Minor Assignment 1: The Formal Proposal

Please click here to view a PDF of my Formal Proposal: Saphir Maor Minor Assignment 1 Business Proposal

Minor Assignment 1 ENG-170-13: Writing and Rhetoric for Business

 

Mission Statement

Courage of New Paltz will provide the people of New Paltz with a unique model for art recreational therapy using a multi-staged process, including specialized sessions and a wide array of art supplies for the purposes of self-expression and exposing one’s vulnerability.

Vision Statement

We believe your voice is your canvas. Our vision is to offer a place of togetherness and to value clients/patrons as they experiment with various art techniques and media for displaying their struggles on a canvas.

Initial Ideas for My Business

Courage of New Paltz falls into the recreational art therapy sector which aims to improve stress, exploration, growth, and more. We plan to offer many treatment options from which clients can choose. For instance, the recommended service to start with is a free one-on-one session with one of the recreational therapists for free. This one-on-one session is unique, as the client would first prepare a piece of artwork before the session. This piece reflects their issues and circumstances, in any medium and technique they choose. With this in mind, we will provide clients with as many art supplies as desired to aim for limitless creativity, in addition to the feeling of acceptance. Then, the therapist can guide clients through a reflection on the piece, having them share their interpretation of the piece as well as examining what media they used. Following the art therapy session, the therapist and the client will engage in a typical therapy session like any office would offer, so the clients will not feel limited to discussing the art itself. Additionally, Courage will offer group sessions led by recreational art therapists using different media and techniques that can contribute to producing art with uplifting/positive themes. Furthermore, we want our patients to further embrace their creativity, so we will have a small shop in the office where they can purchase art supplies. One of our main goals will be to reinforce the feeling of unity. On our social media page, our bio includes, “Your canvas is your voice,” emphasizing that the town is one big family. Thus, everyone in the town is welcome to participate, regardless of their talent. The social media page allows clients to post their art anonymously, with a caption hinting at the importance of the work in relation to their current and/or past conflict. They can also decide to include the piece of art they made in the group session to reflect on how their outlook and style have grown.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We will be located at 3 Academy Street, New Paltz, NY 12561. Many factors came to mind when considering this location. First, it is not directly on Main Street; however, it is still relatively close to the essential areas around town. This is important because we want Courage to be at a slight distance from the hustle and bustle of Main Street so that way, our clients feel calm. Despite this quiet setting, we are still less than five minutes away from the major stores, making it practical in terms of ease of access. The building offers four bedrooms and offers spaces that we will designate for certain services, including a general office for appointments, an office for individual therapy, an office for group therapy, and the art shop. This space is currently set up as a law office, making our plan for the building even closer to becoming a reality.

Why I Chose This Type of Business

I chose this business because it reminds me of when I used art to express my struggles. When I was in 11th grade, I joined the art club. In the club, we had to make a zine for each of us to share what identity means to us and what problems stem from these perceptions. This hit home, as my parents assimilated, and I felt “too American”. Initially, I thought that I would leave the club after the first few meetings primarily because of two reasons: I thought I would never excel since I was not talented in art, and I was too nervous to present what I was going through in front of others. However, as time progressed, I learned the importance of the meaning one gives to a piece of art, rather than its appearance. I also came to understand that sometimes, words are not enough to convey your story. Sometimes, certain outlets provide can produce another outlook too. Although the following saying is about a different message, the rule still applies: “Actions speak louder than words.”

My Past Experience with Business Plans and/or Research Essays

I wrote a business plan last year with 30 other students in my class, Virtual Enterprise. We operated as a business that would provide “cultural boxes with authentic products, from food, recipes, books, jewelry, traditional games, clothing, and so much more imported from the country itself.” We chose this idea because many of us have lost a part of our identity when coming to America, and we wanted people to “reconnect to their roots, to find their truths.” There were seven departments, with me being in the finance department. We incorporated a variety of resources and documents, including key performance indicators, break-even analysis, balance sheet, profit and loss, cash budget, and a few others. Although the class was unique and informational, many issues occurred. We had many unreasonable deadlines, given this was a whole new ball game to tackle along with our other regular classes to deal with. Moreover, there was not enough time to retain everything. As you can tell, everything felt rushed, and there was not enough time to break things down. I am just hoping we have better pacing for this semester compared to that class.

Leading Research Question and Related Questions

• How many people are in therapy?
• What advantages speak out to New Paltz for this type of creative outlet?
• How many therapists have practices in New Paltz.

 

Preliminary Internet Sources

Source 1: Health and Nutrition of New Paltz, NY Residents

This page contains data about the well-being of people in the town of New Paltz. Once the section about mental health is reached, the data states as follows, “Twenty-one percent of New Paltz residents 18 years old and older usually have little interest or pleasure in doing things. Twenty-one percent often feel down, depressed, or hopeless. Thirty-nine percent of people living here have trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleep too much. Fifty percent of people often feel tired or have little energy. Twenty-three percent are bothered by poor appetite or overeating. Seventeen percent often feel badly about themselves, that they are a failure or have let themselves or their families down.” With the facts displayed, the data was similar in results compared to New York as a whole, being even closer with Ulster County. Another important indicator to point out includes the fact that the data was recorded in 2020, suggesting that residents were already struggling before the peak of the pandemic came in 2021.

Source 2: At SUNY New Paltz, students help students with mental health challenges
This news article by Brooke Reilly was covered on Spectrum News and stated that new organizations are being formed on campus, as mental health is important and must never be disregarded. It states, “Being a student, you understand other students’ struggles. I think it’s also the age, so being able to have someone around the same age makes it more comfortable for you to interact, but also to open up with,” said Jessica Giordano, the Wednesday night supervisor for Oasis/Haven at SUNY New Paltz.” This is a step in the right direction with having another type of support for those in need. However, the area still needs other types for the students, as well as the rest of the town, in which they might feel more comfortable being transparent.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Use Statement

I used ChatGPT to revise the essay after I finished everything to ensure I had minimal errors of grammar and punctuation. However, the time I primarily used the AI was during the construction of my mission statement and vison statement. I found it useful in many ways. By using the prompt provided to rate the statements by clarity, conformity, and basic ideas. Not only did It give each category a rating, but it was able to provide the reasoning and how to make it better. I was surprised that it was still able to give different feedback for the mission statement vs the vision statement. While it did take me multiple attempts to enhance the statements, I’m grateful we are allowed to use this resource in class. It really helps in this day and age, where we have so many resources to assist us be better writers and more creative when used properly.