Hello! I am applying for MA in Art Therapy, Fall 2014. Please review my SOP and let me know what you think.
I would really appreciate anyone who can give me some suggestions!
[instruction] You must upload one 500- to 750-word statement of purpose that describes the focus of your body of work and how you came to choose art therapy as the academic area you wish to pursue at the graduate level. Also discuss future directions or goals for your work and describe how the Master of Arts in Art Therapy program is particularly suited to your professional goals.
To say hello to my friends in my home country, I have uploaded video-logs of myself playing music as an act of visual installation. A subscriber to my online channel commented about my self-made video clips. She said that my films show a person expressing themself through art and the video treatment and the background I chose for them matched the songs perfectly. From this experience, I realized that arts activities reduced the pressure I felt as I sublimated into a piece of work. Also, I have painted to alleviate the stress which resulted from both studying psychology and working at the newspaper. My creations represent the fruits of my joy and sorrow.
Artwork is my way of expressing thoughts, feelings, and emotions. The common theme in my works is my philosophical perspective regarding the universal concepts of life. I gain inspiration through conversation with significant people, changing of relationships, values of society, memories and dreams, imagination, learning environments and experiences of all types. Observing my reflections in those surrounding me has resulted in a heightened sense of self-awareness. Through my art, I permit others to peer through the psychological amour which surrounds my soul. I wanted to explore my hidden desires through analysis of my dreams because there are a portal between life and death. My subjective world is necessarily different from the real world. In conclusion, I tried to depict the connectivism of the ideals that I think consciously, the dreams that I have unconsciously, and the real material world that I experience consciously.
Literature, communication and psychology led me to the same conclusion: That as a means of self expression, art is a part of life which reveals how the author has lived. I assure you that my understanding of all these major fields will be synthesized into the work which I will do as an art therapist. Finding enlightenment in the observation that each individual or each society can be successful while pursuing different values nourishes my intellect. By traveling, I formed rapports with local people and expanded my interest in the lives and cultures of others. Experience with several of my immigrated friends taught me how they think and feel in unfamiliar environments.
My specific interest in human memory and visual abilities arose during my practicum in the cognitive science center. During the period that I was taking a certificate course in art therapy/counseling, I found that art therapy will be advantageous especially to those who have verbal communication difficulties such as children with autism spectrum disorder, seniors with linguistic deficits, and adults who immigrated at an advanced age. My grandmother, who has been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years, finds relief in creating artworks of botanical subjects. Although she could not recall me, she was able to remember how to read some letters in another language that she learned seven decades ago. The experience that I gained from assisting on language developmental studies helped me to understand why she forgot something recent but remembered the language which she learned so long ago.
I want to study about art therapeutic methods and its effectiveness with adults and seniors who have psychological or neurophysiological deficits, especially based on their life experience related to cultural elements. To be specific, I would like to use an exploration of artistic medium and techniques to help married women immigrants and to help seniors who have traumas or dementia. On top of that, I am interested in using a variety of methods with multimedia in arts therapies in an interdisciplinary approach, combining and developing techniques to contribute to psychological therapy. (For one school: I am interested in using a variety of methods with multimedia in arts therapies in an interdisciplinary approach, combining and developing techniques to contribute to cyber art therapy using advanced information technology for interacting with clients who live in remote locations or those who have difficulty travelling due to physical limitations. The experience that I gained while working as a graphic designer for several years makes me well suited for this challenge. Thus, I selected the art therapy program in the SCHOOL, because its excellent reputation and facilities will help me to achieve my goal. <--- It will be changed for the other schools) I intend to continue seeking opportunities for personal growth. Furthermore, the experience which I have gained from working in several different fields has led me to decide that one of my lifelong goals is to pay it forward - to help others in the future at least as much as I have been helped in the past. As my experience grows, I desire to continue evaluating my identities as a researcher, art therapist, and artist. (674)
I find this is very well written. I believe admission officers would be able to understand your character, passion, aspirations etc. through this piece of writing. I only wish if you talked a bit more on how this specific program is going to help you achieving your goals. Talk about its specific features that align well with your aspirations.
Overall, I think you've done a great job. Good luck with your application!
