In January 2024, the Graphic Artists on the FCSN Voices team launched a Digital Art Collaboration program. In this program, special needs students and graphic artists embark on a journey of artistic exploration over the course of four weeks. The resulting artwork proudly lives on the FCSN Voices website in an online gallery, showcasing special needs individuals’ combined talents and creativity.

The seed of this project was planted by Christy Ma, a graphic artist with a heart for teaching art, singing, and dancing to special needs students. Her vision extended beyond the newsletter’s informative role, aiming to foster a space that could connect, empower, and celebrate the unique contributions of special needs students through direct collaboration with the Graphic Artists team. “Let’s create a program where we work directly with special needs students,” she proposed, setting the stage to bring this idea to life. 

The program began to take shape through the collaborative efforts of Graphic Artists Team Lead Amanda Loh, the Graphic Artists, FCSN Voices Team Mentor Shelley Li, and the parent team in FCSN Voices, starting in August 2023. Shelley facilitated meetings among the graphic artists to synchronize efforts, offer teaching tips, share digital art resources, provide updates, and discuss areas for improvement. In addition to logistical support, Shelley collaborated with Amanda Loh and the team to design the display of the collaboration project on the website. By May 2024, the Graphic Artist team had completed the first round of students, which included 4 students out of the 16 initial sign-ups. Now, with a larger team and lessons learned from the first batch, they are diligently working on the second round, aiming to refine further and enrich the program.

Structured in short-term rounds, the program utilizes digital platforms such as Procreate, Krita, and Canva. These tools offer benefits and challenges: they are environmentally friendly, provide a wide range of colors and tools, and make corrections easy. However, they can also pose communication barriers and technical difficulties, especially for students new to digital platforms. Despite these challenges, students learn to express their ideas and emotions through art, gaining confidence and discovering new aspects of their creativity.

Amanda shared her experience with a once-initially shy student who gradually opened up, contributing ideas and enjoying the creative process. Amanda’s initial challenge was communication, but she successfully integrated her students’ ideas into their artwork by focusing on core tools and taking small steps. A particularly memorable moment for Amanda was the final session, where they combined multiple small drawings into one large piece. Her student was more comfortable and engaged by the end of the project, which indicates the trust and connection they had built. This collaboration project helped the student grow and allowed Amanda to witness the power of art in building connections and boosting confidence.

Christy Ma also shared her experience. She worked with a student whose enthusiasm to learn and create art infused the class with vibrant energy. Her student wanted to draw characters from TV shows, so Christy demonstrated how to do it. One of the most memorable moments for Christy was when she saw the progress her student made. Christy finds this project meaningful because it helps “destigmatize neurodiverse people by showing other people their artistic talent, and help them grow and develop their passion in art.”

With more FCSN students eager to become part of the project, the team is actively seeking to onboard additional graphic artists to accommodate the growing interest. Looking ahead, the team aims to improve communication with parents to keep them better informed and more involved. The forthcoming displays of the artworks on the FCSN Voices website will not only showcase the creative talents of the participants but also highlight the patience, teamwork, and shared vision that made these creations possible.