MFA Student shares emotional story behind art pieces
Veronica Delgado understands Art Therapy from both sides. As a student at Georgia State University, Delgado remembers the difficult emotions she dealt with as an undergraduate student.
Veronica Delgado, a second year MFA student, speaks during the opening of the annual Art Therapy Exhibit earlier this month. (Photo by Joseph Lacdan)
For six years, she created paintings with an art therapist that helped her cope with the trauma in her life. One of those paintings that she worked on with a therapist, called “Six Year’s Therapy,” was on display during the Art Therapy Exhibition that runs through Saturday at the Art and Design Building West.
Now a second-year MFA Art Therapy student, Delgado said she hopes to draw upon her own experiences to help others deal with their trauma. Delgado said she dealt with trauma in her personal life and had issues in her relationships with relatives.
“I feel like my personal experiences help me understand my patients,” Delgado said. “I understand them because I know first-hand what they’re going through because I’ve been through it also.”
Delgada works 10-15 hours a week at a state hospital in St. Louis that deals with chronic mental illness and trauma. She said she would like to work as an art therapist in the state system after graduation.
“I really like the challenge that working in my government system brings. It’s difficult and it’s complicated and I kind of like that. I’m interested in trauma work because of my own experience of trauma and wanting to be with other people as they process those things through some of the things that they’ve been through.”
Delgado also entered another painting, titled “Alone” which reflects her feelings of loneliness that she experiences at times and another piece entitled “Rewiring my Brain.” Delgado said she named the latter for the impact that Art Therapy has had on her artistic sensibilities. A native of Atlanta, Delgado earned a degree in Women’s Gender and Sexuality studies at Georgia State University.
In an emotional presentation, Delgado explained her personal thoughts during a traumatic time in her life.
“I wanted to share my story because I wanted to reconcile my identity because I’m a client in some ways and in other ways I’m a therapist,” Delgado said. “It feels like you have to be one or the other, but I feel like I’m both.”
Filed Under: Art and Design
