MPS Art Therapy student, Kira Scala, reflects on the process of beading
MPS Art Therapy students sit around a table, designing their projects, adding beads, and sewing them down.
MPS Art Therapy students sit around a table, designing their projects, adding beads, and sewing them down.
In the Fall 2024 semester, I hosted a bead embroidery workshop for my peers in the MPS Art Therapy program. Beading is one of the oldest forms of human art making and is practiced in communities all over the world, in places including, but not limited to, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Ukraine, North American Indigenous lands (such as the Ojibwe and Dakota people), China, Japan, and France. In art therapy, beading can help people (re)connect with their culture, allow people to regulate their emotions through repetitive and meditative actions, and foster self-esteem through skill building and the creation of a tangible product. During the workshop, participants learned a brief history of beading and its cultural significance around the world. We reflected on the potential benefits (as described above) and challenges (cultural appropriation, hand-eye coordination, and mobility issues) of using beadwork with our clients.
A second-year student works on embroidering a green beaded heart onto a piece of felt backing.
Beyond the clinical applications of beading, the workshop provided us with the opportunity for relaxation and community-building. Despite finals approaching, we were able to take the time to sit together, create artwork, and talk with one another. My classmates also expressed excitement about learning a new skill and imagined future applications for the technique.
Several attendees of the workshop shared their reactions to the workshop:
- “It was frustrating at times trying to pick up the beads and make the lines straight but it was also what I needed. It was nice to be all together with everyone after class.”
- “I was excited about learning something new.”
- “It was so nice to be together with everyone without doing class work.”
In the weeks and months following the workshop, I have seen the attendees working on their beading projects and incorporating the techniques into their practice. My cohort’s reactions to learning beading mirror the potential beading has when used with clients. This workshop also illustrated the potential for art therapy to move beyond traditional mediums such as pencils, pastels, markers, paints, and clay. “Art” is only limited by our imagination; as art therapy students, we have the opportunity to bring our personal passions into our work and share them with our peers and clients. This workshop was a great opportunity to relax and connect as people while continuing our personal and professional education.
Bead embroidery projects were started by SVA students during the workshop. Students chose to create lips, stars, moons, hearts, fish, fruit, and plants.