Aislinn Ridley is a Board-Certified and Licensed Creative Arts Therapist in the state of New York, with over 12 years of extensive experience in the field of art therapy. Her professional journey has encompassed diverse settings, including outpatient psychiatric hospitals for children, K-12 schools, colleges, and independent living facilities for seniors.
Aislinn has worked with individuals across their lifespans, tailoring her approach to meet the unique needs of each population. Aislinn is deeply passionate about harnessing the power of creativity to foster healing and personal growth. She specializes in guiding individuals through the therapeutic creative process, helping them unlock their innate artistic potential to navigate life’s challenges. She believes art serves as a profound medium for self- expression and transformation, transcending conventional definitions of beauty. Her work is inspired by the words of Elizabeth Broun, “Art is not always about pretty things. It’s about who we are, what happened to us, and how our lives are affected.”
Do you see any parallels between the struggles of labor in the African American
community and the Biblical stories of struggle and redemption?
Working in the field of mental health has allowed me to witness a lot of the disparities in
the African American community. People of color in this field only make up about 6.5 % compared to 74.7% of all certified art therapists who are white. Latino or Hispanic therapists only make up about 10.2%. So, needless to say representation is very low. A lot of the populations receiving art therapy services are underprivileged communities
that lack a lot of the basic resources to thrive. One parallel I can see is the direct connection to poverty and lack of resources due to oppression and systematic racism in this country. Many times in the Bible we see a cycle of one group oppressing another either through taxation or enslavement. Sin is the ultimate result of this type of evil.
When humans don’t value each other as equal the end result is always the same. One group is left desolate and another prospers at the expense of the other.
What advice would you give to someone trying to find their path in both faith and
culture during our current social climate?
Remember that you have something unique to offer this world no matter what field you are in. God could have allowed you to be born during anytime but he chose now because you have special gifts and talents he wants you to use to uplift and to advocate for others who are less fortunate. Be the light wherever you are and walk in purpose keeping Him at the center of everything you do. Even when things don’t go the way you’re expecting or hope, trust that He is in control and no experience or circumstance you encounter is ever wasted.
