2024 Conference Recording | Professor David E. Gussak

Creativity Heals in an Uncreative Place: Art and Art Therapy with the Imprisoned Artists and art therapists who wish to work in prison may believe that they will be operating within a highly structured and regulated system that restricts true creative expression and healing. Yet, for an environment that is perceived as stifling, desolate, and rigid, there are surprisingly inventive displays of creativity that occur within the walls. Counter-intuitively, innovative artistic expression is inherent –even championed--within this subculture. The ability to create tangible artistic items is often a status builder inside, while the process of art making is recognized as therapeutically beneficial, providing opportunities for open expression of vulnerabilities and challenges, and a way to redirect frustration, anxiety and anger. The presenter will draw from his over thirty years of experience working as an art therapist in various carceral systems presentation to explore not only the value that art and art therapy offers this population, but the drive to create as well. In doing so, this presentation will illuminate the numerous creative means that allow art to flourish and creativity to heal in this uncreative environment. David E. Gussak, PhD, ATR-BC, HLM is Professor for the Florida State University’s Graduate Art Therapy Program and Project Consultant for the FSU/FL Dept of Correction’s Art Therapy in Prisons program. He has presented and published extensively internationally and nationally on forensic art therapy and art therapy in forensic and carceral settings. He currently serves on the editorial board for several publications including Art Therapy: The Journal of the American Art Therapy Association and Arts in Psychotherapy. Non-members $30 (+GST Aust) Members $25 (+GST Aust) Members who attended the conference can login to the member portal to access the recordings for free. Note: Please pay immediately upon order or your order will be deleted within 24 hours.