I propose that using traditional media such as brushes and paints is more relaxing than using digital media. I feel that when someone is attempting to calm down they need to work with calming materials and to hear calming sounds when doing so, as well as feeling something calming. This calming effect may also be heightened when working with pastel colors.

S1

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10686904

Background: This study that takes the account of 146 college students, highlights the damage that social media has caused a spike in mental illness during the pandemic. 

Intent: I intend to use this as a jumping off point to explain why using a coping mechanism in the first place can be helpful to some people. That they

 could even color with their friends over zoom.

Use: i didn’t really end up using this document like this at all, I scrapped it in favor of more information about art therapy

S2

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9472646

Background: this document explains what art therapy is and how it can be helpful to those who are going through a mental health crisis. And concludes that the effectiveness of art therapy cannot be determined due to art therapy also being used along side other forms of therapy.

Use: I want to use this to highlight that art therapy alone isn’t enough if someone is genuinely going through a mental health crisis. But if someone is just having a bad day and wants to brighten it up a bit, getting some dollar store paint and brushes might fix it. 

I used this in my definition argument

S3

Digital Vs. Traditional Art: Is One Better Than the Other?

Background: This article goes over the pros and cons of traditional vs digital media in an artistic setting. Concluding that digital media may be cost effective it cannot replace the immediate tangible result that comes with traditional art.

Use: I intend to use this to bridge the gap between types of drawn art. I will not consider the notion of AI as it does not require artistic skill. 

I did use this to attempt to advocate for traditional media over digital in regards to art therapy.
S4

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10187545

Background: investigatives the effectiveness of digital art making in regards to art therapy and special needs high school students. This finds that digital media can be helpful to explore in traditional art making. 

Use: I want to use this to prove that while digital art creation can be fun and may result in being calming it can’t beat using traditional materials. 

Update I used the article to argue the use above.

S5

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00739/full

Background: This is an article that explains the correlation between art and it’s calming effects as art activates reward areas of the brain. This could potentially lead to better mental wellbeing 

Use: I will use this to highlight the fact that art has a similar effect to gambling and that holding the thing that you spend hours on in your hands is more rewarding than through a screen due to the fact that you can then display it at any time. Where as a screen could be corrupted or die.

Update: i have argued this exact point.

S6

Abbie Kasoff

Background: I had a phone conversation with miss Kasoff that cleared up some misconceptions I held regarding the meaning of art therapy, that art with therapeutic intent is isn’t art therapy

Use: to define art therapy through the lens of someone who used to be an art therapist.

S7

Lin-Fisher, Betty, and Bailey Schulz. “What Is so Special about Stanley Cups? The Psychology behind the Year’s Thirstiest Obsession.” USA Today, January 31, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/shopping/2024/01/13/stanley-cup-obsession-explained/72176008007/. 

Background: this article talks about the trend of the Stanley cup and how they have been influential in society. Stanely cups are basically just an astetic cup that people, mostly women, like to collect

Use: I didn’t exactly use this article at all, I already knew what Stanley Cups were and how they were influential in the zigist. I just went off my own knowledge of Stanley cups and how their popularity could signal that there is a bit of a problem with how America views individualism. The cups are customizable which in theory can make them unique, but if everyone has a Stanley Cup then are they really that special?

S8

Bellaiche, Lucas, Rohin Shahi, Martin Harry Turpin, Anya Ragnhildstveit, Shawn Sprockett, Nathaniel Barr, Alexander Christensen, and Paul Seli. “Humans versus AI: Whether and Why We Prefer Human-Created Compared to AI-Created Artwork – Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications.” SpringerOpen, July 4, 2023. https://cognitiveresearchjournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41235-023-00499-6. 

Background : this article talks about why we as humans prefer human art over computer generated art. One of art’s purposes is to express the human experience.

use: This was used to argue that art generated by humans is more meaningful then that of a computer. So if AI was used for art therapy then it would negate the very definition of art therapy

S9

Xuejun Du, Pengcheng An, Justin Leung, April Li, Linda E. Chapman, Jian Zhao, DeepThInk: Designing and probing human-AI co-creation in digital art therapy, International Journal of Human-Computer Studies,Volume 181,2024,103139,ISSN 1071-5819, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2023.103139.

(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1071581923001489)

Background: Ai was tested to figure whether or not it would be useful for art therapy. Five art therapists tested an AI called DeepThInk for their hypothesis. A claim that was brought up is that this new AI would allow for a better starting point for the therapy patient.

Use: I used this argument in my Rebuttal because it made no sense to me. I’ve established that people like art for it’s ability to convey complex emotions, and for people who participate in art therapy this would be beneficial. So it makes no sense to try to replicate their art, their feelings with computers, because then it’s not their emotions, it’s what the computer thinks human emotions are.

S10

Stanko-Kaczmarek, M., & Kaczmarek, L. D. (2016). Effects of Tactile Sensations during Finger Painting on Mindfulness, Emotions, and Scope of Attention. Creativity Research Journal, 28(3), 283–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2016.1189769

Background: This article discusses the benefits of tactile sensations when finger painting and how this would be beneficial to art therapy. Mindfulness and better concentration is beneficial to art therapy because it helps to put the patient into the proper head space.

Use: to argue the benefits of tactile media and how it would help a patient.