Capstone Project Proposal Draft
Name of student: Maria Yousef
Date: March 6th, 2024
Teacher: Lara Lacroix
Capstone strand I have chosen is Product Strand
Proposed title for my project: Arts & Mental Health
What is your inquiry question that interests you for further research? It should be a question that
connects with a purpose, passion or personalized area of interest for you. This is a question that
you cannot just google an answer for. Please see examples from your Capstone booklet.
My inquiry question is:
How does creating art pieces improve people’s mental health status?
Rationale/context:
Detail your reasons for choosing this inquiry question. Explain WHY you are choosing to
investigate this topic as a major area of focus. How does this area of inquiry connect to your
passion(s), purpose? Why is it of personal interest to you?
This major is very improttant to me personally because I believe that arts such as painting,
drawing, and colouring are extremely helpful for mental health and depression improvements
and turning it into happy emotions and better health in general.
Background:
What background knowledge/connections/prior learning do you have in this area of inquiry?
My background connections for this topic are various personal experiences with sad, anger,
breakdowns and depression emotions. I then improved those emotions by practicing my
favourite relaxing activity, painting, as a way of letting my feelings out in a form of an art piece.
This helps me relax, and calm down, and improves my overall health.
Career connections:
What is your intended career area at this point in time? What connections does this inquiry
question have to your life, academic and/ or career goals?
My intended career area is to be a physical therapist because I’m very passionate about
helping others as much as I can. My capstone project focus on helping other people mentally
but I wanted to also help them physically by being a physiotherpist in the future. This career
path is not just an idea but I ineed applied for post-secondary for kinesiology major and I am
planning to take a master’s degree in physical therapy after my bachelor’s degree in
kinesiology.
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Capstone Presentation medium:
select one or more project mediums you wish to use to present your project. Outline and
give details about how you will present your project once completed. You may use a
combination of mediums.
o Electronic portfolio: Prezi or PPT
o Physical portfolio
o Website
o imovie presentation
o YouTube channel
Electronic Profolio (PPT)
Description of my Capstone project.
Specific Project Details of the Capstone Project: what will you research, create, study,
produce, solve, investigate? What product will be produced at the end of this project for
evaluation. Write a one-page description outlining your proposal.
In my capstone project, I focus on the engagement with arts and paintings positively
impacts mental health, relaxation, and stress reduction. I tend to explore many artistic
modalities, such as painting, drawing, and sculpting, to understand their therapeutic
effects on others.
My research will be based on studies that prove that practicing art methods improve
mental heath for others, in such ways as art therapies and many more. My research
studies are about engaging in arts and paintings could help alleviate mental health
problems by providing a creative outlet for expression, promoting relaxation, reducing
stress, and fostering self-awareness and emotional exploration. Creating art allows people
to express their feelings and thoughts in a constructive way, leading to improved
theirmood and a sense of accomplishment. I am working on sharing other people’s
experiences in my project through me interviewing them and learn more about their point
of view about arts and mental improvement.
The scientific reason behind my project’s purpose is painting and drawing specifically
have been shown to improve mental health and aid in relaxation and stress reduction due
to their impact on the brain's neurotransmitter levels. Creating art stimulates the release of
dopamine (the happiness felling hormone), the chemical associated with pleasure and
reward. This dopamine release promotes feelings of happiness and satisfaction,
counteracting stress and anxiety. Engaging in artistic activities activates the brain's reward
pathway, similar to activities like exercise or listening to music, leading to a sense of
accomplishment and relaxation.
I am planning to create about three canvas paintings, with each canvas representing a
specific emotion or situation that I will thoroughly explain. Each painting will serve as a
visual narrative, inviting people to immerse themselves in the intricacies of the depicted
emotion or scenario. By offering detailed explanations alongside the artworks, my goal is
to provide people with insight into the underlying themes and personal significance behind
each piece, fostering a deeper connection and understanding of the human psychology. I
aspire to not only explore my own emotional landscape but also to create meaningful
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conversations about mental health and the power of artistic expression in navigating life's
challenges.
In my project, I intend to develop inspiration from artists wihin my community, seeking to
refine my skills through studying their techniques and approaches and how they express
the meaning on their artwork. I plan to use my technology to access a meaningful
resources for further research, allowing me to understand the themes and concepts I wish
to explore in my artwork.
I’m also planing making small art workshops for middle-school kids in my community
along with on making interviews with other people from different backgrounds, inviting
others from different ages to share their personal experiences and insights on the
emotions and situations. I hope to infuse authenticity and depth into my art-based studies
and project, offering others a multifaceted perspective on people’s condition. For the
materials i will nead, I intend to utilize simple and affordable materials, ensuring that my
creative process remains inclusive and approachable to all people.
Resources/ Technology/Skills: Make an assessment of the resources, technology and
skills you will need to be able to complete this project. What is your plan to be able to
access/learn all of the resources necessary to achieve completion of this project? Detail
your plans.
− Explore and cultivate artistic techniques to enhance skill development.
− Use technology to find valuable resources for upcoming research endeavors.
− Make interviews with others to amplify diverse experiences and narratives.
− Prioritizing simplicity and affordability in sourcing materials for the project.
− Gather inspiration from artistic influences to refine and expand my skills.
− Use technological tools to uncover resources for ongoing exploration and studies.
Mentors/Community Connections: What types of mentor(s)/community connections will
you need to help you complete your capstone project? How will your mentor(s) help you?
What is your plan to access the mentorship/community connections necessary for this
project?
I am planning to connect with mentors through social media and reaching out to art
influencers on Instagram. My mentors will help me by guiding me through.
Project limitations: What are some project limitations and potential obstacles that you foresee
that might affect progress with your Capstone Project?
- Time
- Deadlines
- Shortage on materials
- Stress
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Other considerations: List and detail any other related information/ considerations about
your project that you feel should be included in your project proposal.
I wanted to create small workshops for kids around grade 4 to 7 in my church community to
share their delightful experience when creating artistic pieces in their own unique ways. I will
document the process by filming the kids while they’re working on their art pieces and
including it in the interviews video.
References:
On a BLANK PAGE ADD YOUR REFERENCE LIST. Your list should be written using
correct APA formatting. An example is provided on page 20 of your Capstone booklet.
THIS IS NOT YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW BUT A REFERENCE LIST OF ALL THE
ARTICLES FOUND IN YOUR LITERATURE REVIEW.
References
Parr, H. (2006). Mental Health, the Arts and Belongings. Transactions of the Institute of British
Geographers, 31(2), 150–166.
Anderson, F. E., & Landgarten, H. (1973). Art in Mental Health: Survey on the Utilization of Art
Therapy. Studies in Art Education, 15(3), 44–48.
Eakin, M. (2003). Arts and health. Journal of Public Health Medicine, 25(1), 84–85.
Van Lith, T., Fenner, P., & Schofield, M. (2011). The lived experience of art making as a
companion to the mental health recovery process. Disability and Rehabilitation, 33(8),
652-660.
Van Lith, T. (2016). Art therapy in mental health: A systematic review of approaches and
practices. *The Arts in Psychotherapy, 47*, 9-22
Porter, G., Epp, L., & Bryant, S. (2000). Collaboration Among School Mental Health A
Necessity, Not a Luxury. Professional School Counseling, 3(5), 315–322.
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