Art provides many opportunities to express ourselves and help us make sense of the complex world around us.

Ann E. Lawton believes that art has the potential to heal, transform and empower individuals and communities. As a Registered Art Therapist, she has worked with inmates, domestic abuse survivors, young adults with depression and anxiety, addicts and individuals with cognitive impairments. Lawton received her Bachelors of Science in Broad Area Art with a minor in psychology from the University of Wisconsin—River Falls and her Masters in Science in Art Therapy from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. She teaches fulltime in the art department at UWRF and conducts adult and child art enrichment classes at Fox Den Books in River Falls.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx