Terra Nova
Art Therapy for Immigrants, Refugees and Asylum Seekers.
Terra Nova is a new project fueled by an overwhelming sense of emergency and through witnessing an increasing number of displaced persons and families, and by realizing how much I feel connected and identify with this group of people.
I am three times an immigrant.
“Moving three times is as bad as one fire.”
I am certainly feeling burned. Or maybe burned out. And still burning strong.
The Terra Nova art therapy is for those who experienced displacement, loss, grief, depression, anxiety, identity loss, being overwhelmed, misunderstood, or undervalued due to willing or unwilling relocation.
How long does it take to settle and feel “normal”, or be part of the new society?
To the 100% - never.
Refugees and asylum seekers have higher rate of being traumatised than immigrants. And still, I feel the deepest sense of loss, like someone pulled a piece of me and never returned it. Healing takes time, effort, and lots of tears and support. In the end, you can live your life fully, but you always feel scarred.
Being a refugee or asylum seeker often comes with the additional physical trauma of being tortured, punished, and humiliated, as well as with the fear of being caught, a nagging feeling of shame, and guilt about leaving.
Art therapy is the tool I trust, I understand. I feel that art therapy is gentle enough to absorb severe pain without bringing additional hurt and versatile enough to stimulate healing no matter how deep is the wound.
As a three-time immigrant, I witnessed all stages of loss, grief, assimilation, rehabilitation, and integration. For me, serving, helping, and healing immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, is a way of healing myself. A deep and personal understanding of the process helps me to do the job well.
Restoring your sense of identity does not have to take years and years, and a lonely fight on your own. All of us at some point received help from another immigrant, or another fellow refugee or asylum seeker. Connecting with people who understand what you are going through, and who know how to help and who are professionally trained, gives hope and reassurance that life can be better, and that pain can go away soon.