Art is imagination meets human skill. It inspires emotion, sparks debate, and calms the soul—but did you know it also helps homeless, at-risk teens?
New Yorker Miky Solano, only 21, says he was "always getting into trouble" and had already been incarcerated. However, he wanted to turn his life around and was given a second chance through ART START. The organization looks to nurture the voices, hearts and minds of at-risk teens through creative art workshops.
Solano is one of the 11,000 teens who say that ART START changed their lives, thegrio.com reported.
"I never really knew what art was," stated the 21-year-old. "I always thought it was just drawing or painting. Yet once I met some people that started teaching me what art really is, it changed my whole perspective on art. They told me that music is also a form of art and how you could express yourself, so since then it changed my whole perspective about art. I see life in a different way than I thought I would ever see [it]."
This is art therapy. It uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The best part: you don’t have to be an expert! The purpose of art therapy is to heal, to release your emotions, and use it to create.
What can you do?
