My Art Therapy Journey
I’ve lived a risky life that’s included several close brushes with death.
In 1985, I flew over the handlebars of my motorcycle trying to avoid a deer while driving too fast in the Berkeley hills. I landed on my face and knocked out my two front teeth.
This and other exploits caught up with me in 2000 when I suffered debilitating spasms in my neck and back that were later tied to the previous injury. Surgery then physical therapy helped a bit.
But when I came upon art therapy in 2014, I found the best way to manage my pain.
Recent medical research* has strongly shown that by distracting the mind from pain signals, art therapy can reduce the perception of pain.
The physical feedback when folding and assembling a star can sometimes also generate nurturing moments of flow.
My first efforts in art therapy focused on creating tesselation artwork for iPhone screens, which I then offered to friends and family.
At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I experimented with creating “origami-like” paper sculptures.
My first design featured 8-pointed stars based on a common 8-sided origami shape. I had to design a custom version so the eight pieces fit together perfectly to create the star. Lots of trial and error to get the piece width right.
Another “trial and error” journey in 2021 produced the design for a 12-pointed star. This opened up new design possibilities that I continue to explore.
I started donating Gratitude Stars to frontline workers at the Petaluma Health Center during my monthly visits. I would bring a collection of 4-5 stars and hand them out at the various suites within the center.
I also gifted stars to the friendly clerks at USPS when I was shipping stars I had created for friends and family back East (I’m from NJ).
And I donated stars to helpful workers at Safeway.
Your stars are so detailed and colorful. I have one at home and another here in the office. Great work!
USPS Clerk
I was having such a bad day when you were here before. The next day, I almost cried when I saw the star you left for me. Thank you!
Safeway Checker
The digital mock-ups of possible stars are amazing. It makes it so easy to find the perfect set of colors. Thanks!
Petaluma Health Center Nurse
We love seeing you come by with your new stars. People ask about them all the time and they brighten up the lab.
Petaluma Health Center Lab Tech
My brother loves the star you made in the Miami Dolphins’ team colors! He was blown away!
Petaluma Transit Bus Driver
These stars are so complex! How did you ever come up with the design? Awesome work.
USPS Driver
I gave one to my boss and the people I work with to say thank you for being part of my community.
College Administrator
I started selling Gratitude Stars in 2021 but I still gift stars to workers at the Petaluma Health Center, USPS, Safeway, and other Petaluma venues because I like to pay it forward to people who help others.
Creating and gifting Gratitude Stars helps me in so many ways:
• It distracts me from chronic pain
• I love when the whole emerges from the parts
• And taking in the smiles on peoples’ faces when they
first see their stars
I’ve lived a rich and meaningful life, filled with wonderful friends, caring family members, and supportive mentors who helped open doors that profoundly changed my life.
And Art Therapy has made it so much better than it could have been without it.
If you would like to see information about my previous careers as an MIT-educated engineer, an award-winning PBS science documentary filmmaker (Peabody and Emmy awards), and an acclaimed educational and health game designer, please see my companion website: bobhonedesigner.com.
