Believe — Steph Guillén

Feb 8

“Believe” (2023)

Art Intervention: What helped you through a difficult time in your life?
I decided to do a physical collage using magazines and gel pens for this exercise because I wanted to work with more structured media, and I was feeling cognitive/symbolic level energy. There was some tension in my chest as I flipped through magazines and cut out various pieces with which I noticed a connection. However, once I started piecing some of them on my board, the tension eased as a theme emerged that felt right to me. I listened to relaxing music as I worked and entered a flow state. I also asked the image what it needed along the way, and the answer always came to me.
After I finished, I added a clear acrylic coating to seal and protect my work. However, during the drying process, the coating caused wrinkles in the paper, which disappointed me and took away from my happiness with the finished piece. I imagine future clients working with similar media might also encounter anxiety or disappointment. Still, the work helped me solidify the core of what helped me through past rough times, and I believe the benefits of the directive would outweigh any discomfort a client might encounter during their creative journey.
In terms of my artwork, aside from the wrinkles, I feel happy with the piece and a connection to it. The Mo’ai represents me, looking to the cosmos for deeper meaning in the face of hardship. This artwork represents my connection to the cosmic realm, the insignificance of my problems (and myself) in the vast cosmic ocean, and my sacred uniqueness. It denotes intuition, the third eye, and believing that time will heal my wounds and that better days will come: no matter the hardship, this too shall pass.
The pyramid shows up in much of my art. Its symbolism is still a mystery I’m working to solve. I’ve had an unexplainable love for ancient Egypt since childhood (and my B.A. is in Middle Eastern Studies), and I’ve only recently discovered that I have a mysterious .6% Egyptian ancestry in my DNA. I wonder about a collective unconsciousness that may or may not be playing a role. I’ve written my name in Egyptian hieroglyphics below the pyramid. The butterfly, a common theme during some of my most trying times, flies into the cosmos, symbolic of freedom and the beauty of change. The cosmos, moon, and stars are additional elements common throughout much of my work and deserving of further investigation.

© Steph Guillén

I’m an art therapy and counseling master’s degree program student, as well as an artist, writer, and program director with a strong background in communications, photography, art, and job search/employment strategies. I have a passion for uplifting marginalized communities through means that champion knowledge, growth, and empowerment. My professional history largely resides in working with unemployed mid-to-high level executives, refugees, immigrants, and newcomers from the Middle East. I’ve advocated for and empowered these communities through the mediums of online graphic communications, writing, education, workshops, program development, and art.

I combine skills in art, graphics, photography, writing, project management, content creation, social media, advocacy/awareness initiatives, program development, and research to make a positive impact.

Certificates in: Positive Psychology, The Science of Well-Being, Creative Writing, Therapeutic Art Life Coaching, Career Brand Management, and Social Media Marketing. Education in Graphic Communications Technology, Photography, Middle Eastern Studies, and International Relations. Pursuing a competitive M.A. program in Art Therapy & Counseling.

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies while working full-time.

• Nominated for membership in Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society, Sigma lota Rho Honor Society, and The Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement.

• Recipient of the Global Goodwill Ambassador’s Humanitarian Award in recognition of years of impactful volunteer work, primarily in the refugee and international arena.

• Inducted into the Golden Key International Society with a 4.0 GPA in Middle Eastern Studies.

• Invited and accepted into the following committees and board: YMCA International’s Refugee College Scholarship Committee five years in a row, YMCA International’s Triumph of the Human Spirit Art Selection Committee two years in a row, United Nations Association of Houston Board Member & Global Classroom Liaison, World Refugee Day-Houston’s Panel Committee and Fundraising Committee.