162 • Introduction to Art Therapy
to overcome his lethargy, find a job, and apply to schools where he had a reasonable chance
of being accepted. His dream of becoming a filmmaker helped him to manage the stresses of
working and waiting. He also took courses in filmmaking, and began to feel generally more
hopeful.
Having made progress in dealing with the outside world, Isaac was then able to use art
therapy to deal with his inner world. In his twice-weekly sessions, he was able to get in touch
with more of the rage that he had repressed when he was younger. This rage, turned on him-
self, had been a significant factor in his depression and feelings of worthlessness.
Isaac spent many months working on what he called his “statement.” He first sculpted
a massive clay head, then covered it with gesso, so that it was literally whitewashed. He
displayed it, along with sculptures by other patients, on a round table in my office. Its most
outstanding feature was a wide-open mouth, full of carefully sharpened teeth. At one point,
he picked up a bloody-looking sculpture by another patient, and placed it inside the devour-
ing mouth, instantly creating a drama (C).
The head was an eloquent symbol of the fears Isaac needed to work through, in order to
separate and become a truly autonomous young adult (Figure 7.12). He left it as a memento
for both of his art therapists, and kept in touch as he made his way through college as a film-
making major.
At one point he sent me a film he had made and asked for reactions. While it wasn’t
explicitly autobiographical, Isaac was aware that the drama reflected continuing work on
his own wishes and fears. Parts of the film used clay animation, reminding me of his earlier
dramas. It seems clear that the arts—in one form or another—will always be Isaac’s mode
of coping with and contributing to the world. On the DVD there is a claymation segment
from that film (D).
Computers, like video, are also extremely versatile. They have the ability to do all sorts of
creative and colorful things with all kinds of visual elements, both still and in motion. If my
experience with a computer-literate intern is any indication, the future holds exciting pos-
sibilities for expression. In fact, things are moving so rapidly in that area that a book called
Art Therapy & Computer Technology is already out of date (Malchiodi, 2000) and is soon to
be revised.
Figure 7.11 Isaac dramatizing in art therapy.