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LOCAL Thursday 8 OcTOber 2020

Recovery through Creativity

a new series

Continued from Page 8 mental health therapy but as one part of a pos- menting the 17 sustainable developing goals,
itive lived experienced which prioritizes human let’s not forget that the human being is at the
The arts on their own are therapeutic and have flourishing and does not see success based core of any type of development. For now, I
proven to be catalysts for recovery processes. solely on academic achievement (Jeanette am wishing you and your loved one’s peaceful-
Creative projects involving art, drama, poetry Earl, 2020). ness, tranquility, and a sound mind and heart.
and music (such as the UNOCA CARES proj- Aruba, we will get through this roller coaster ride
ects) offer spaces where meanings can be Moving Forward together.q
produced, different roles can be investigated On Saturday October 10 2020, I want to encour-
safely, confidence can be heartened and self- age you to take the time and focus on your
acceptance cultivated. well-being. The link between creativity and im-
These are the essential ingredients of recovery. proved mental health is now well established
In the school setting, mental health is more of so, could a return to arts and creativity be the
a concern than ever for teachers and for stu- answer? What are the aspects in your life that
dents. What we must ensure therefore is that can benefit of creativity? We will discuss this
creativity in all its forms is recognized and cele- more in depth in the upcoming column series
brated within the recovery curriculum and that “Recovery through Creativity”. As we look at
art and culture is valued not just as a proven the upcoming 10 years and our efforts in imple-

Biography - Thaïs G. Franken (25) is a recently graduated Aruban student at the University of Maastricht
(UM). She obtained her graduate double master of science degree in Public Policy and Human Develop-
ment in collaboration with the United Nations University Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute
on Innovation and Technology (UNU-MERIT). Back home, on the beautiful island of Aruba, she completed
her Bachelor of Arts in Organization, Governance & Management (OGM) at the University of Aruba (UA),
where she successfully defended her thesis titled “Placing Culture and Creativity at the Heart of the Aru-
ban Sustainable Development”. It was precisely this research project that inspired the emergence of the
“Creative Islander” column in 2018. Thaïs is very passionate about topics such as sustainability, innovation,
culture, creativity, social entrepreneurship and their role in public management. Next to her academic in-
terests, she enjoys reading, writing, dancing and cooking.