Throughout a seven week program spanning May to July 2021, Pike County Extension Fine Arts and Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky (CEDIK) partnered to test a grant funded pilot arts program. The program, Mind.Art.Recover.KY. (MARK), utilizes arts programing in an evidence-based therapeutic way to assist people undergoing drug addiction recovery. 

In Pike County, we took the program to a women’s rehabilitation center within the WestCare rehabilitation network in Lookout, KY. WestCare is a national nonprofit that offers a broad spectrum of behavioral health and human services in 19 States, four U.S. territories, and three countries. The facility in Lookout operates under the Department of Corrections. Our seven week program had ten adult participants.

MARK uses art journaling to increase wellness and reduce stigma for those affected by substance use disorder by building skills that promote personal growth and strengthened relationships during weekly 2.5 hour lessons. Participants begin the program by constructing their own journals out of recyclable materials, namely cardboard, which they use during every class and keep for their personal use upon program conclusion. Art journaling is proven to establish healthy routines; integrates many art styles and media; provides an outlet for creative expression; and builds literacy, critical thinking, planning, and reflection. During the program, residents were also introduced to healthy eating habits and recipes through use of Chop Chop magazine.

All participants reported a sense of stress-relief, increased creativity and problem solving, and a strengthened sense of self-identity. They talked with excitement about continuing to use their journals and some even talked about helping family members and friends make their own journals using CEDIK’s lesson guide.