Laura Woodman

5 Year Plan

INTRO

In 5 years from now I will be 28. When I'm 28 I would like to be working as an art therapist somewhere. Preferably in a hospital, but I want to be involved in making art of my own, although I don't think I want to pursue showing in galleries or anything. I don't think I will be referring back to the last couple parts of the 5 year plan, but it will be nice to have.

A little time line of the next 5 years of my life I want to look somewhat like this:

May 2014-May 2015

Finish school in the Fall, work and save up cash in the spring

May 2015-May 2016

Take a year off and live my life. I want to travel a bit, then apply to grad schools in the fall

May 2016-May 2017

Grad school

May 2018- May 2019

Grad school

May 2019-May 2020

Be an adult and look for art therapy jobs around the U.S.

GRADUATE SCHOOL
Obviously I am wanting to go to an art therapy graduate school.  I have started looking around and I'm pretty interested in two schools so far. Admission requirements for art therapy graduate programs in America are as follows: (this information was received from the American Art Therapy Association website)

The graduate program shall require that each student admitted to the program hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the United States, be accepted into a bachelor’s/master’s dual degree program in art therapy, or have the equivalent academic preparation from an institution outside the United States.

B. Programs shall require that each student, before admission to the program, submit a portfolio of original artwork, demonstrating competence with art materials.

C. Programs shall require that each student admitted to the degree program successfully complete not later than twelve (12) months after entering the program (and including credits taken before admission):

1. a minimum of eighteen (18) semester hour credits (or twenty-seven [27] quarter-hour credits) of study in studio art which demonstrates proficiency and disciplined commitment in art making. Equivalency of non-academic studio art experience or art therapy based coursework may be specified in the graduate program’s literature. It is imperative that the applicant evidence a range of experience using a variety of art materials and processes.

2. a minimum of twelve (12) semester hour credits (or eighteen [18] quarter-hour credits) of study in psychology, which must include developmental psychology and abnormal psychology.

Ursuline College is college in somewhere called Pepper Pike, Ohio.  This school would leave me eligible for an art therapy license. I have read into the director at the facility and I like her and how she goes about art therapy. My main reason for wanting to go to this school is because they are the only school out of 10 I have emailed about admission requirements, which I meet all of.

Another grad school I'm interested in is Vancouver Art Therapy Institute. On their website I am having trouble finding out about the educators at the institution, but mainly why I am attracted to it is because it can give me credibility for my art therapy license in America and Canada, it's only an 18 month program and will only be about 10,000 total. I meet all of their admission requirements.

Dear (admissions person),

My name is Laura Woodman, and I am writing to apply for (college name)'s Art therapy graduate program. I grew up the daughter of a watercolorist in Fairbanks, Alaska. My mother and I would spend many afternoons doing crafts or painting; I knew from a young age I wanted my future to be in art, and in recent years I discovered I wanted my future to be in therapy as well. I work in many mediums, but my dominate mediums are photography, and watercolor with ink pen.

 I have graduated from Sierra Nevada College with a major in Art and Psychology Interdisciplinary. I took my psychology courses from Donna Axton, whom helped blossom my desire to help others through creative expression. With producing art there comes a great feeling of self-confidence and accomplishment, my dream is to share this feeling with individuals who could benefit from that.

I have applied to this school because of my interested to work with (professor). From what I have observed, their teaching style seems compatible with my learning style, and I enjoy their outlook on the creative therapies. With that knowledge I can move towards becoming the best of my abilities as an art therapist. (This paragraph will change)

Thank you for the consideration, I look forward to hearing from you.

I am still looking and emailing graduate schools. I have some time, and I think I will take this summer and next fall to really look further and begin applying.

VENUES/CONTESTS

I don't ever really think I will be an artist that will show in galleries, although I never want to  close that door. I think that I will more likely be showing some works at coffee shops, art festivals, music festivals or online if anywhere at all. I also make a good amount of jewelry which I have sold before. Jewelry and my watercolors could be put up in coffee shops, and getting a merchants license at art and music festivals could be done. I have always looked into creating my own website or an etsy account, but I don't produce enough right now. Maybe when I complete some work worth selling, I could do so in local areas, like North Tahoe Arts Center which requires you to be a member, work must be hung and a provided list of NTA. The Artsy Fartsy Gallery in Carson City look pretty cool, they show mainly northern Nevadan artists. I couldn't find requirements on their website or facebook page, and when I called nobody answered. This could potentially be a cool place to show work in the future.

Also from our interview that I held with Jon McNair, I discovered the website society6, which is a website specifically for people to sell their art or crafts.  When you post your artwork on Society6, you continue to control the rights to it. There are really no requirements to Society6, except to be 18. If you are selected by their retail partners, they will make your art available through their online stores without forfeiting your rights to your work. When you sell art, like a print, on Society6 they print it, package it and ship it for you, and you get to walk away with I think half or a bit less than half of the sold price. That seems pretty cool to me, considering they do most of the work with your design. I think if I ever get into selling my work, it would be online, or at a coffee shop or something.

EMPLOYMENT/SELF-EMPLOYMENT/INTERNSHIPS

After Graduate school I hope to get a job doing art therapy, hopefully at hospital or nursing home or something like that. All I want to do is make art while making people happy, if I can do that, I don't think it really matters where I work. Right now and probably throughout graduate school I will find nanny jobs or other jobs that are unrelated to my major. I would hope to be able to sell art on the side, but I need to develop some more artistic talent for people to actually want to buy my things. Maybe if all else fails I could take pictures of high school senior photos or little kids bat mitzvas for money. And if that doesn't work, I will sell my soul.

GRANTS/RESIDENCIES/SALES PLATFORMS

I don't think I will be using any of these, like I said, my future is more directed towards art therapy. But if I were to apply to a grant I would maybe apply to the Artist Fellowship Grant: http://nac.nevadaculture.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1531%3Aafpa&catid=32&Itemid=412. This grant is for 5,000$, and nine 500$ grants are also awarded to the top honorable mentions in each category. Requirements are applicants need to live in Nevada for 12 months prior to application date, have legal resident status, and must be 21. They say you cannot be a "enrolled degree-seeking student", but I won't technically be enrolled much longer. Applications are submitted online, and due dates are April 9th, 2015. Required materials are a copy of your drivers license, artist resume, artist statement, work samples, work sample form, and a signature page which can be downloaded from the website.

I don't think in the next 5 years (or my lifetime really) that I will be doing a residency. But, here is a list of cool residencies all over the world: http://www.resartis.org/en/residencies/
And here is a website called Grantspace, which helps people find grants all over the country: http://grantspace.org/Tools/Knowledge-Base/Individual-Grantseekers/Artists/funding-for-individual-artists.