Art therapy event bonds students over games and gluesticks

Tey came for art and stayed for community, and stay they did. Over 100 students attended the first Accept. Express. Support: A Mental Health and Wellness Initiative event in the Student Centre, held by the York Federation of Students to tackle stress with art therapy.
With a number of events curated the week of November 16, YFS provided performance, art materials, and discussion cues to participants to better understand issues of mental health and stress. Crafting, colouring, and board games kept attendees busy as personal experiences were shared and support materials were featured by speakers.
When planning the week-long campaign, YFS intended to create a space where participants of diverse backgrounds could relax and unwind while highlighting topics related to mental health. Students came from a wide range of majors, not necessarily limited to the fine arts, and though some were more comfortable than others to get started with activities, all were happy to have participated by the end.
“The ability to craft and create allowed participants to engage with each other. Conversations about health and wellness emerged, whether we made buttons or painted,” said Chenthoori Malakov, vice-president of campaigns and advocacy. These conversations are part of a larger movement centered on art therapy as a proven tool for resolving issues related to anxiety and stress.
While art therapy has long been used to treat mental health by therapists, counsellors, and social workers, governing bodies such as the Toronto Art Therapy Institute and the Canadian Art Therapy Association provide licensing and training, legitimizing and helping art therapy to become mainstream. Adult colouring books have quickly risen to the top of the art therapy economy, as they’ve become top-selling books on Amazon and in 2014, selling 3.5 million copies in France alone.
To say that post-secondary students are stressed is an understatement. According to a 2013 study by Canadian Association of College and University Student Services, 89 per cent of students said they were overwhelmed by their daily responsibilities, including schoolwork. Almost 90 per cent said they were exhausted and nearly 10 per cent had seriously considered suicide. Considering the staggering statistics, perhaps YFS, or any other mental health awareness group on campus, can make art therapy events a regular occasion. Stress can particularly hit post-secondary students when transitioning from high school, during midterms, exam time, or in some cases, at any point and time during their day. Events like Accept. Express. Support not only introduce art therapy as a tool to confront stress, but help form a creative outlet in students.
Let’s just hope this lasts into exam season.
Victoria Goldberg
Arts Editor