Creativity in Captivity for Incarcerated Mothers: Healing Trauma, Expressing Struggle, and Communicating with Children

• In Event: Lightning Talk: From Cells to Solutions: Future Research Directions through Carceral Citizen Creativity

Abstract

This study explores artistic expression as a means for incarcerated mothers to cope with separation trauma, reclaim individuality, and voice injustices. In patriarchal societies, motherhood is deeply tied to identity, self-worth, and social responsibility. The inability to fulfill maternal duties while incarcerated leads to emotional distress, identity erosion, and prolonged trauma. However, art serves as a powerful tool for self-expression, resistance, and healing, allowing incarcerated mothers to communicate their pain, reconnect with their children, and challenge societal perceptions of imprisonment. An analysis of Interrupted Life and individual works reveals how creativity fosters resilience, humanizes incarcerated parents, and bridges the gap between those inside prison walls and their children. This study deepens our understanding of systemic failures disproportionately impacting incarcerated birthing parents and highlights art as both a survival mechanism and a testament to enduring maternal bonds. This project encourages discussions and future collaborations on distinctions in art created by mothers who maintain contact with their children versus those who do not, exploring how visual expression reflects emotions such as grief and isolation versus love and longing.

Author

• Megan Rodriguez, American University