At our Community Support Program (CSP) Member Center, individuals living with mental illness in Dakota County can drop in for an array of services and classes to support their recovery and improve their self-sufficiency. From fitness groups to museum trips and more, Guild’s CSP Member Center helps our clients reduce isolation, find community, improve their social skills, gain knowledge, and solve problems related to everyday living.
One of the most popular programs at our CSP Member Center is art class. “Whenever I walk by the conference room when they’re doing art classes, there’s always laughter,” says Alex, our CSP supervisor. “They’re always having a good time.”
Becky is just one of our many clients who attends art class at the CSP Member Center. She’s been involved with Guild for just over 14 years and can often be found making paintings and other projects for her friends and family members. “I love it,” she says. “It makes me feel good.” She recently made a tile mosaic for her brother, as well as earrings and necklaces for other loved ones. Both are art forms she’d never tried before coming to class.
Researchers and specialists have long established that art and other creative outlets can help support a person’s mental and emotional wellness. Creating art, and in some cases even just participating in art or viewing artwork, can have a variety of positive impacts on the brain, including increasing serotonin levels and fostering new ways of thinking. Art therapy is frequently used in the mental health field for its ability to help people process difficult emotions and boost self-esteem.
Becky has experienced these kinds of benefits herself. “[Art class] balances me out,” she says. “It feels good to be here, and the good feelings stay … I come here and I don’t think about anything else. It’s nice to have somewhere to come and to see what I can do, and express my love for my family and for my friends.”
Our CSP Member Center art classes also provide a space for clients to build community and make new connections, which also have positive benefits for a person’s mental health.
“The fellowship in here is wonderful,” Becky says. “You have a lot of friendly people here, and there’s a lot of people who’d be willing to help you if you need help. And we’re all in the same boat — we all have mental illness. So this is a helpful thing to have, something to take your mind off of what your troubles are.”
Something our clients love about the art program at Guild’s CSP Member Center is the art shows we throw to help share their art with the greater community. “It’s awe-inspiring that people want to look at my paintings and my things that I do,” Becky says. “That’s really something to me.”
“There’s always a central theme of love and compassion and positive emotions in all of her work,” says Alex of Becky’s art. “She’s making things for people that she cares about, and that’s such a positive and uplifting thing — and such a testament to who she is as a person.”
This fall, we held our 2024 CSP Art Show. It was a wonderful celebration of the creativity of CSP members like Becky and a showcase of the programming that Guild provides to the community. You can learn more about the CSP program here and support this work here.