Tish McAllise Sjoberg invites you to creatively and fearlessly paint, dance, act, play music and write poetry to laud five years of artistic \u2014 and healing \u2014 breakthroughs on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Expressive Arts Studio @ 32nd & Thorn.<\/p>\n
Prepare to saturate pages with windswept shapes and kaleidoscope colors; perform music with seasoned musicians; dance like no one\u2019s watching; write the poetry of your heart-song; and witness the drama of \u201cwhat\u2019s yours\u201d through Playback Theatre, all in the name of Expressive Arts Therapy.<\/p>\n So what is Expressive Arts Therapy (ExA) and how does it work? According to Sjoberg, an Expressive Arts therapist and owner of the North Park studio, ExA Therapy taps into visual art, music, drama, dance and poetry as a basis for discovery, healing and transformation. Therapy models work through grievances including illness, trauma, divorce and death. Art becomes a release, a respite, a way to communicate and unblock fear, and a pathway to reconnect with one\u2019s artistic self.<\/p>\n \u201cExpressive Arts Therapy is rooted in arts versus psychology,\u201d Sjoberg said. \u201cAlthough we [Expressive Arts therapists] are trained to work within the medical model, we focus on creative expression. We feed souls, nurture hearts and reduce stress through the language of art. We help those in survival mode to see the world through a creative lens to integrate beauty into their everyday lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike some forms of art therapy, ExA Therapy doesn\u2019t interpret or add meaning to one\u2019s art. Formal training is not required. There are no parameters, restrictions or judgments placed on artistic expression in any medium. Sjoberg remained adamant that students must be given a safe space to explore with no fear of critique.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t teach art,\u201d the North Park resident said. \u201cI provide a safe place to experiment. I give students the tools \u2014 no one is hung out to dry \u2014 to build creative confidence. I encourage everyone to follow their own longings and pleasures in art and life<\/em> so they can find their own style and medium.\u201d<\/p>\n Sjoberg explained that Expressive Art Therapy offers a rich vocabulary to explore the tenants of work and play while tapping into the resources within to love living one\u2019s life.<\/p>\n \u201cClasses initiate art as expressions of joy, grief, gratitude, anxiety, passion, pain and inspiration,\u201d she said. \u201cArt becomes a space to explore opportunities to create change and grow our artist self if we choose. We title our artwork and talk about the challenges and woo-hoo moments without critique. The final product becomes an explanation of the resources that kept us going when we stepped up to the page and didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n No stranger to grief, Sjoberg used the death of her mother, father and beloved dog within a six-month timeframe as a catalyst to Expressive Arts Therapy. The graduate of the Expressive Arts Institute of San Diego became an avid painter and visual artist to honor the anniversary of her mother\u2019s death by challenging herself to \u201c365 Days of Art.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Tish](\"https:\/\/sduptownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Tish-McAllise-Sjobergweb.jpg\")
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