Teens Confront the "Demons Within" Through Photography

Laguna Hills, CA, USA (SANEPR.com) September 3, 2008 -- Coping with problems such as body image, racial tension and even death, teenagers are reaching out to find new outlets for healing inner wounds, including expressing themselves through photography. The Summer ’08 issue of Life Images, a quarterly publication by Stampington & Company devoted to photo-journaling, presents an editorial feature on a group of teens from Pennsylvania that are using photography to help them address the challenges they are facing. By using art therapy, these students have been able to confront their challenges head-on and convey their frustrations in a constructive outlet.
“Facing the Demons Within” showcases the results of an art assignment completed by students from Central Dauphin High School. Led by teacher Michael Bricker, the students were instructed to “attempt to face [their"> inner fears” through black-and-white photography and journal writing. The ten-page article is an honest, heart-felt look at students dealing with cancer, racism, eating disorders, and social anxiety from their own perspective.
“We all carry around baggage, kids and adults alike, but too often students don’t know how to deal with these problems – they aren’t equipped to deal with them, and they often believe that they are alone in their struggles,” says art teacher Michael Bricker. “I wanted to encourage students to look into themselves and to write, draw and photograph the struggle, the pain, the triumph – everything. I wanted them to talk to me, to each other, to make connections … to get past the stigma attached (embarrassment, shame, etc.) and to admit their fears, struggles or problems.”
To date, two galleries in Pennsylvania have exhibited the students’ revealing images and words, and a brief documentary about the project can be found on YouTube. The Summer ’08 issue of Life Images is available on newsstands through September, or can be purchased directly from Stampington & Company online at www.stampington.com or over the phone at 1-877-782-6737. For more information about this release, including print-ready images, visit www.stampington.com/press.

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About Stampington & Company

Stampington & Company® is the publisher of Somerset Studio®, Somerset Memories™, The Stampers’ Sampler®, Art Doll Quarterly™, Take Ten™, Altered Couture®, Belle Armoire®, and 17 other premier art and crafting publications. The company also produces exclusive collections of rubber art stamps and artist papers. Information about Stampington & Company publications can be found on the Web at www.stampington.com.