Positive Transitioning April 2019: The Power of Creativity

The Power of Creativity

Making a Difference Through Art

Washington State Resources

The Health Benefits of Creativity Getting Creative In The Kitchen

In This Issue Creativity April 2019 Letter from the Executive Director Word of the month Washington state resources The Power of Art and Creativity for the Incarcerated

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The Health Benefits of Creativity

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Getting Creative in the Kitchen

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Making a Difference Through Art

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What’s new

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Cover image by Alexandr Ivanov

Letter from the Executive Director In April, we wanted to celebrate the phenomenon of creativity. You create something – a song, a poem, a painting, a dish or whatever – from nothing. Actually, it’s not nothing, though, is it? It’s an idea or a feeling or an experience that comes to life.

And when others enjoy the art, they feel a whole new set of emotions.

In this issue, we talk about how art can provide a positive outlet to express feelings of angst, anger, or depression. We have the opportunity to express ourselves without training or traditional instruments.

Using that creativity will produce real health benefits – for example, improving mental health and boosting the immune system. We also cover the health benefits of being creative.

Finally, we highlight artists who have been incarcerated. They are sharing their own experiences, but are also often giving a voice to others who don’t have one. They give the world a first hand view of the personal experiences of being incarcerated.

We are inspired by the men and women who have been able to eloquently express the emotions of their experiences.

We hope you enjoy this issue.

Sincerely, Porche Proffit

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Masthead and Contributors Editor-in-Chief, Porche Proffit Editor, Ericka Foster

Contributors Writer, Maggie Allen Nutrition and dietitian Isabella Dos Santos

Positive Transitioning Inc. is a non–profit organization that provides information and resources for individuals reentering the community after incarceration.

In addition to this magazine, Positive Transitioning Inc. offers a 24-hour Resource/Listening Line that services all 50 states. The Resource/Listening line is staffed by life coaches, and provides individuals with the immediate support and resources they may be needed during reentry.

Positive Transitioning Inc. also provides individuals life coaches that will assist them in every step of the reentry process: housing, education, employment, vocational training, obtaining government benefits, veteran assistance, medical management, sponsorship, financial stability, family reintegration, and legal assisting.

Currently Positive Transitioning Inc. is entirely web–based as we are hoping that this makes it easily accessible for anyone to access from anywhere.

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in路ge路nu路i路ty the quality of being clever, original, and inventive

Anywhere the struggle is great, the level of ingenuity and inventiveness is high. ~ Eleni Zaude Gabre-Madhin

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Washington State Resources The state of Washington has banned the use of the question that requires an applicant to disclose convictions. The “Ban the Box” policy is intended to improve public safety, by providing individuals with criminal records a better opportunity to reintegrate in society, receive skill development and training, and support themselves and their families;  4People.org 4people.org This website lists public services – including reentry services by county in the state of Washington.  ACLU-WA’s Second Chances Project www.aclu-wa.org/secondchances The Second Chances project uses litigation to reduce the unfair barriers experienced by those with a criminal record.  Compass Health Offender Re-entry Community Safety Program www.compasshealth.org/services/orcsp/ This program is designed for individuals who have a history of mental illness. Individuals are admitted prior to being released from incarceration, and may remain in the program for up to five years after being released. The service is available in Snohomish, Skagit, and Whatcom counties.  Crossways Ministries crosswaysministries.com/ministry.php A faith-based organization that provides assistance with affordable housing, employment, financial planning along with Bible study and prayer sessions.

The mission of the program is to “provide purposeful discipleship to Christ's prisoners and their families continuing through release, transition, and restoration to the community.”  FareStart www.farestart.org/adult-culinary-program This free program trains individuals through its culinary program while providing resources to trainees such as housing assistance, counseling, childcare assistance, and employment resources.  Freedom Project freedomprojectwa.org/ The Freedom Project teaches courses on nonviolent communication and mindfulness in seven state facilities.

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 House of Mercy houseofmercyministries.net/ House of Mercy is a faith-based clean and sober housing program.  ILS Re-Entry Wiki wiki.sos.wa.gov/ILSRe-entry/index.php?title=Main_Page This resource guide provides information on education, housing, employment, education, health, and government assistance available to currently and formerly incarcerated people.  Interaction Transition www.interactiontransition.org/ Interaction Transition provides employment services and social support for individuals re-entering society. The organization facilitates support groups at the Washington State Reformatory, Twin Rivers Corrections Center, and the Washington Corrections Center for Women.  Mercy Corps Northwest - Lifelong Information for Entrepreneurs (LIFE) www.mercycorpsnw.org/ This program for women at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility trains participants for entrepreneurship. Graduates of this 32-week program leave with a business plan, a transition plan, two resumes and college credits.  Pioneer Human Services pioneerhumanservices.org Pioneer provides services such as treatment, housing, job training, employment, and youth services to criminal justice involved individuals in Washington State.  Post-Prison Education Program www.postprisonedu.org/about-us/ This program provides education for releasing prisoners. The program provides scholarships, academic advising, and mentoring for formerly incarcerated individuals enrolled in an accredited public college or university in Washington.  Veteran’s Incarcerated Reintegration Project www.dva.wa.gov/benefits/reentry-program-vet-court Veteran’s Incarcerated Reintegration Project is a joint project with King, Pierce, Thurston and Clark Counties that offers transitional housing, mental health and addiction services as well as employment services.  Washington Bonding Program provides, at no cost to the employer or applicant, individual fidelity bonds to employers for applicants who are, or may be, denied coverage by commercial carriers because of their at-risk status. The fidelity bonds issued by the WBP function as an employer job-hire incentive.

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The Power of Art and Creativity for the Incarcerated

By Maggie Allen

“Art has the capacity that no other medium has to allow people to access their own personal voice and experience…Often it’s the first step to understanding, selfacceptance and healing.” – Annie Buckley, founder of the Prison Arts Collective What was your favorite class in school? For many people, myself included, that class was Art, but trust me, it wasn’t just a free pass to a good grade. It was the most fun I had outside of lunch period, and easily the best part of any day.

Humans have been making art for as long as we’ve been alive. From ancient, primitive cave paintings to modern musical theatre, we have found so many ways to bring forth beauty. And in many instances, the beholders can be just as enraptured in it as the creators. Art is just that powerful. It provides more than just an outlet to express a person’s innermost thoughts and feelings.

Art offers us a way to make sense of the world around us, and oftentimes, how to find our place in it.

This is no less true for incarcerated individuals across the United States. The transition to prison is stressful, if not traumatizing; a person finds many of his or her rights and freedoms suddenly stripped away, and he or she is forced to live and work with other prisoners in a confined facility, with little free time and resources.

Necessary supplies such as toiletries can be purchased, but when faced with low wages, many will find that money needs to be utilized strategically.

Regardless of the demographics and crimes, a fundamental facet of a person’s identity has now changed. They are now an “inmate,” and must come to terms with that while navigating through incarcerated life .

It is a harsh test for even the most resilient spirit to overcome, but many prisoners suffer from mental illness or develop one during incarceration, which makes the experience that much harder.

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Inmates can often find it difficult to form meaningful relationships with others in their situation. According to David Gussak, an art therapist who has spent decades studying the benefits of his techniques in prison settings, “There is an inherent mistrust for talking about one’s issues, as there is a valid fear of other prisoners taking advantage of their voiced “weaknesses.” As a result, rigid defenses revealed through silence, lies and aggression, are put in place for survival.” Similarly, distrust for authority figures can also develop, meaning that inmates do not even seek support from the therapists who are employed to help them.

Art Programs in Washington Here are some notable options unique to the Washington state: The Hero’s Journey Prison Writing Project – This program aims to increase literacy, critical thinking, and overall positivity, helping inmates improve their self-image while simultaneously taking responsibility for past mistakes. The Hero’s Journey Prison Writing Program encourages each writer to be the hero of his or her own story, not simply a passive victim or evil perpetrator.

Keeping the Faith (The Prison Project) - The Pat Graney Company has conducted this threemonth program of movement, writing, and visual art in Washington State Corrections Centers for over twenty years. It is an arts-based educational residency program for incarcerated women and girls, to help them develop a strong sense of identity and community through expression.

This is why diverse prison art programs are so crucial. They provide a healthy, cathartic, and highly subjective means of expression. In the same way that the average person takes up hobbies as a means of escapism, distracting him or her from the many unpleasant aspects of mundane, day-to-day life with something fun, so too can art provide a mental and emotional reprieve from reality for prisoners everywhere.

This creativity can also be a form of protest. Paul Cortez, 38, created a piece called Prison Profit-Tears to express his frustration over the financial exploitation of prisoners and their family members.

Art also may help to steer prisoners away from violent outbursts or mannerisms, which keep them in the system longer. One study revealed that making art can decrease the number of disciplinary reports written on inmates.

An artist does not need to be a certain age or sex, literate, well educated, or mentally stable to participate; anyone can find a medium that that speaks to him or her personally. And once a passion has been sparked, it should not be ignored.

We need to nurture these passions, and listen to these voices. Too few people do.

We need to help remind inmates of their basic humanity, and encourage them in their quest to connect, grow, and reintegrate back into society. Art may be a vital key in breaking down so many different barriers to that process.

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Health benefits of creativity

By Ericka Foster

When you take on creative pursuits, it affects your mood, your brain, and your immune system. It is one of the few ways to have fun when you don’t have many resources. While you are participating in these fun activities – acting, dancing, writing, drawing, turning and idea into a thing—your body is responding, even if you don’t know it. The best part is that it doesn’t have to be good to be effective.

Here’s what is happening to your body while you are being creative.

Mental health effects: Free your mind When you focus on creative activities it can have a meditative effect. That focus can lead to lower stress levels and improve your mood. The art also allows the creator to express and process their feelings, which can help them deal with trauma. By focusing on one thing, it crowds out the negative thoughts and emotions in your brain. “In prison [art] was an escape and an outlet,” explained artist Russell Craig in an interview about his art. “There's no other way to put it. It was a focus that

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took you out of your predicament and put you elsewhere — a concentration that I couldn't find anywhere else.” (Read more about Craig in the next article).

Expressing emotion can make a person feel vulnerable (which may be considered by some as weakness). Creating art can feel less vulnerable, and easier than talking about problems.

In addition, the end result of the creation – the dish, the knitted scarf, the play, etc. – will give the creator a dopamine rush. Dopamine is one of the brain chemicals that improves happiness.

Boost immune system: Don’t know much about immunity There has been some limited research that shows that writing and singing (not at the same time), can increase white blood cells – the cells your body uses to fight off infection and disease. A 2016 study of cancer patients in a choir showed that after singing for one hour their people had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and higher levels of an immune-boosting protein cytokine. In 2004, a study suggested that HIV patients who wrote regularly in a journal had a higher white blood cell count than those who didn’t. Researchers are still trying to figure out why it happens.

Brain development: Can’t we all just get along?

Your brain is a complicated part of the body, and scientists are learning more and more about it each day.

What they are learning is that certain parts of your brain have different functions. Just as the purpose of your ears are to hear – not to see – each part of your brain has a designated purpose. However, when your brain is being creative, parts of your brain are talking to one another that don’t normally interact.

When those parts of the brain speak to one another, you start to look at problem solving in a different way. And ultimately creativity changes the way you think, and improves your problem solving skills. And you thought you were just having fun!

You don’t have to know the science of it in order to know that creativity is fun. And while you’re having fun, you are helping your body function better.

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How creative can we get with food?

By Isabella Dos Santos

It is very common that we end up eating the same type of food over and over, since it’s easier when buying and doesn’t require any “overthinking”. Maybe think on the vegetables you bought last month (hope you did), and now think on the ones you bought last time you went for groceries (hope you bought them again).

Are they mostly the same ones over and over? Or perhaps, think on the cooking methods you usually use to prepare your foods. Is it mainly frying or grilling?

If the answer is yes, then it’s time to turn on your creativity and boost your plates with colors, textures and flavors to enhance nutrition and overall satisfaction in your meal time. I know sometimes we are on a rush and that we cannot spare much time preparing and becoming “Master Chef” all of the sudden, but, simple tips can make our plates look different day to day.

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What can we do? 

Buy food in season: is not only more sustainable for the planet and cheaper for your wallet, but it is also a way of forcing yourself to buy some food that you might not buy often. Try beetroot, rhubarb and chicory in April, and check next month’s produce as well.

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We might not always notice it, but the ‘experience’ of eating from a messy, pale, pallid, insipid plate differs from that experience that comes along with a plate full of art. Why not mixing as many colors as you can? Build a plate with some cucumber, tomato, red onion, avocado, fresh corn, chicken and beans. It is also a certainty that you’ll get many more nutrients too.

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Play with cooking methods: perhaps boil some carrots, steam some broccoli and broil a tender cut of meat, or stir-fry some rice with bell peppers and peas as a side dish for a baked fish. Including different sizes and textures in our preparations make us have a different approach to food.

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If there are little ones around you, having funny shapes and tons of colors in their plate makes the food more appealing for them, and the chances of them eating what we prepare are higher.

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Making a Difference Through Art

By Ericka Foster

Art has the power to heal and to teach. While incarcerated, some people find solace in creating art. In this article, we highlight just a handful of artists that are using their talents to affect social justice and change the world’s perceptions of criminal justice-involved people.

Born as Mary Enoch Elizabeth Baxter, Isis Tha Saviour is a Philadelphia artist who uses her experience as a formerly incarcerated single mother to create her music. Her song depicts her experience of giving birth while shackled in prison on drug charges. Such raw subject matter has propelled her to activism. She has joined politician Cory Booker and Elizabeth Warren to advocate for women in prison. She has a complicated backstory that includes homelessness, drug arrests, Penn State, and unemployment. She is currently a college student and rapper.

Russell Craig is the co-founder of the Right of Return Fellowship with Jesse Krimes. In addition, he served as the co-chair for the O.G. Experience. Incarcerated for seven years, his work “Eval” includes a Rorschach-like canvases covered in ox blood.

For many, Michelle Jones’ story is the ultimate story of redemption. While spending 20 years in an Indiana prison for the death of her 4-year-old, Jones co-wrote “The Duchess of Stringtown” with another inmate, Anastazia Schmid. The two researched the history of the Indiana’s Women’s Prison. While in prison, she obtained a degree from Ball State University, and audited master’s level courses at Indiana State University. While incarcerated was accepted to NYU as a Ph. D. candidate and received a Harvard fellowship amid controversy. Her research is on incarceration, and the effect of incarceration of women.

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Titus Kaphar is lives and works in New Haven, Connecticut. His work revises history to provide an alternative look at the narrative. He earned an MFA from the Yale School of Art and is a distinguished recipient of numerous prizes and awards such as a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, a 2018 Art for Justice Fund grant and the 2018 Rappaport Prize. His work has been exhibited across the country, and one of his more prominent installations is about a fictional African-American family that passes as white. He also created a piece as a commentary on the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. Kaphar made a name for himself with the 2014 piece “The Jerome Project” which was

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inspired after he researched his father’s prison records. Over the course of his career, he has created social commentary pieces on America’s criminal justice system.

Jesse Krimes is a co-creator of the “O.G. Experience” a pop-up gallery in Chelsea in February that highlights the work of formerly incarcerated individuals. Krimes spent six years incarcerated including a one-year stint in solitary confinement, where he created his work “Purgatory”.

“Creating has always been a space where I felt safe,” Krimes explains in an article in Hyperallergic. Krimes also co-founded the Right of Return Fellowship, works worth several re-entry programs, and serves as a mentor for artists participating in the Mural Arts Project.

Lisette Oblitas-Cruz spent 4 years in York prison/facility for a hit-and-run accident. She began making art in prison as an opportunity to process the emotions of grief and fear during her 4.5 year sentence. Her tribute to the person she hit was displayed in the 2013 exhibit “The Woman of York: Shared Dining”.

Since her release, Ms. Oblitas-Cruz has become an activist and speaker on the relationship between art and incarceration.

Jared Owens is based in Charleston, South Carolina. He is a visual artists who honed his skill during a 10year sentence in federal prison. He began creating portraits while incarcerated and then moved to abstract conceptual art. “I taught myself how to paint in a cell. My professors were art critics, encyclopedias, art magazines, and other prisoners. I would sit for hours studying images of art. I wanted to know how pieces were made, what and where the materials came from.” Owens explains on his exhibition website.

Pastor Isaac Scott is the current Program Director for the Confined Arts program (TCA). He is also a Columbia faculty member who spent nearly 8 years in prison. The TCA supports the creative expression of artists who ask the question, “why does the general public legitimize and/or ignore the inhumane treatment of people in prison.” Many of the artists who advocate have been affected by the criminal justice system as either a former inmate, or a loved one of someone who is or was incarcerated.

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We Are The Spark

“I’m not saying I’m going to rule the world, or I’m going to change the world. But I’m gonna spark the brain that will change the world. ~Tupac Shakur Help Positive Transitioning by making a small donation of 6.16 today!

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What’s New Positive Transitioning App on the Google Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appsmakerstore.appPositiveTra nsitioning Check out our Radio Show! https://www.radionomy.com/en/radio/omertaradio

Next month’s issue Next month we address motherhood and issues relating to moms.

We will also highlight Virginia resources

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