We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Susan Falck. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Susan below.

Susan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

As a teenager, I knew I was artistic and I had a deep desire to create. I participated in Art classes and contributed to school projects with pen and ink drawings. As a 30 year old young wife and mom of 3, we didn’t have much money for extras like Art supplies. I was always gathering wild materials to weave into baskets. My 10 year old son and I would go on walks in the forest looking for wild Honeysuckle vines and exposed roots of Cedar trees. Red Ozier Dogwood and willows in Spring wove into beautiful colorful twig baskets.
I yearned to have people see the creative and unusual baskets I made with wild materials. Our local newspaper called me for an interview and wrote a story about my craft. Shortly after the article was published, the Art Association in a nearby town held an annual “ArtWalk” and invited me to participate. This type of showing my baskets opened doors and several of my baskets sold to people from other states.
Soon, I felt like I could call myself a true artist.
However, my path changed course. After working for a private boarding school for teens, I decided to attend college at 38. At the end of 6 solid years of study and 2 more in residency, I began my career as a clinical social worker in private practice. Utilizing creativity in alternative ways of helping people heal became the focus of my career for the next 20 years. There still existed in me a deep desire to create and make art.
After I retired 4 years ago, I went through some traumatic experiences and huge transitions which left me emotionally drained and in therapy.
To cope, I began creating. I felt better the more I created. I felt inspired to create a journal using collage and quotes. I started using paint for journaling. I was excited to heal and learn more about myself through painting expression. This inspired me to take an intensive course and become a certified Art Practitioner. I could use it to help others if I chose to.
Taking risks and sharing some paintings on social media lead to such a positive responses from others. Our local Art Association invited me to join them! I was honored and as “Artist of the Month,” I showed my Art in three different places for three months.
I’ve now sold 20 paintings.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As a retired professional, I now have more time for art. When I first got back to a focused and direct art journey, I found that the paintings I created were very different from what I could find elsewhere. While I have many artists who have inspired me, I feel my art is unique and others are saying, “Your art makes me feel happy” or “I love the layers of color you use” or “How do you capture these images and colors?” I answer that my art comes from my soul. It expresses the layers of me and in me. There are layers in all of us. The are layers in our histories; in humanity. Where we come from…our ancestors are our layers too. We all have a landscape, a story, a journey. My work represents the exploration of these things that make us human.
I have discovered through sharing my art with others, we are more truly alike than we are different. People tell me what they see in themselves when they look at the landscapes of my art work. It is the work of art that reflects me, speaks to me, and speaks to others. I moves us on many levels. My art has healed me over and over and I think it inspires and heals others too.
My goal for further inspiration, learning, and development will certainly be to continue to share the healing aspects of art. To assist others in discovering how making art heals the body and mind.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience has many definitions. For me resilience means to have the capacity to be successful, happy, after recovery from setbacks, traumas, disasters, tragic events. Having recovered from multiple adverse childhood experiences and several tragic events as an adult, my own deep of sense of creativity and Art helped/helps me to navigate and process difficult emotions. It seems when humans experience serious trauma, certain coping skills become walls, barriers, and guards preventing us from being flexible and open. Those ways of coping protect us when safety isn’t present. Some experiences can become unsayable. Especially in children.
My father died when I was 8 years old. 60 years ago, some adults in my life believed in protecting children from feelings, especially around death. Kept from attending his funeral, I did not get to say goodbye. Other traumatic events proceeded after losing him but I struggled throughout my childhood and adolescent years with his death. I wrote poems, made art, and danced to express some of my emotions. Some of my coping was not positive. Art teachers and writing teachers in High School encouraged me because they saw talent in my expressions. It sunk in but I used my skills and talents less and less as I entered young adulthood. As a married woman and Mom of 3 at 25 years old, I was unsure of living my life. Soon I was in behavioral health therapy and taping into these ways of expressing again.
Art & Creative expression was the vehicle to healing and help for me. This led me to help others first going to college. Then by training in and using creativity, play, art, music, role-play and dance movement with many of my clients while I practiced clinically in my career of 20 years. This use of expression is authentic and genuine because it comes from the soul within us. Creative arts expression provide the means for our brains, hearts, and bodies to integrate and for us to be in control.
Witnessing people heal, learn they were stronger than they know and transforming their lives in positive ways was an honor for me. Without my own experiences and use of Art in different forms, I certainly would not have been able to provide such powerful interventions for the folks I helped. I would not have healed and transformed my own life without the use of artistic expression. Resilience is a powerful concept. Not everyone experiences resilience. It requires a person to have strong and practiced coping skills and to master and command their available resources, ask for help, and find ways to manage situations and challenges.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Rewards as an artist started when I took risks. Those risks came when I was vulnerable. Learning that I was brave required me to become exposed; to begin to express what I thought, felt, experienced. At first it is frightening. What would people think if they truly knew how and what I thought? What would happen? Would I be somehow more damaged? I could not put words to these things. When I was given permission and support, I made art. I used words to explain my art. Through the process, I learned to identify colors associated with my emotions and feelings. Symbolic meanings emerged. This process of self-discovery was liberating. I felt better. My self-esteem grew. Healing was the reward. I sought more.
Over a 40 years journey, many events and developmental changes have occurred as they naturally do in this life. 4 years ago I experienced several stressors and more tragedy. I retired from practice.
Having the lifelong knowledge of my best coping skills, ART and creativity, I began watercolor painting again. I felt better. I was coping with my rollercoaster emotions while talking with my therapist. I was again discovering more about myself. It was easier to expose my innermost thoughts and feelings.
What transpired next was exciting. I began to share on Facebook and friends/people loved my art. I made art part of my daily routine. I shared it. A friend and art teacher invited me the show my art as a member of the local Artist Association. Another group of artists held an art show and invited me to participate. After sharing my art affirmation cards at a Sand Play Therapy conference with other therapists, the group’s administration recognized me as a “real” artist. The World Association of Sand Therapy Professionals WASTP asked me to create an artist’s depiction of the concepts of Competence for their Annual Conference the following Spring. They were “Blown Away” by my art. It was a great honor for me.
Creative expression has gifted me with the intensive healing. Through my personal journey of artistic expression, I was guided to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Registered Play Therapist and Supervisor, an Art Therapy Practioner, leading to the positive outcomes of helping others on their healing journey. And now, sharing my own artistic creations with the community where I live. I reflect back and I see how far I have evolved as a person and an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://suzysellsandtrayminiatures.com
• Facebook: [email protected]

Image Credits

These are my own photos