For my last journal, I decided to continue working with digital media. Initially, I had no idea what prompt I wanted to engage in with life being chaotic and my own anxiety going up the roof; I did what most do- I went on social media and scrolled through memes to get a good laugh. It was a light-hearted conversation with my partner about getting the "this is fine" dog meme tattooed on myself that an idea struck me. Since children are so tech-savvy now, especially since the pandemic started, it has been the safest way to attend school and communicate with peers; I chose to combine art therapy and the therapeutic relief of memes in an art directive. I started off taking the original meme created by cartoonist KC Greene and altering it to depict how I felt during a stressful and anxious moment. I then made another panel in which I took on a new perspective and acknowledged different ways or things that helped me process anxiety in a more productive, healthier way than just internalizing and letting it build up inside.
Anxiety is very prevalent, and children experiencing it can find it hard to concentrate in school, present irritable, and constantly worry about many factors in their lives. Art therapy can help improve self-esteem, promote creative expression, and help set goals in a fun, therapeutic way. It can be difficult to express one's feelings, especially for kids, verbally, and using favorite readymade artworks can remove the pressure of becoming overwhelmed with creating art. Memes can be very relatable and touch on serious topics such as anxiety and depression. Still, the incorporation of humor allows for connection to others and lightens the severity of the problem. Suppose I were to work in an individual session with a child with anxiety. In that case, we could find memes that resonate, recreate a new image of what the meme might genuinely mean, and then another drawing taking on a new perspective, depicting how to adjust patterns for healthier coping strategies. For example, the "This Is Fine" dog meme starts in a stressful environment but not expressing how they might feel. The second drawing of the meme depicts how the dog might feel on the inside, such as stressed, overwhelmed, anxious. Lastly, the dog has learned that it's okay not to feel okay at times and has recognized healthy ways to deal when one feels overwhelmed. By also personifying the meme, it removes the child's pressure to feel vulnerable working with a new art therapist and can explore their feelings freely without directly identifying themselves.
