Art Therapy Personal Statement

When I entered my first year of college, I decided to pursue psychology as a major because I was interested in how people’s minds affect how they behave and their personalities. Despite not taking psychology classes in high school, I had a pretty good experience in knowing what was going on around my friends by observing their behavior, the tone in their voice, or actions, and I’ve learned to develop skills in offering good advice to them. It seemed useful to apply my skills to academics. However, I aspired to be more than just a regular psychologist. I wanted to find a deeper, interesting, and creative method that can help people who suffered personal issues, such as relationships and disorders.
I then came across the practice of art therapy. As a child, I've had a love for drawing and art, and I never really grew out of it. I saw art therapy as a wonderful opportunity for me since I found this both an enjoyable and useful study. I became interested in art therapy because it serves as a creative outlet for me to help people by applying what I love for them. I believe art therapy can help troubling patients because it connects with troubling patients at

a deeper and personal level, which allows them to open themselves up and express themselves through making art. It can really change a person’s way of perspective and improve his well-being.
What I love about art therapy is that this method applies to everyone, regardless of how talented they are or how much experience they got.

If I was an art therapist, I would ensure that no one should be “afraid” of expressing his or herself through art. I believe that art is like a story, where people can open up and draw about their life experiences. Through observing their work, I have a better understanding of what has troubled them and would try to help them encouraging them to continue doing this creative outlet that would eventually reduce the problems they have. I believe art is the language that can be used to communicate with others on a deeper level. I am always open to new creativity, and art therapy is the best method for me to be immersed in this new creativity to have a better understanding of

people.
It seems rare to hear art therapy being applied to treat people, let alone be a common study in the psychology field. [Honestly, I have yet to hear of anyone in Texas who were art therapists.] While I’m not the first one to create art therapy, I want to be one of first [in my community] who can specialize in such a creative technique. I understand that there are certain requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to become an art therapist, and I’m willing to take on those requisites, regardless of how challenging they are. Being a person who loves trying new things, I am interested in looking into UT Austin due to its offer of a large variety of majors and courses. I hope to study art therapy along with psychology, so I can treat troubled patients by allowing them to express themselves through something fun.