Kristin (Spiczka) Whitley ’10 is an art therapist at Clara’s House in St. Cloud. Here she is at the Lemonade Concert & Art Fair in June with one of her vintage book picture frames. Photo by Anna Kurth
When Kristen (Spiczka) Whitley’s St. Cloud State University art classmates were focused on gaining experience in different types of media, she always focused on the use of art for healing. It was her goal to become an art therapist and help others through art.
Art therapists are similar to other mental health professionals, but they bring an extra ingredient into the mix, Whitley said.
“As an art therapist, I blend elements of traditional psychotherapy with the creative process,” she said. “Art can be a way for me to connect with clients … and/or a guide in helping people to understand themselves in a deeper way.”
Whitley was recently back on campus at St. Cloud State for the 41st Annual Lemonade Concert and Art Fair as a vendor selling her own artwork. Whitley uses her art talent to convert vintage books into picture frames and sells them through her business Eleven Trees Artistry at art fairs and on her Etsy account.
“I had not been to the Lemonade Art Fair for a couple years, having been away for grad school, so it was fantastic to be able to attend this year,” she said. “It was much bigger than I remembered … and I got rained out before I got and lemonade, so I look forward to next year.”
After graduating from St. Cloud State in 2010 with her bachelor of fine arts, Whitley continued her education with internships and an art therapy associate position at Clara’s House while working toward her master’s in art therapy, which she earned in March from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, N.Y.
She has since become a full-time art therapist at Clara’s House, which offers St. Cloud Hospital services for child and adolescent mental health and chemical dependency.
“Engaging in the creative process can help one manage emotions, boost self-esteem, and look at things in a new way (which can help with conflict resolution, too),” Whitley said. “Art making can also foster self-awareness and aid in communication. All of those things are very important to me in working to help clients heal and grow.”
As a student at St. Cloud State, Whitley said she was encouraged to explore her unique blend of interests in both psychology and art in upper-level and elective classes.
“I was able to focus some of my psychology coursework and fieldwork on the psychology of creativity and art as therapy,” she said. “Within my fine art classes, I was encouraged to investigate and explore my interest in the human mind through my own creative process. With an accommodating dual-focused education, I was exceptionally prepared to go on to achieve a master’s degree in art therapy.”
