For years and years art has been a unique form of expression and communication among people. From sign language to emoticons, art proves its worth everywhere. Art is a tool that can reveal the breakdown or make up of a mind. It is a process in which the artist can take the content of his/her consciousness and express it in painting, sculpture, music, literature or any other form of art. We can never deny the direct relationship between the content of an artist’s mind and his work. Even if a lay man who does not have any ideas about art was asked to create the simplest painting, whether it was worth displaying or not, his selection of colors would depict his state of mind.
The two-day art workshop was held at Depilex Saloon, Chaklala scheme-III, Rawalpindi on the 26th and 27th of August, 2013, organized by an Islamabad (Pakistan)-based consultant firm, MyPlace, for acid survivors carrying out psychological analysis.
The main concept behind conducting a workshop based on different art activities and painting sessions for burn victims was to bring out the hidden colors of their personality. The workshop was based on the psychological analysis created by the CEO of MyPlace, Ms. Saddaf Sohail, a behavioural consultant who runs a consultant firm based on the concepts of Behavioral Sciences. According to the data provided by DSF (Depilex Smile Again Foundation) none of theparticipants had any background in arts or colors but still showed remarkable performance under supervision of MyPlace staff and volunteers. On the first day of the workshop Dr. Hassan Urooj, Director Health CDA Islamabad, visited on the special request of MyPlace and spent quality time with the participants. He encouraged the activities and offered all the help that the Directorate of Health could offer the victims. He appreciated and admired the uniqueness of the activities that boosted the morale of acid victims and made them realize that they are an integral part of our society.
A psychological test, HTP, was also administered without the participants’ knowledge to share most of their thought processes. Participants were guided by the color expert, Ms. Samia Ehsan, with the help of a volunteer group of five students from Fatima Jinnah Women University. The Workshop not only provided a platform to gather information to analyze the participants’ state of minds but also turned out to be a cheerful event for burnt victims. They all enjoyed the interactive sessions and really appreciated the caring atmosphere provided to them by MyPlace.