about zoË
For many of my clients, art is a path to self expression and healing. A journey I understand myself. As a neurodiverse person diagnosed as gifted with profound dyslexia, dysgraphia and ADHD, I am passionate about using art as a platform to raise awareness for neurodivergence and how these diagnoses intersect with life and art, both for myself and the clients I work with.
ART AS SELF EXPRESSION
My art is a reflection and a conversation around the fact that I am neurodiverse. In my own practice I work with mixed media, which includes acrylic paint, found objects, paper, chalk, markers and pencils.
Making art is how I process information, which has led to the creation of thousands of drawings during my therapy session. The unique way that my brain works has required me to find ways to compensate and adjust, and the act of creating art has been one of the key ways I have been able to both process information and express my own unique lens on the world.
ART AS ADVOCACY
I strongly believe that art is a powerful tool for change.
I am always proud to share my work as a speaker and presenter. I have presented at events that range from youth conferences to mental wellness summits to professional development conferences for hospitals and paramedics.
As a practicing artist, I have had the honour to participate in multiple shows as both a participant and curator.
Many of these shows have worked to raise visibility for those who are often marginalized or underrepresented. name of show, was an exhibit I curated to raise awareness for the Transgender, Two-Spirit and Nonbinary community in the Yukon. This show allowed their voices to be heard in a safe way, supporting access to funding and support.
My most recent solo show This is How I Listen: The Art of Dyslexia brought the conversation on neurodivergence into the realm of the public through art, making it more accessible to individuals who often can feel invisible, struggling to conform to society. For me, the ability to share my own challenges and viewpoints gives permission to others to share theirs as well.
“I am passionate about the power of art to give voice to those who are often not heard in our society.“
Speaking Engagements & Presentations
- Artist Talk: This is How I listen, the art of Dyslexia, May 2021, CBC interview
- Podcast Deanne Barrett, MA March 2021
- World Leadership Summit, November 2019, Whitehorse, Yukon, led 180 people through an experiential art therapy exercise.
- The International Art Therapy Practice/Research Conference. London, England, July 2019. Transitioning into Visibility: Advocacy.
- Mental Wellness Summit, Whitehorse, Yukon, 2018. Gender and Sexual Orientation Inclusion Awareness by Armstrong, Z., Blodgett, C.. Sponsored by the Government of Yukon and the First Nations Partnership Committee.
- Transitioning into Visibility: How Art Supports Being Seen. Moving Trans History Forward, From Generation to Generation, by Armstrong, Z., Blodgett, C., Legault, E. Victoria, BC, March 2018. Presented by the Chair in Transgender Studies at the University of Victoria.
- Yukon Mental Wellness Summit 2017, Whitehorse, Yukon,, October 2017. Sponsored by the Government of Yukon and the First Nations Partnership Committee; Co-Presented: Transgender, Two-Spirit and Gender Nonconforming Sensitivity Initiative.
- Political Responses through Art Therapy, Creative Agency, Vancouver, B.C., October 2017
- Canadian and British Columbia Art Therapy Associations 2017 Conference, Vancouver, BC, October 2017. Presented: Transitioning into Visibility Workshop.
- Whitehorse General Hospital, Spring 2017 Paramedic Conference, Fall 2016
Publications
Walking With: An Emerging Dialogue with Art Therapists in the Cultural Commons
This work explores the theory and practice of art therapy, cultural differences, ethics in art therapy, the business of art therapy, and Open Studio models.
Armstrong, Z., Pedersen, H. (2023). Advocates for change. In Walking with: An emerging dialogue with art therapists in the cultural commons (pp. 108-118). Essenze.
Contemporary Practice in Studio Art Therapy
The first UK volume devoted to studio art therapy. It explores the contexts in which studio practice developed, its theoretical approaches and its current use in a variety of settings – some of which operate in the margins of art therapy practice and bring new ways of thinking about the studio approach. Edited by Christopher Brown and Helen Omand.
Armstrong, Z. (2022). Transitioning into visibility: Exhibiting art from a therapeutic group for the intended purpose of knowledge sharing, education, social action, and social change in a northern Canadian community. In Studio art therapy: Contemporary perspectives (pp. 117-125). Routledge.
Doctoral Dissertation
Armstrong, Z. (2020). Transitioning into visibility: A longitudinal, retrospective study tracing the social impacts of exhibiting therapeutic art created by transgender, two-spirit, and nonbinary individuals (Doctoral dissertation). Mount Mary University.