Student Profile: Carrie Tillett-Saks

Name: Carrie Tillett-Sak, 23
Hometown: Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How long have you been in the program? I have been in this program for a year and a half.

How did you hear about Art Therapy? I heard about Art Therapy in high school. My friend’s mom, Lori Vance, was an art therapist. She knew I was into the arts in high school, but I built a stronger relationship with her once I was in college. Four or five summers ago, I emailed Lori to tell her I was looking for a summer job in Milwaukee and if she knew of any to let me know. She hooked me up with Our Next Generation, which is an after school non profit organization in Milwaukee that works with under privledged youth. They hired me as the Art Camp Counselor for their summer program. I worked with a classroom of eight and nine year olds for the summer, making art, planning field trips and parades, having reading time, and other fun summer activities. It was both terrifying and exciting. We took a few field trips to Express Yourself Milwaukee, which is where we created a lot of art. Seeing these students create and express themselves really inspired me to, and essentially made me want to dedicate my life to art therapy with at risk youth.

What qualities do you think make a good therapist? Empathy is one of the most important qualities of an art therapist. You must be able to understand the situations and disabilities of a lot of the clients we serve. Flexibility is also very important. Sometimes I forget that not every art directive will work with every client. People are unique; their treatment should be as well. And of course, in the spirit of still being in grad school, hard work is very important. We cannot serve populations if we do not understand their disability and symptoms. It is our responsibility as mental health providers to keep up to date on clinical diagnoses and modern treatment techniques.

What inspires you? As cheesy as this may be, a lot of my classmates inspire me. Seeing some of the amazing things they are doing, and the dedication they have to improving the field, makes me want to get more and more involved. They are only graduate students, but I feel lie some of them are aiming to truly change the field and improve the quality of art therapy we provide. Some people’s passion is amazing.

Why did you choose FSU for your program of study? The first thing that caught my eye about the FSU art therapy program was their dedication to social justice. I was first drawn to art therapy because it gave me an opportunity to help, in a way that I knew how, those who needed help but probably wouldn’t receive it due to socioeconomic status. That the FSU program highlighted social justice meant a lot to me. The second thing that drew me to FSU was their personal touch. Even before I was accepted, the staff was very helpful and receptive to me.

Any Advice for future art therapy students? Dream big. Do not doubt the process. Take on a lot and accomplish a lot. Yes, those are all clichés, but they are important ones.

Veterans x Art Therapy

Check out this blog post from FSU ATA President Rachel Mims.

Day One at Scare At The Square

See more photos here.

FSU Art Therapy x Gretchen Everhart

Check out an article and photos  from the special event organized by FSU ATA member Jaimie Burkewitz  at Painting with a Twist for Gretchen Everhart students!

Student Profile: Rachel Mims

Who?   Rachel Mims, 32

Hometown?  I grew up in Arlington, TX.  I have, however, lived all over the world!  After two years of undergraduate study I enlisted in the U.S. Army.  I spent 10 years in the Army and lived in Germany, South Korea, Texas, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. 

How long have you been in the program?   I started the program in August 2012!

How did you hear about Art Therapy?   I first heard about art therapy when completing an assignment in my abnormal psychology class.  As part of the assignment we had to go look at a website that listed different occupations.  I searched for “art” and looked at every job title that contained it and found art therapy!  After very little investigation I knew that art therapy was what I was meant to do!  I continued researching it and my initial feeling was confirmed!!

What qualities do you think make a good therapist?  A good therapist is someone that actually cares about helping others. The desire and passion for improving the lives of others is what motivates someone to stay current in the field and to find the best possible treatments for their clients. 

What inspires you?   What inspires me are those moments when you can clearly see the art therapy working.  I am doing my internship at Gadsden Correctional Facility this semester.  A prison is without a doubt a great place to see the impact that therapy can have.  I am inspired on a daily basis. 

Why did you choose FSU for your program of study?  I initially looked at FSU because my significant other was from Florida.  Years later, after that relationship was long over, I still could not get FSU out of my mind!  The program looked great and the school was affordable!  As a veteran I knew that I would need a school that I could afford using only my GI Bill; FSU certainly fit that bill.  Once I visited the campus I knew FSU was where I was supposed to be – I could feel it!  I am without a doubt grateful that I had the wisdom to listen to my intuition. 

What is it that you desire to do with your degree in art therapy?  My hope is to work for the Department of Veterans Affairs as an art therapist.  I want to provide art therapy to veterans.  I also hope to conduct research so that I can demonstrate how powerful art therapy is as a treatment for veterans.

What types of things have you done with FSU Art Therapy Association?  I am the current President of the FSU Art Therapy Association.  I have participated in past community service events providing art therapy at Big Bend Homeless Shelter, the Homeless Veteran Standdown, and local events aimed at raising community awareness about mental health.  I also worked on the 7 Days of Opening Nights mural and have volunteered a few times at First Friday. 

Are you involved in other areas of campus life?  I sure am!  I am the Creative Arts Consultant and Community Service Representative for the FSU Collegiate Veterans Association, I am a group fitness instructor at the campus recreation center, and I was just selected to become a member of Garnet & Gold Key!

Any Advice for future art therapy students?  Graduate school is not easy, but it is entirely worth it.  You get to learn fascinating things and you have the opportunity to begin helping people in your community.  You can still participate in on-campus activities and you can certainly make life-long friends with the other students in your class. 

Upcoming Events

Friday, 25 October at 5-7pm - Trick-Org-Treat at FSU's Haunted Harvest.  This is happening at the FSU Student Union. 

Saturday, 26 October 4-8pm & Sunday, 27 October 2-6pm - Scare at the Square at Railroad Square.  We will be doing a fun Halloween themed art activity and have postcards  to sell. The money goes towards helping us pay for Spring Workshop!!

Stop by and say hi! We will have art activities for attendees!

Creative Workshop x Veterans

Check out this article about a Creative Workshop held in September for Veterans. It was the inspiration of Ph.D candidate Meredith McMackin.

Check out Art Therapy: The Movie

"Art Therapy: The Movie is a feature documentary about the innovative ways art is being used around the world to overcome emotional challenges and traumatic experiences" created by Alfonso Bui.  They recently surpassed their kickstarter goal of 20,000. We are really excited! The film is scheduled to be in theaters Spring 2014. For more information on Art Therapy: The Movie go to http://www.arttherapythemovie.com/.

Annie Draper: Perspective of a Non-Traditional Student

When I arrived at orientation for FSU’s graduate art therapy program in the fall of 2012, I asked myself, “What have I done?”. I was a 33-year-old mother of two, who had been out of school for ten years. Going into the program, I assumed that I would find other “non-traditional” students like me – older adults who had been in the work force for a while who wanted a career change, or parents who had taken time to raise their kids first, before pursuing higher education. It was a little disheartening to learn that all of my classmates were younger than me, that none of them were married, and that only one had a child.

Annie and her husband with their children

I felt overwhelmed and alone. As a mother, I had learned to rely on other moms who understood what I was going through in order to get through tough parenting moments. I had surrounded myself with a great group of similar people who I could rely on for support. What was I supposed to do in a group of twenty-somethings? I figured that they would all be out partying on the weekends, while I would be home, catching up on laundry, changing diapers, and reading textbooks.

Misconceptions about my classmates quickly dissipated as they transformed into my biggest allies. After a couple of weeks of classes, I remarked to my husband that I was impressed by the range of experiences and knowledge that each student brought to the table. Class discussions weren’t just shallow regurgitation of what we had read. Rather, each person related the texts to their life experiences, which were much more than school and partying. There was a level of maturity in the group that is rare among most people in their early twenties. Most importantly, everyone shared a passion for art therapy and a drive to give their future clients the best care possible.

Rather than forming cliques, the class solidified as a whole. Each person was accepted and welcomed. Rather than getting annoyed when I would share an anecdote from my past work experience, my classmates would engage me in conversation and take my contribution to heart. When there were social outings planned and I couldn’t make it because of my kids, the group invited my whole family to participate. I’m not saying that everyone in the group did everything together all of the time. Some special friendships have formed between certain people. However, there was an overall sense of unity, of respect, and of support that I have not found in many other groups.

Besides the acceptance and encouragement my classmates gave me, I was also impressed by the support I received from my professors. They would often check in on me, asking how I was managing the workload and inviting me to stop by their offices if I needed to talk. They understood when my kids were sick and I had to stay home with them. One time, the class had to visit an off-campus site for an assignment. My babysitter fell through and I ended up bringing my two-month old along with me. Rather than getting upset, my professor said she was glad that I could make it.

It has not been easy to get back into study mode and to manage my time between classes, internship, and family. However, the support that I have received from my classmates and professors has made the transition successful. Besides having a great academic program, FSU’s art therapy department has a human quality that meets students where they are and enables them professionally and emotionally to excel as art therapists. For any other “non-traditional” students out there, I can confidently recommend FSU as a place where they will be welcomed and supported, no matter what unique needs they may have.—Annie Draper, Second Year Art Therapy Master's Student

First Friday, October 4th

Last Friday, FSU ATA participated in First Friday. First Friday is a monthly gallery crawl with food and entertainment in Railroad Square.

Class of 2014 wearing masks they created in Therapeutic Use of Art Materials

Welcome to the FSU Art Therapy Association's Student Blog

Welcome to the Florida State University Student Art Therapy Association blog. Here you'll find student essays, our latest pictures, news, and updates about our group. Visit us regularly to see what we're up to.