Hey everybody! As you know from my bio page, my name is Madi Grose and I am a junior Art Therapy Student here at Marywood University! I thought a good first post would be about my journey with art, so let’s begin!
As cliche as it sounds, I have been doing art for pretty much my entire life. I didn’t grow up in an artsy household, but my mom loved to Spirograph and doodle, and my dad could draw a really good snoopy and soccer ball. However, they always encouraged my creativity. I truly believe I got my passion for art and my artistic ability from my Nana. Nana never met a craft she couldn’t excel at. Everytime I would go to her house, we were doing something artsy. Whether that was sewing new outfits for my Barbie’s, coloring, painting, or designing cards to send to our friends, Nana and I were always so happy to be creative with each other.
Fast forward to 2015, I suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) at age 12. Obviously, this entirely changed the trajectory of my life. I lost everything I thought I needed in life. One aspect of my life that didn’t change that day was my love and passion for art. After my TBI, I was left as a full time wheelchair user, legally blind, and feeling very alone. I very quickly lost all of my friends and felt totally isolated. One person who never left my side was my Nana. She and I became closer than ever before, and she was my best friend in the entire world. We started to get together more regularly for the specific purpose of making art. When everything changed in my life, doing art became more of a therapeutic outlet for me. Although the methods I used to do so had to change, I worked hard to find new ways to achieve my goals. I remember early on in my recovery, a physical therapist asked me how I spent my day, and I told her that I painted. She immediately started lecturing me on the importance of rest and taking it easy. I told her simply, “art makes me feel better, I won’t stop”.
I began to gravitate towards ceramics and painting during 8th grade. I realized that bright colors, strong contrast, and the physical element of ceramics were all easier for me to see. Around the same time, I decided to switch schools to have a fresh start. I auditioned for the Visual Arts program at a performing arts school called The Lehigh Valley Charter High School For The Arts. To my surprise, I was accepted! Going to school there saved my life. I made friends, I began to excel in academics once again, and I was finally in an environment that prioritized my dedication to art. At this school, I realized that I wanted to continue to pursue art for the rest of my life. I decided to apply to Marywood University as an Art Therapy Major.
My Nana passed away in 2020 from complications after 2 strokes. Before she passed away, she became severely disabled. I still made it a point to continue our art sessions. Painting was one of the few activities we could do where I could still see hints of her. This was when I realized that Art Therapy is what I needed to do for the rest of my life. I saw how it helped Nana, and I knew I wanted to help other people just like her. Because of this, we didn’t stop painting together until she died. I wish more than anything that my nana could see that I have turned our love of art into a career and a life for myself. I know that would make her so happy. Now, I’m 21 years old and on track to graduate a semester early with my bachelors in Art Therapy. I have a minor in ceramics and now, I’m the Art Therapy Blogger for Where Creativity Works!
Now that we are all caught up, here are some pictures of my art throughout the years! I hope you enjoyed hearing about me and my journey in art!
~Madi
