“The Power of my Words”

1. “The Power of my Words” I felt his image is the most powerful of them all. I felt it necessary to express the anxiety I am now faced with using my artistic ability. In December 2009, my five-year protection order expired. He has been free of the burdens of his crimes for over a year.

2. Natalie SpiertArtist statementI have used my artistic ability and sense of creativity as a tool to cope with and work through the strong, negative events, and emotions that have stemmed from my past. Through printmaking (serigraph and lithography), I found the ability to express my intense emotions and triumphs over my past that makes me who I am today. It is important to me that my work helps others who have had the same, or a similar experience to feel as though they are not alone. The ultimate goal of my work is not shock or scare viewers, but rather to provide an inspirational message to a subject that many find unnerving.The process of creating is more important to me than the final product. Through the process of creating my work I have been able to address emotions that I struggled to face, and the feelings I strived to overcome. Sexual violence is a topic many people are uncomfortable with, but my artwork is not about telling the story of my attack, it is about my journey to becoming a survivor.My goal is that my artwork helps eliminate stigmas surrounding sexual violence so often seen in our society.After graduation I plan to continue my education by earning a Masters in Social Work. From there I hope to dedicate my career to helping survivors of sexual violence. I would like to incorporate the use of art therapy together with cognitive therapy as a tool for survivors to use to express the difficulties they face while on the road to their personal recovery.

3. Thank You Natalie N. Spiert