-- Melody Lima, studio artist

Most of us believe that artists play a special role in society. Art reveals new ways to learn about, understand and connect with other people. Yet declaring oneself to be an artist is not something many of us can do with confidence. However, the more than 125 artists who work at Creativity Explored, a nonprofit visual-art center in San Francisco where artists with developmental disabilities create, exhibit and sell art, can say this with the greatest of certainty.

Thirty years ago, most people did not think of people with developmental disabilities as being inventive or artistic. Creativity Explored was founded in 1983 on the principle that people of all intellectual, emotional and physical abilities are capable of artistic achievement. Today, adults working and exhibiting at Creativity Explored have established themselves as talented artists making significant contributions to the Bay Area art scene.

A personal language
Art often speaks for itself, but in many cases the art at Creativity Explored speaks for the artist. Many of our studio artists speak different languages -- or do not speak at all, being unable to communicate with others using spoken language. Each of them has a developmental disability, and over 30 percent are dually diagnosed with anxiety disorder, clinical depression, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and other psychiatric and physical disabilities. Artists working at Creativity Explored are between 22 and 80 years of age and come from diverse backgrounds. Regardless of their age, background and ability, adults at Creativity Explored use visual art as their own personal language to share culture, experiences and feelings.

Expressions of awe
Many artists work in isolation. Creativity Explored shines a spotlight on the art-making process by inviting the public inside our open studio. Because Creativity Explored serves some of the most stigmatized and vulnerable residents of the community, one of our greatest accomplishments is providing a safe environment where studio artists and the public can connect and build personal relationships. Each studio artist is treated with respect as a productive, expressive person. As a result, many lasting friendships have been made with other artists, volunteers, staff, neighborhood residents and patrons.

We delight in watching people's faces when they enter the gallery and studio for the first time. It's wonderful to see their preconceived notions disappear and be replaced with expressions of awe. Visitors are often surprised when they experience the sheer outpouring of creativity and talent that happens within our walls.

Creativity: catalyst for personal empowerment
Many studio artists, such as Melody Lima, have developed a positive self-image and successful vocation by creating artwork over the past 25 years. Working on their own or with assistance from one of our professional instructors, Creativity Explored studio artists use the creative process as a catalyst to increase their independence and productivity, their sense of belonging to a community, and their feelings of self-worth -- all benefits that carry over into other aspects of their daily life. In the words of studio artist Michael Bernard Loggins, "Life at Creativity Explored is terrifical*."

"*Terrifical, adj. Something that excites you and is like the Spanish word for beautiful (bonita). ex. People that we love (like Michael for example) are so terrifical in a special way that we don't want them to leave out of the world."

- Michael Bernard Loggins, Imaginationally