When I saw the headline "Using Crayons To Exorcise Katrina" in the health section of the New York Times, I was interested. In almost every psychological thriller I've seen- The Ring and The Sixth Sense, to name a couple- I see the messed-up kid drawing a distorted image of something in their life. So, I wanted to know if this was what the article was about. And essentially it was...
The article talks about how a traditional house with a pointy roof, a square body, and boxed in windows and a door is a common piece of art drawn by kids.
Artwork by kids affected by Hurricane Katrina, however, is a little different. Karla Leopold, an art therapist from California, noticed that these children were drawing the house as a triangle- the house morphed from a place of safety to one that focused on the roof.
The drawings are coming out of art sessions conducted at the Renaissance Village- a large trailer park for Katrina evacuees, in Baker, Louisiana.
Therapists assert that these drawings illustrate the anxiety, fear, and trauma that has resulted from the whole experience of Hurricane Katrina.
Art therapists use the creative process to help their clients increase insight and judgment, cope with stress, work through traumatic experiences, increase cognitive abilities, have better relationships with family and friends, and to just be able to enjoy life more.
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