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Martinez'
cartoon motivates addiction recovery
By Steve
Carr
When
James Martinez sits down to draw a cartoon, it is usually thought
provoked by a particular situation, issue or current event.
The former
Daily Lobo editorial cartoonist, who still applies his penchant
for drawing in his position as administrative assistant III at
the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse and Addictions, has
a special talent that can turn a statement into a humorous visual.
When
I was an editorial cartoonist, I was motivated by whatever ticked
me off or whatever sparked my outrage, Martinez said. Something
like a blatant abuse of power or a bald-faced lie coming out of
the government. If it gets me going that way, it gets me rolling
with an idea.
Martinez
picked up cartooning, along with short film-making, at an early
age and it has been instrumental in his life.
A neighbor
got me interested in film-making at age 11, Martinez said.
He showed us some home movies and we said why dont
we make our own? The cartooning evolved about the same time.
If I had an idea, I would draw it. It was pretty crude (drawing)
at the time, but I enjoyed it enough to keep doing it.
For 10 years
Martinez toiled at the Daily Lobo where drawing cartoons helped
him earn a bachelors degree in Political Science.
Cartooning
kept me in school, Martinez said. If I didnt
have that as an outlet, I wouldnt have finished.
As an administrative
assistant, Martinez is coordinating a project for a program called
Evaluating Methods for Motivational Enhancement Education
or EMMEE at CASAA, and has been able to incorporate his cartooning
skill and humor.
Im
honored to be working with the people at CASAA in particular Dr.
William Miller and Dr. Caroline Yahne, my director, said
Martinez. It allows me to use some of my cartooning skills
with the work we do. Dr. Miller is the founding father of the
Motivational Interviewing (M.I.) tools and Dr. Yahne has expanded
on his work while being Dr. Millers Co-Investigator for
the past 20 years. She has trained people internationally in M.I.
for the past eight years. Its great working with them.
As part of
the EMMEE program, Martinez created a cartoon in Spanish that
simulates a scene in Star Trek in outer space. A giant finger
is pointing to the Starship Enterprise saying, Tu debes
de bla, bla, bla
meanwhile, the crew inside the Enterprise
is saying ¡Escudo deflector activado a todo
poder!
Essentially
the finger (CASAA) is saying You should do this
while the Enterprise (patients) is saying Raise deflector
shields. Full power ahead.
The cartoon is designed to motivate potential participants to
become a part of the program.
James
thought of the whole concept, said Yahne. It tailors
the motivational technique to Hispanics. The method is designed
to help people change their behavior. The shaking finger tells
people that smoking is bad, but people tune out the message. They
often put up deflector shields. It illustrates how the process
doesnt work. Im really proud of James. It is an interesting
and insightful concept.
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