NT_092018

14 | September 20, 2018 | The Northbrook tower news
northbrooktower.com
Northbrook studio helps artists discover hidden talents
Highland Park
resident uses art
to facilitate selfexpression
Daniel I. Dorfman
Freelance Reporter
Caren Miller, whose art studio is located in Northbrook, assists people — some with
physical and emotional challenges — by channeling their artistic ability through a
variety of mediums. Photo by Martin Carlino/22nd Century Media
On a simple level, Caren
Miller loves teaching art.
On a broader basis, she
loves what art can mean to
people.
“Art spans what people’s
situations are in life. I’m
able to reach them through
the use of art,” Miller said.
“I teach others how to use
art to facilitate emotional
growth and well-being, for
self-expression and communication.”
Miller, who has a studio
in Northbrook, assists people
— some with physical
and emotional challenges
— by channeling their artistic
ability through a variety
of mediums.
“I’ve always gravitated
toward going back and
helping people learn how
to find the gifts they have
within themselves and express
themselves,” Miller
said.
While her mother died
when she was very young,
Miller remembered art as
a way the two connected
and she has used that as a
foundation to reach out to
others.
“The people I work with
are often times in challenging
circumstances,” Miller
said. “How I learned to use
art was through my mom
and being able to make
that connection and being
able to reach out to other
people. That was the gift
she keeps giving.”
After college, Miller
embarked on a career in the
arts and three decades later
the journey is continuing.
There were her own creations
such as sculptures
and paintings that she
would sell on the market,
yet most of her time came
with assisting others as a
teacher or a mentor.
There were multiple
stops along the way from
private companies to park
districts and most of all,
at two schools in Northbrook
and Highland Park.
The venues may have
changed, but the possibilities
of what art can do for a
student have remained the
same, according to Miller.
“To me it is remarkable
how many people you can
reach,” Miller said of art
education. “It is not about
being an artist, it is about
expression. For a lot of us
it is hard to do that, through
art you are able to.”
There is no one specific
form of art she teaches.
Instead, she offers lessons
in different genres, which
may mean sculpting for
some, drawing for others.
“Whatever the medium
is they want to explore, I
help them,” Miller said.
“I help people find self-esteem,
I help them discover
their hidden talents.”
Among the people that
Miller has worked with
is Marissa Zelinger, 31,
who has Rett Syndrome, a
neurological disorder that
mostly hits females.
Caryn Zelinger, Marissa’s
mother, said she met
Miller through a mutual
friend approximately three
years ago. While cautious
at first since Marissa has
limited use of her hands,
Miller started working
with Marissa.
“I never pushed fine motor
skills through art because
I thought it would be
frustrating for (Marissa)
because of her significant
fine motor improvement,”
Caryn Zelinger said. “But
I decided to give it a shot
because I didn’t want to
leave any stone unturned.”
Miller started working
with Zelinger by first heating
up crayons and letting
them drip to see how a picture
can emerge. That was
followed by the two of
them working with a claylike
material where Marissa
can use her hands by
putting it on a canvas and
then Marissa could pull it
with her hands to strengthen
her hands and use color.
The collaboration has
paid dividends, according
to Caryn Zelinger.
“Marissa’s communication
has greatly widened
to express her feelings and
thoughts and she confides
in her as well,” she said.
“Obviously, she feels extremely
comfortable with
Caren who listens to her, is
encouraging, and accepting
of her.”
Miller added Marissa
discovered painting and
now she is able to communicate
via writing, which
she had never done before.
Miller’s success with
Marissa is just one example
of what art can accomplish.
“Through art we are
bringing people together
and they are sharing experiences
they never would
have had the opportunity
to and not see the strengths
in one another,” she said.
“So often we focus on
Josh Devries, one of the students Miller works with,
smiles for a photo with a variety of his sculptures.
Pictured is the work of Marissa Zelinger, who has Rett
Syndrome, a neurological disorder that impacts speech,
movement and communication. The work depicts
Chicago Cubs player Anthony Rizzo and features his
signature at the bottom of it. Photo Submitted
what other people can not
do, in this environment
it is all about seeing the
strengths or creativity or
the risk taking.”
A Highland Park resident,
in addition to her private
clients, Miller is the
art instructor at Hyde Park
Day School in Northfield,
and hopes that both adults
and children no matter
their personal circumstances
will see what art
can achieve.
“People are so afraid
to take risks and fail,”
she said. “In art you take
risks and fail all the time
but that failure is something
you can look at and
feel good about because it
takes you to the next step.
It is about problem solving
and dealing with everyday
challenges.”