as help her with revamping the UX/UI of the website and upgrade the blog posts.
Meet The Team!
Snowflake Circle Prompt - Social Post
This was the first post that I had worked on with Rebecka and was quite memorable. I didn't yet know what I could offer her or The Art Therapy Project and wanted to do my best. I was really happy to see my post go live and to see that I was aiding in bringing in new people to the website. I'm happy to have found TATP and have grown a lot as a designer since this first social post!
Art Therapy Week - Social Posts
This social carousel was created to celebrate different therapeutic modalities and the therapists partnered with TATP that use them. Art therapy can come in many forms, such as music, dance, and drama, and it is not a one size fits all solution. It is my hope that others can see there might be other avenues of therapy that they can explore if others had not benefited them as much in the past. This social post ended up raising traffic to TATP's website and aided in garnering awareness which I was very proud of!
Designs On Illustrator & Live Post
Art Therapy Week Social Post Carousel
Spring Spectacular 2024 Fundraising Gala!
For the Spring Spectacular fundraiser I created painted tile artwork, with the prompt being "connection". My idea of connection ties back into Asian mythology of "The Red String Of Fate". The story goes that an invisible red string of fate connects those who are destined to be together. I wanted to show how an artist is inadvertently tied to their community- that it will always be their fate. Instead of a red string of fate, I decided to go with a red tablet cord as a nod to the mythology. On the screen is a display of many different people that the artist has encountered in their life. The artist's hand in this piece represents myself, but can be the viewer of the piece as well.
Mediums: Pencil, acrylic, Sakura Micron ink, pearlescent paint, watercolor paper, cork tile.
My Tile Illustration For Gala
The Art Therapy Project Social Posts About The Fundraiser!
Mental Health Awareness Month - Social Banners
This banner was inspired by the green Mental Health Awareness Month ribbon. I wanted to bring in the colors and imagery for spring, renewal, and nurturing through self care. Flowers go dormant during the winter but grow again when the seasons change. We may experience winters in our lifetimes, but we will see spring one day.
Illustration & Canva Process
Illustrator File In Outline Mode
Canva Page Layout With Type
Final Banner Design/ Layout
Mental Health Awareness Month Banner Long
Mental Health Awareness Month Banner Large
Banner On Social Media
Mental Health Awareness Month Banner On Facebook Desktop Site
Mental Health Awareness Month Banner On Facebook Mobile Site
The Art Therapy Project Impact To Date
To celebrate the impact TATP has had to date, we wanted to show the growth and those who were helped through art therapy. These were the numbers as of May 31st, 2024 and continue to grow!
Illustration, Final Canva Design, & Live Post
Impact To Date Illustrator Outline Mode
Impact To Date Instagram Post
Impact To Date Instagram Post Live
Pride Month 2024 Featured Artist - Edward Gorey
I am happy to say that I was the person who suggested this project to The Art Therapy Project and it had gone through! I thought a great way to represent the artistic side of the LGBTQIA+ community was to honor and celebrate the artists of queer past. I had chosen to represent Edward Gorey for this social post. He was an openly asexual artist who has continuously inspired others with his gothic style of art.
Pride Month 2024 - Slide 1
Pride Month 2024 - Slide 2
Pride Month 2024 - Slide 3
Pride Month 2024 - Slide 4
Pride Month 2024 - Slide 5
Mindful Rock Painting
The Art Therapy Project is always looking for new ways to get people involved creatively, and to find therapeutic practices right at home. One way to get engaged is mindful rock painting, which anyone can do regardless of age. This was a project in which Rebecka and I really teamed up on. I created the rock illustrations via Illustrator while she made everything more cohesive via Canva!
Mindful Rock Painting Slide 1
Mindful Rock Painting Slide 2
Mindful Rock Painting Slide 3
Mindful Rock Painting Slide 4
Mindful Rock Painting Slide 5
Meet The Team!
With well wishes and a bittersweet goodbye, my fantastic Manager, Rebecka, left The Art Therapy Project to pursue the next step in her journey. In her place, Kate has joined TATP as the new Marketing Manager! Although Kate does work alongside me, my role is now more hands on compared to my time with Rebecka. Now as both a volunteer Art Director and Designer, I am tasked with creating more solo works while Kate handles more of the logistical parts of design. Here's to a new partnership and a great team!
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Banners & Social
These were the banners & Instagram social post I had created for Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. I originally wasn't sure how I would approach this project, as It was a really difficult topic and I didn't want any person to feel left out. To deter this, I opted for hands that shared the same colors as the awareness ribbon, so that way anyone could see themselves in the image. The hands have my signature style of watercolor textured inserts to bring some interest to the piece. This would be the first project with my new manager and the first in a succession of social and banner posts to come.
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Instagram Post
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Large Banner
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month Long Banner
Joyful Leaf Painting Instagram Carousel
As an ode to fall, what better way to celebrate and get creative than painting on leaves? This social carousel was mostly illustrated via Illustrator (hands & leaves) with some added elements from Canva.
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 1
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 2
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 3
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 4
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 5
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 6
Joyful Leaf Painting Slide 7
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
To raise awareness of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I helped in creating two banners and one Instagram post. I wanted to give a subtle nod to art therapy through paintbrush strokes rather than a ribbon. Due to the different purple swatches I saw online of the ribbon, I wanted to go for a gradient effect to build depth. I also wanted to display the pain that comes from violence through the sharp brushstrokes both in the ribbon and in the faded background textures. Overall this project was a harder one for me to tackle because I wasn't sure how to approach such a sensitive topic. If I were to come back to this project or represent this month again, I would want to focus on Domestic "Survivor" instead of violence, to shed light on the strength of those who have been affected.
Something To Note:Â
My marketing manager had changed up the Instagram post, so the design I had created is not the one on the live post. Instead my ribbon is in the top right as a logo. The banners I had created were used, although the longer one was also tweaked.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Instagram Post
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Large Banner
Domestic Violence Awareness Month Long Banner
World Mental Health Day
Since this concept was so similar to Mental Health Awareness Month, I wanted to create a design that stood out in a different way. I decided to go for a more elegant design, while still showing the idea of spring, nurturing oneself, and renewal. This time I also opted to go for generic faces that could represent anyone, and also wanted to include symbols of art throughout the piece. In order to represent the colors of TATP's brand, I chose watercolor splashes in the background which also mimic flowers. My manager animated the social post via Canva and added on her section which can be seen in the live post!
World Mental Health Day Mobile View Email Newsletter
World Mental Health Day Desktop View Email Newsletter
World Mental Health Day Instagram Post
World Mental Health Day Large Banner
World Mental Health Day Long Banner
Veterans & Military Families Appreciation Month
This was a different request compared to all the projects I had created fro TATP. I had never worked on anything military related and was lost as to how to represent this while coming across as respectful and also ensuring that everyone would be represented. I decided to go with silhouettes to represent different kinds of families, and also wanted a pattern in the background of stars to tie back into the flags. I also made sure to go with a textured American flag in order to bring back some artsy elements. This project was taken to Facebook and Linkedin, as well as TATP email newsletter. My Instagram post was instead replaced with some wonderful mosaic artwork created by a group of female veterans, led by therapists working with TATP!
