Samantha Hanson, LPC, ATR, Clini-Coach®

All posts by Sammi Jean

Minion overload
I have to start with, I have not seen Despicable Me 2!   But I helped a dear friend with her card business and was able to make my own card in return for my momma.  Please check out her blog here! http://craftypawsbytrisha.blogspot.com/?m=1
She has an Etsy account with many awesome cards for a variety of situations, including option for custom designs and have more on the way!
  I took many pictures from this experience because in this blog, as I stress that the process of creating is healing, (in this case it may have caused more headaches from the repetition and tiny details which were each individually added with variety of adhesives), but still it was entertaining and provided a distraction to our conversation!   Plus, they were so darned cute, I learned something new, and we decided since I have an interest in card making, she and I will be hosting an expressive arts card making art therapy workshop!   So, we both will gain experience leading a group, teaching something new, and introducing a basic form of art therapy to people in an exciting way that can be shared with others (a relaxing card workshop, where people can make cards to give to others, perhaps for the holidays?)  Anyway, more details to come, enjoy the images and my friend’s blog! (link above, if it doesn’t work, please comment to let me know!)
Finished minions!
minion army!
front
inside
I wrote thank you for being here for me under the snail and tree, mom loved the
custom designed card!
Latest projects
Hi all!  So, as you can see, I’ve been pretty busy.  And obviously don’t know how to use this with both pictures and text, so please forgive me!   I have decided in between job hunting to meet some goals.  I watched videos on grooming and groomed our dog!   I learned how to use my drop spindle to spin roving into yarn, which will go to my loom kit, and then will spin my good roving into regular project yarn.
  My and dad’s garden is in full swing!  Lots of small strawberries, and my grape vine, pepper plants, tomato and cucumber plants all have things growing, hopefully will be ready to harvest soon cause it all smells SOO good. I also learned how to make socks and have been working on my portraits.  Once my confidence goes up on my drawings, I will totally get them online!
So, I have to vent.  The other day one of my aunts (not close to) made a comment about the socks and knitting I’ve been working on.  And giggled since I can just go buy socks or yarn.   Someday I hope to have my own art therapy studio, and I need to know these skills.  Fiber art can be very relaxing, and it is becoming a lost art.  I someday want a large loom and spinning wheel to teach others.  This is what I explained to her and to others.  Plus buying roving (processed wool) and spinning, while time consuming is so much cheaper!!! And fun to say that I made it.
Just keep swimming,,,just keep swimming…

I have been working on my portraits the last couple days, so I should soon have something to show!   I switched from basic sketch paper to nicer paper today, which requires a bit of an adjustment with the charcoal!  Thanks to my family and friends for allowing me to use their albums and photos to practice with :). It gives me a lot more variety as opposed to staring at my own photos on hours end!   I also am excited, because I found a new set of chalk pastels with both grey tones and skin tones for inexpensive price, so I can start incorporating color instead of only B&W!

Still no job offers, or responses.  I thought I had two potentials however no initial response or response to my inquiries :(.    Still sending in two or three resumes a week!  Soon though ill start driving around the area with resumes.  Here’s to hoping!
Officially done

I received my diploma!  School is officially done.  I have been applying to jobs with no luck, will be getting my FB page up soon thought to hopefully sell my work.  I just completed a project for my sister-in-law!

Part of my moving forward in health and over all life is trying to forgive and forget, and hope she complies.   Will post pics tomorrow!  Knitting and crocheting is a relaxing form of art for me (unless I hit knots and spend hours untying before I can continue the project). I also do embroidery and somewhat sew.   A new project I’ll be working on soon-is another t-shirt quilt!  I feel these types of art are 3D concrete forms of working through my anger anxieties (insert emotion here).  Embroidery is also like painting with thread.   The images words and colors all match what I need to express.

First step post grad

So, for anyone interested (I don’t get notified of comments through phone and haven’t checked my last entry) I have a new Facebook page!  “Samanthas fine art and portraiture” so far there are no images but I’m hoping to have albums up and figure out PayPal or Etsy (maybe both) by the end of the week.  Yay for parttime employment of sharing my talents!  Feel free to share my page with family and friends, I look forward to working with you!

Finished

So excited to be done.  Slowly destressing, feeling aches and pains come and go.  So glad I’m on my anxiety pills.  The difference is amazing.  No, I don’t feel drugged, but I can think and aren’t worrying all the time and get sleep!!!

I realized though that I posted my art pics but didn’t include a description.  They are the processing of moving forward.  My inner conflicts between the past pain and anxieties and discovering new things feelings and activities that I couldn’t do before. Discovering myself and being able to accept my past forgive and accept that I was given a second chance to move forward; and while moving forward is frightening it is also exciting!

I’m A Graduate!!!!!
I am finally done.  A graduate with a degree in Master of Science, art therapy/ counseling!!!!!!  The picture attached is from my art that made it into the senior show.
Moving back from east coast to Midwest was really long but enjoyable!  I had to give away a couple things from lack of room in vehicles (including canvases >. <) but that is a lesson learned. (Rummage sales and start selling work online!)
Needless to say, a goal of mine is to start my inactive Etsy account with my fine art(paintings), charcoal portraits potentially jewelry, prints (post card /poster of paintings or nature photography) relatively soon.  (Anyone interested the link will be posted somewhere for your use, please comment to show interest, not to sign up)
Ahhh so glad school is done, yet I’m still experiencing problems with it.  My research and grades.  Want to scream!!!!!!!!!!!!
But it’s over.  I was downgraded due to an assumption I wasn’t aware of; my director says I didn’t do actual research.  Bullshit!!!  Anyway, I will soon have transcripts and my diploma and am job hunting.
Mmmmm brownie in a mug recipe

Haven’t tried yet but want to

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons Flour

4 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cocoa powder (Note: don’t use cocoa mix or quik, it shouldn’t have any sugar)

2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil (Don’t use one with a strong flavor, e.g. olive, sesame, etc.)

2 Tablespoons Water

Dash of salt

Microwave mug for 1min.

The end is near

School is down to less than 30 days!  Homework is finally coming to a close and I’m so glad I’m on my new anxiety medication you all have no idea! My paintings are almost ready to be turned in, have to figure out how to hang and finish painting the edges *for a framed look*   will find out Thursday which are accepted and will post by Friday!

Expressive arts workshop

I went to a Connecticut annual counseling conference and sat through trauma informed care expressive arts workshop led by Cathy Malchiodi.  Here was a personal project I did during our art exercise.

It was my tree of self-empowerment to cope with my survivor guilt at times.  We had to do a tree which can represent the person and had to write something positive either in words about ourselves or something we wished was better (body image, worry etc.)

I formed a tree with my hands. Used scrap book paper with hearts and xoxoxo. And tissue paper. On the inside of the leaves wrote words of love and encouragement to remember when thoughts of ” why did I get chosen to live and not that kid or that dad? ” Enter my mind.