” I find the art making process, with its humble simple components, to hold the profound ability to curate a needed safe space for humanity to access their hearts and it’s healing. With great joy, I, from a processes of embracing my love for people and my own healing continually through art making, formed trauma informed art workshops that continue to grow and touch lives all over the world today. Beginning the workshops in New York City, I then took them out to cities in nations needing to access hope for restoration in a tangible way. Here, the community explores possibilities of wholeness together. ”
– Carrie Swim, 2022
TRAUMA INFORMED ART WORKSHOPS
Beginning out of my own art studio, I began facilitating my trauma informed workshops incorporating dance as well as finger painting, yes finger painting! I found taking away the brush also helped take away a mentality of performance and with the increased tactile experiences of paint to hand and canvas or paper, the participants felt more connected. The workshops varied from offering an experience to help process difficult life events within and beyond our control to simply exploring the landscapes or our own hearts, examining how we show up daily through color, movement, and form.
Long Island City, NY
Paint Can Studios , 2017
Arcidosso, Italy
July 2015
Respiro Artist Residency
As apart of my Artist Residency program called Respiro, established by New York based artist Myra Cargo, I lead a body painting workshop in Aricidosso, Italy with residence of a local commune. Most participants being from various nations United by a spirit of adventure and exploration, the workshop offered a grounding experience to connect more to their current place and the often hidden messages of the heart.
Soddo, Ethiopia
2019 December
Soddo Christian Hospital
I had the honor of working with local women employees of Soddo Christian Hospital under the medical missionary couple, Alice and Mark Karnes. Mark joyfully serves as a very gifted and kind OBGYN with the unwavering support of his wife, Alice, as she runs several different entrepreneurial activities to help give back to the community including providing jobs for the women that I also served. These women have seen and overcome great trials, many including deaths of family members due to war or other circumstances. All of these women did not have the opportunity to paint, or even think of giving space to process their trauma in such an intentional way. I did not speak their language, however the language of the heart unified us all, as I lead them (with a wonderful translator) through processing their grief and loss by identifying their emotions with color and form on a page. We then concluded the time by noticing what new messages of hope we received and activating that through song and dance in our bodies.
Boys Orphanage of Rosenberg, Texas
2020 through 2021 with Beautiful Feet Studio
Precious young boys that have face the difficult realities of traumas at a young age are thankful to express and celebrate the gift of who they are through the arts. I partnered with Beautiful Feet Studios founded by Kalette Alspaugh to do meaningful trauma informed art workshops monthly (as often as we could) that incorporated high level art skills for various ages.
Mothers and Special Needs children camp outside of Armenia
August 2021
Mothers escape much hardship and persecution brought on towards their children with special needs into a place of deep acceptance, celebration, and healing. I facilitated and lead trauma informed art workshops with great honor and gratitude in my heart. The children lead the way for vulnerability and hope as I first conducted the workshop for them before doing one for their mothers. The children’s workshop focused on the heart, assigning colors to four key and different emotions we feel, and how those emotions show up and interact with each other today in that moment. Some children expressed memories connected to each emotion, while others found new emotions of joy, hope, or peace coming to the surface. They showed such courage to be seen and heard! The parents let their children’s courage open their narratives like a key, exploring memories and hopes through color and form with tears of hope.
A painted and proud high five between teacher and student celebrates new beginnings at a new school in the beautiful farmer’s town of Armenia near the Azerbaijani border in Armenia during a time of tension and active attack. NO ROOM FOR FEAR ONLY LOVE.
I was invited to do a mural project with students of a newly built school in this beautiful farmers town. I did not know what to expect safety wise with active threats of war. Hours before arriving, a village near by was taken under siege. However, blessedly, active fire never reached the school while I was there… We completed three murals with symbols that held historical meaning for Armenians of identity, hope, healing, and life.