The document summarizes an international postcard art exchange organized in 2010 by Art Therapy Without Borders (ATWB) to connect the global art therapy community. Over 250 art therapists and students from 25 countries participated by creating and mailing original postcard art to one another. The project aimed to foster collaboration, community, and cultural exchange among members of various art therapy organizations. It discusses the positive impact of connecting individuals facing isolation and the role social media now plays in maintaining international dialog within the field.

1. Postmarks from Planet Art Therapy:
Art Therapy Without Borders
International Postcard Art Exchange

2. In 2010, Art Therapy
Without Borders
organized a collaborative
art event where art
therapists and art
therapy students living all
over the world
participated in an
international postcard art
exchange. This
presentation features the
project, its impact, and
the role of art and social
networking to connect
the art therapy
community
worldwide.

3. Founded in 2010,
ATWB is dedicated to
promoting international
art therapy initiatives in
mental health,
healthcare, & education
worldwide

4.  To allow community members from the Art Therapy
Alliance, International Art Therapy Organization, and
Art Therapy Without Borders to receive postcard art
from art therapists and art therapy students living all
over the world and to learn about each other's work
and interests worldwide.
 Create community, collaboration, and connection for
the international art therapy community

5. Mail art is a worldwide cultural movement that involves
sending art through the international postal system.
The term networking is often used to describe Mail Art
activities, based on the principles of barter and equal
one-to-one collaboration. The Mail Art phenomenon
has gradually migrated to the Internet, whose “social
networks” create opportunities for the interactive
processes of postal collaborations.
Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_art

6. No special theme or media was designated to use.
A reminder was given that postcard art will go to destinations around the
world and should be able to withstand this travel!
Nancy Dominque
Art Therapist, Belgium

7. Include a brief paragraph about your work as an art therapist or art
therapy student. Include whatever you think is interesting about your
work/studies in art therapy and what art therapy is like where you live.

9. Art therapists and art therapy students participated from:
Singapore, France, Slovac Republic, Canada, Ireland,
Australia, the UK, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, South
Korea, Belgium, New Zealand, Hungary, Honduras, the
United States, South Africa, Germany, Peru, Bulgaria,
Indonesia, Jamaica, Chile, and Hong Kong, China.
Over 250 participants in 25 countries

10. The term Social Media refers to the
use of web-based and mobile
technologies to turn communication
into an interactive dialogue.
Social media are media for social
interaction, as a superset beyond
social communication. Enabled by
accessible communication techniques,
social media substantially change the
way of communication between
organizations, communities, as well as
individuals.

11.  Promotion and Participation
 Administration, Photo, & Video Sharing
 Global Connection, Dialogue & Networking
 Participant Sharing & Blogging
 Project Archiving

12.  Global networking among art therapy community
 Empowered art-making
 Created inspiration and hope
 Facilitated connection and a sense of community
 Decreased isolation
 Learning opportunity and awareness

13. “We believe that there is an
invisible and unbreakable red
thread connects all those who
are destined to meet and to be
together. Through the ATWB
postcard exchange project,
we’re connected via a red
thread and a little piece of the
attached art made by me a
few days ago.”
Fiona Chang
Expressive Art Therapist
Hong Kong

14. I’ve received some postcards already, each time it is very
exciting. I’ve really enjoyed this process of art making. It has
also made me feel more connection with “our” community.
~Laurie Jarcho, Art Therapist New Haven, Connecticut

15. “This postcard art exchange
gave me a lot of things. Process
of creating my postcard helped
me in different ways: I've found
my motto, defined my job more,
gave me inspirations to my art-
project. Thanks for all those 16
postcards what I’ve got from
thousands of kilometers far
countries. It was a very good
feeling to know about everyone
in the world who use art-making
for healing and helping people.
As for isolation, this connection
makes me stronger”.
~ Monica Kiraly, Budapest, Hungary

16. Each of my postcards have a thread on it which represents a
symbolic weaving between all of us. I am enthusiastic about
this exchange and I hope to meet each of you one day!
~Michela Baretti, Art Therapist, Piario, Italy

17. Yen Chua, Singapore Caroline Maby, France

18. Louise Garland, Ireland
Elitsa Velikova, Bulgaria

19. Michelle Gerber, Greece
Danielle Deeke, Germany

20. Janet McLeod, New Zealand
Jihyun Hwang, South Korea

21. Mariana Santistevan, Peru
Anriet van Deventer-South Africa

22. Debbie Anderson, Canada
Renald Navilly, Australia

23. Ardhana Riswarie, Indonesia Johanna Pohlmann, Honduras

24. Lesli-Ann Belnavis, Jamaica
Jana Ratraova, Slovakia

25.  Summary of work/studies, art therapy interests
 Hope for art therapy to become more recognized
 Enthusiasm & passion for art therapy
 Including website, blog, Facebook page, e-mail
 Large participation from students, new professionals
 Educators introducing project to students
 Gratitude towards project, intention, and participants

26.  Individuals who signed up for the exchange and did
not or could not follow through with making &
sending postcards
 Change in mailing address, misplaced mailing lists
 How to safely mail postcard art, mail/post delivery
 Making/Sending original art vs. reproduced art?

27.  ATWB Facebook Page
 Google Virtual
interactive map
 atwb.org: Postcard Art
Slideshow

28. atwb.org
arttherapywithoutborders.org
Gretchen Miller MA, ATR-BC
gretchen@atwb.org