“There’s so much more we could do. Art isn’t just healing, art can make you thrive,” says Josi, the Art and Culture Program Coordinator at the Directions Drop-In Centre. She recently shared some stories from the program, which she has been running for two years.
These stories demonstrate what art can bring to young peoples’ lives. “If in the process of making art a youth discovers that they have a talent they didn’t think they had, they can now add that to their identity,” says Josi. “They can say ‘I am a poet, I am a musician’ and now they can start to think of themselves as belonging to this community of folks who are engaging in this practice.”
Through the program Josi has met many young people who have discovered these kinds of talents in themselves. Some are hoping to turn their creative practices into a career, whether it’s as a nail technician, comic book artist, writer, podcaster, interior designer, or music producer or performer. However, it doesn’t have to be about a career path for the youth to benefit.
Stories from Josi’s program show us how art gives youth the chance to connect with so much: their identity, community, dreams, and experiences. From poetry, outings in the community, and music to food harvesting, cooking, and painting, art and culture help us express and process things that are difficult to put into precise language. There’s something very human about creating and this is exactly why we work hard to make sure there’s an art program for the youth who come to the Directions Drop-In Centre.
Sometimes the art program is an entry point to supporting youth, Josi shares three stories illustrating this:
Opening Doors for Healing
“There was a youth with whom I’d do art for hours every Saturday: it became our ritual for a while. I eventually connected him with another worker, who helped him enroll in school.” But then something happened and he dropped out of school and even stopped coming to the art program. “He was still visiting the Centre and I noticed he developed a drinking habit which increased very quickly, and I got really worried.”
Josi decided to ask him how he was and let him know how much she cares about him. When she did, the youth opened up about his challenges and slowly began to attend her programming again. The Art and Culture Program is a good anchor for folks when they’re in their recovery journey because it can provide something to do, some structure, “and space to express and explore the chaos” explains Josi. Together, they came up with an aging out plan for the youth. “He’s aged out now, but he actually wrote me a really cute letter saying that art saved him. And that’s not the end of his story.”
Opening Doors for Connection
So much of the programming at Directions is about meeting youth where they’re at, with access to what they need. Connection is an immediate need; connection is the opposite of isolation. Art can be a foundation, of community and connection, to survive.
Josi shares, “I knew a youth who was struggling with self-harm, and they had opened up about how much they struggle with suicidal thoughts. We were connecting a lot through art.” Josi worried a lot about this youth’s wellbeing outside of their time together. She was eager to support them in making connections. “I knew they write songs. One day I had a facilitator come who was a songwriter too, and the youth attended. They really connected. And that was a pivotal moment where their story around self-doubt started to change.”
“Another time, I saw them bawling and went to talk with them and told them, ‘listen, we need to get to you connected with the Crisis Line.” Josi explained that she wanted to know they were safe and that they were going to stay safe. “They told me they used it.” Connections are lifelines. They remind us we have something to offer. They remind us that people care if we’re here. Week after week, Josi is making and fostering these kinds of connections with youth who attend the Art and Culture Program.
Opening Doors for Safety
During the art drop-in, youth typically work on self-directed projects. “In those moments of spending time together, folks open up over time. If I learn someone is struggling with housing, for example, I connect them with the right person. This program is an entry point to build relationships with others in the agency.”
One youth Josi worked with told her for months that she would come to an open art session and then wouldn’t show up. One day, she finally did. Then, she was there every week for months, exploring drawing and painting and even attending other workshops Josi planned. She started sharing with Josi about what things were like at home and it became clear that there were other support services she might benefit from, including Safehouse during rough periods at home.
“I get clear about the limitations of my role: I’m not a counsellor, but I am here to listen.” This listening puts Josi in the position where she can recommend programs, services, and supports to youth, based on what they want and need.
There’s More We Want to Do
This is only three stories. Josi has seen youth reconnect with Indigenous and other cultural identities, she’s teaching someone French, and she’s connected youth to music mentors. Through the Art and Culture Program, Josi has created safety plans with youth, made sure they had places to turn to, and helped them apply for jobs and find community resources. This program is building community and it’s opening doors.
There’s so much to the art and culture program that what you see on the surface – and there’s so much more we’d like to do with it. Help us open doors for unhoused youth: