Social media can help cultivate connection, community, and creativity in art therapy. It allows art therapists to build networks and showcase their work, join professional groups, and stay connected globally. Online art collaborations and communities empower art-making, create inspiration, and decrease isolation for art therapists. Social media plays a role in promoting, administering, and archiving these online projects. While providing structure and support, participation in online art communities can foster expression, generosity, empowerment, and motivation for art therapists.

1. Social Media’s Role in Cultivating
Art Therapy Connection, Community, & Creativity
Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S
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2. What is Social Media?
The term Social Media refers to the use of
web-based and mobile technologies to
turn communication into an interactive
dialogue.
Enabled by accessible communication
techniques, social media substantially
changed communication between
organizations, communities, as well as
individuals all over the world.
Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

4. #Connection

5. LinkedIn is a social networking site related to ones career,
profession, business, and work activity.
Some Highlights:
•Build a network of connections within the art therapy community
and with other professionals, projects, groups;
•Showcase a resume like profile highlighting your work, community,
educational, and professional experiences;
•Join groups that relate to professional interests & topics;
•Receive and provide recommendations based on experiences.
www.linkedin.com

6. The world’s most used social networking site
•Facebook provides a dynamic & instant global
connection for staying connected to friends, family,
colleagues, current events and news through
status updates, shared photos, pages, groups,
games links, videos, & more.
www.facebook.com

7. “Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging
service that enables its users to send and read text-based
messages of up to 140 characters, known as "tweets".”
Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter
Pinterest is now the third most-popular social network in the U.S., behind Facebook and
Twitter. (Mashable, 2012). Pinterest is a virtual pinboard social photo sharing site that allows
users to create and manage theme-based image collections. Users can browse other
pinboards for inspiration, 're-pin' images to their own collections or 'like' photos. Pinterest's
mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting via a
global platform of inspiration and idea sharing.
Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest

8. Advantages of Social Media
for the Art Therapist:
• Decreases sense of isolation
• Provides support
• Connect & meet with new professionals and
experts in the field
• Become more involved with the field and art
therapy community

9. #Community

10. Benefits & Value of Online Art Collaborations &
Communities for Art Therapists
•Global networking among art therapists & students
•Empowers art-making & well-being
•Creates inspiration and hope
•Facilitates connection and a sense of community
•Decreases isolation
•Learning opportunity and awareness

11. Role of Social Media in Online Collaborations
• Promotion and Participation
• Administration, Photo, & Video Sharing
• Participant Sharing & Blogging
• Project Archiving

12. #Creativity

13. Chilton, G., Gerity, L., LaVorgna-Smith, M., & MacMichael, H.N. (2009)
An Online Art Exchange Group: 14 Secrets for a Happy Artist’s Life. Art
Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association 26 (2). 66-72.
Online art communities create:
•Structure
•Support
•Expression
•Generosity
•Gratitude
•Role of Liberation
•Empowerment
•Power of support: exchanging art & creative gifts
•Motivation & accountability

14. Additional Considerations:
•Social media becoming more
visual: more photo, video, and
image sharing: i.e. Pinterest,
Instagram popularity
•Access is moving from the web to
become more mobile with
smartphones and apps
•Social media self-care & balance,
ethical considerations and conduct

15. The Art Therapy Alliance is an on-line community founded in 2008
as an effort to embrace social media and connection for promoting
art therapy, the work of art therapists, and build community.
The Art Therapy Alliance network manages groups, disseminates
news, promotes art collaborations, and more related to the field of
art therapy through social networking, blogs, community projects,
and its website.

16. Join the Art Therapy Alliance Network:
• Facebook: facebook.com/ArtTherapyAlliance
• LinkedIn Groups: tinyurl.com/arttherapylinkedin
• Pinterest: pinterest.com/arttxalliance
• Twitter: twitter.com/arttxalliance
• On the Web: arttherapyalliance.org
Gretchen Miller, MA, ATR-BC, CTC-S | info@arttherapyalliance.org