AIR Waves

Notes from the Field: A New Spin on Beading

2013-05-15T11:25:00.000-04:00

Today I start with a new project. Patients love to bead but I want to change things up and make the experience a little more creative. I decide we will make our own beads by rolling up magazines pages and newspaper. I take the project to the waiting area to see if I can get people interested. I’m elated that so many people want to participate. Pretty soon, I have a large and diverse group of people engaged in this project. As an AIR, it’s so gratifying to see the transformation from an ordinary, often tense waiting area into one filled with positive energy.

Teresa returned to the waiting area even after her appointment. She is so into the projects that she insisted she finish the beads before she goes home. She is very methodical about each bead and I can see that her focus on this seems to relax her.

She tells me she is tired but wants to continue later. I offer to put the beads and string into a bag and explain how she can finish the bracelet at home. I like to imagine this will bring her a welcome sense of distraction. As she is leaving she says, “You better have another creative idea when I come next week.”…and I will.

Notes from the Field: It’s a Family Affair

2013-05-10T16:03:00.000-04:00

Today I’m working with an entire family; husband, wife and son. The little boy, Marshall is seven years old and is very excited when he sees my supply cart. He says art is his favorite class in school. His parents, Sandra and Tim tell me he’s quite talented and gush over him in the most loving way. I can see how strong the bond is in this family.

Sandra and Tim seem very nervous about dealing with Sandra’s recent diagnosis and how Marshall will handle it. They are so thankful that he has a distraction while Sandra is waiting for the doctors. Marshall begins one painting and then another and then another. Tim makes a painting alongside Marshall but decides to make a necklace for Sandra.The family will be here all day so I imagine Marshall will put a dent in my supplies, but I love it. It’s great seeing someone so young in an environment that is not exactly upbeat actually having a good time.

Sandra is in and out of the art room between appointments but when she is waiting, she’s is working on her painting. Tim stays with Marshall the entire time. Tim tells me stories about his wife and how they met eleven years ago and how their marriage is “so beautifully successful because she is constantly surprising me.” He tells me he didn’t know Sandra liked to paint until today. He smiles and says, “Even under such stress, she surprised me yet again.”

Notes from the Field: Christmas in May

2013-05-01T15:11:00.006-04:00

Maggie is super excited, that I am there to offer her materials. It's as if she’s been waiting for me. I tell her my cart, full of supplies, is. Her eyes get big. She wants to see it---She is SO excited-“The fun cart is here!” She keeps her hands to herself, thinking about germs because she is a bone marrow transplant patient. She asks me about certain supplies and I start a pile for her. She has stencils, paper and tons of markers and pens to keep her busy. Maggie says she loves optic art. She loves the fine line markers I give her and the pattern books. She says that I have to come back at the end of my day to see what she makes.

When I return hours later, a doctor is meeting with her. She is asking direct questions to him, speaking up for herself, advocating for herself. She sounds knowledgeable and confident when she speaks to him. She has such a good attitude and disposition. I wait for the doctor to leave before I go in. I knock on the door and take one step in and she exclaims, “NO NO I'M NOT DONE YET. DON'T LOOK!!! DON'T LOOK! Did you look?” I quickly cover my eyes. “I didn’t see it. I promise.” Her roommate Samantha is laughing hysterically. Maggie and Samantha get along really well!! Maggie decides it's okay for me to stay if I sit down and promise not to peek until she is finished. It’s clear her drawing is for me. Her mom tells me about the piles of artwork she has at home and tells me that Maggie loves art and has been working on this all day.

Maggie announces that she's finished and asks me to read the note on the back first. “THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME MAKE THIS DRAWING. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT.” I flip it over. It's so nice: stippled lines, a lot of color, squares and different shapes. She starts criticizing it. She tells me what she would do if she had more time. I tell her it's wonderful and point out the strengths of it- she has a good eye. I leave supplies for her to use during the week and tell her that I can't wait to see the results!

I finished my rounds for the day and think back to all the different people I've seen. Maggie made my day! She keeps saying today is like Christmas. Today IS like Christmas- for both of us!

Notes from the Field: It’s All Part of the Process

2013-04-26T16:39:00.002-04:00

Sometimes a patient wants to talk about the work I do as an artist outside of the hospital. I usually tell them I’m a painter and try to relate the patient’s interest in my work to that of a famous artist. It’s a nice segue into the possibility of a patient wanting work with me. Max is back today for his second to last infusion. I look forward to seeing him because he is so educated in art and a lot of fun to be around. He’s the kind of person that walks in a room and suddenly everything seems brighter.

Max announces that today he will finish the painting he started on his first day of treatment because he wants to begin a new painting on his last day. I bring the cart to his chair and set him up with a palette of paint. He looks at me and says, “Can we talk about your process as an artist?” I’m flattered and explain a little about process in general. I’m reminded of the fabulous Matisse exhibit I saw a few months ago at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I tell him that the main thing I took away from the exhibit was that for Matisse, the process was as important as the completed painting.

Max tells me that painting with me has helped him through treatment by passing time in a meaningful way. I tell him that the process of painting helps me mark time, documenting the moments I spent on it. He agrees, and says that his completed painting will help him remember this time and by starting a new one he'll be able to “see life beyond treatment.”

Notes from the Field: Straddling Life as an Artist and an Artist-in-Residence….

2013-04-19T11:33:00.003-04:00

As an artist, I try to only share art ideas. This is who I am as an artist. When I step out of that role it can be difficult because sometimes it feels like I’m engaging patients in craft rather than art. I have to remind myself that while I’m an artist in my own life, my job is to help patients by tapping into their creativity whether it is my definition of “art” or if it is craft. I am struck every time a patient thanks me for the experience they have and it takes me back to what is really important, creativity as a vehicle for distraction. In taking one’s mind and placing it fully into the arbitrariness of art-making I am helping patients and giving them the tools they can use to float away from reality even if it’s only for a short time.

I know it seems crazy to think art can solve everything, and I know it can’t, but there is something to it when I see someone develop an art practice and experience pleasure over fear and anxiety. By locating some aspect of a patient’s life in a way that is outside them is similar to the reason I like being a professional artist. Despite the medium, as a successful artist-in-residence, I help to rekindle the creativity within others in much the same way I am inspired in my own work.

Notes from the Field: Using Art to Help Patients Transition Back into the World….

2013-04-17T12:10:00.002-04:00

Lucile made a great impression on me from the first day of her treatment. She has such a wonderful spirit and being creative gave her such levity during an unpleasant experience. I’ve been thinking about a quote from Esther Sternberg’s book “Healing Spaces” that really resonates with me: “Physicians and nurses know that a patient’s sudden interest in external things is the first sign that healing has begun.” While the patients I work with sometimes cling to making art long after treatment is over, they often see returning to “normal” life outside of this hospital as a sad thing (in that they are saying good bye to us and to the safe place we create for them). Lucile expressed this fear when she said, “I’ll always be a cancer patient even if I’m cancer-free.”

On her last day she told me about the art materials she purchased the week before. She said she will continue to create beautiful things outside of the hospital. For Lucile, art-making as a patient helped to distract her from her situation. Now that Lucile is no longer a patient, her creative juices are flowing and she will continue using art as a tool for transitioning back to her “whole self”, a “well self”.

Notes from the Field: Stepping Outside the Box with New Projects

2013-04-10T16:25:00.001-04:00

Today I meet a young patient named Mark. He tells me about his love for comic books and cartoons and how he wants to learn to make his own series. I ask him what he likes about cartoons and comic books and he told me that he admires the movement of the drawings to create stories. I borrow one of his comic books and photocopy a few pages to use as examples of particular elements commonly used in creating a cartoon drawing.

I begin by discussing color. I show him prismacolor markers and pens of various line weights and explain how each marker has a different effect. We begin by tracing one of the photocopied images. Mark wants to know more about color and so I show him how the non-color black is important and how it defines the outlines and shadows; and how watercolors are used to create flesh tones. I feel it is important to discuss the background in cartoons and show him some images to illustrate that figures are not suspended in space and the background is an important part of a cartoon because it provides a context and movement to the story.

This was fun for me because it’s not often I get to talk about cartooning as an art form. I can see he’s timid about his drawing and he tells me he’s afraid he will mess up. I assure him that even professional cartoonists use tracing paper and constantly redo their drawings until they are satisfied with the outcome.

I think it surprises Mark that I know so much about cartooning. I’ve never done a project like this with a patient. By listening to Mark’s interests when we met, I was able to personalize a project and really connect to him. I am reminded that stepping outside the box by introducing a new project is what being good artist-in-residence is all about.

Notes from the Field: A Hesitant Patient Finally Gives In…

2013-04-05T11:42:00.002-04:00

My first patient this morning is a young woman, Sandra, who in the past has always declined my offer to make something. I ask her again and she explains that the reason for not wanting to be creative is because she’s not good at art----to which I reply that she’s just not found the right teacher yet.

Sandra tells me that she overheard other patients in the waiting area talking about how having something creative to do while they wait helps them to forgot where they are and focus on the task at hand, ART! I explain that the goal of our program is exactly that; how you can lose yourself while working on something that’s peaceful and creative.

She resists and an hour later decides that she wants to paint. I give her a canvas and a stack of random images of famous artwork for inspiration. She says she likes the colors in a red and pink Mark Rothko painting and that she wants to try to create something similar. I think it was the first time I’ve ever seen her smile.

When she arrives the next day I tell her how wonderful it is that she recognizes the benefit of making art. She says that she’s more confident in her ability to be creative and wants to continue working on the same painting. She says that this project makes her feel less anxious about treatment. She smiles and says, “Last night my friends said I never looked happier.”

Notes from the Field: Creativity is Brewing....

2013-04-02T10:59:00.001-04:00

Today I’m thrilled to see Malcolm looking so well and ready to work with me. He asks for a piece of drawing paper, a canvas and paint. Malcolm usually likes to draw with pencil but today he is eager to put color on canvas. Since I’ve known Malcolm, all of his drawings possess a pervasive theme: combining art AND humor. Last week he drew a martini glass and at the bottom it read, “It’s a party for olives only!” It’s now hanging on the wall about the nurses’ station.

My goal with Malcolm is to give him the confidence to draw and paint on his own, without me, from his own ideas. I ask him if he wants a little feedback on the technical stuff and he said yes. I tell him to try to focus on developing form by building up a range in value rather than to focus on a line. He says he’ll paint something to show me tomorrow because he wants it to be a surprise. I take this as a sign, that he's becoming confident in his ability to be creative independently.

The next day I ask Malcolm if he’s ready to show me his painting and he asks me to sit opposite so he can present it to me. Surprisingly, he made a wonderful abstract painting. I’ve never seen him do anything abstract and I love that he did this on his own. It’s a big step and he looks at me with excitement. A few minutes later, Malcolm’s mother and girlfriend show up so I head for the door but he tells me to stay. He then asks his visitors to sit so he can present his latest creation. He looks so happy and proud of himself! There is something about Malcolm’s room today; it is different from other hospital rooms. His creativity gives the room a sense of levity and peacefulness in an otherwise sterile environment. Creativity is brewing.

Notes from the Field: Leading the Patient Down the Road to Create ART!!!!!

2013-03-21T11:47:00.002-04:00

Margie told me this would be her last week at the hospital. She quickly finished the project she had started with me the week before, and then I introduced to a new painting project. She didn’t seem to have any impetus to engage with the work independently and waited patiently for me to guide her through each step. I was conscious of making sure that I wasn't just teaching her how to make something, but how to make art. There is a difference.

I am trying to illicit the patient’s own creative energy to help distract them at this difficult time in their life. Art does not just pass time the way craft does; it can change the space of one’s life no matter the location. The goal in my work in the hospital is not only to teach methods and techniques that lead to a finished work, but a path that allows for individual thinking and imagination along the way.

Notes from the Field: Art and Spirit

2013-02-28T11:46:00.001-05:00

A woman I have worked with many times (making jewelry) made her first painting today. At first she spoke softly and said that the painting was already terrible though she really hadn’t put much on the canvas. Then she laughed at her efforts. I saw something change within her. She began to paint large blocks of color, having fun and being playful with the brushes and experimenting with different colors. She swirled the paint and then lightly splattered the canvas in green and blue, her favorite colors. She was now working with more conviction.

This patient began with blocks of color but the end result was a painting of a field of poppies on a rolling hill. This is a person who I perceived as being very hard on herself, but I could see that she was proud today. She spoke of her next visit and painting again. Her daughter sat with us the entire time, cheering her on, and said she, too, wants to paint during their next visit. I could tell that by watching her mother paint, the daughter seemed to be a bit more at ease and very pleased to see her mother’s work and enthusiasm. It helped distract both of them, and they learned something new in the process!

Notes from the Field: Another Kind of Infusion

2013-02-26T14:07:00.003-05:00

Today was super busy floating between several patients who were engaged in a variety of projects. Susan, the caretaker of the new patient, expressed interest in drawing. I showed her a traditional sketching method and gave her my favorite drawing book for inspiration, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. I could see her excitement as she was flipping through the pages. She asked if the Artist-in-Residence is for non-patients and I let her know that it’s for family members and caregivers too. I find that when caretakers and/or family members partake in the art-making process, it often opens the door for patients who are reluctant to participate at first.

A few weeks later, I arrived at the hospital to find a gift from Susan sitting on my art cart. She left a donation of card-making supplies, with a hand-made card — “Thank you so much for awakening the artist in my soul”. Her statement was the infusion of fresh air that I needed, and a gift to know that she appreciated the Artist-in-Residence program.

Notes from the Field: What Looks Good and Why?

2013-02-21T17:11:00.000-05:00

Victoria usually makes jewelry while she is in the waiting room. Today she decided to begin something new when she recognized the Georgia O’Keeffe image on my cart. She painted a blue background and decided that there should only be hints of bright color within the dark-charcoal flower. I realized that we were continuing our conversation from last week on color & design that had begun with jewelry-making.

The medium may have changed but the considerations are universal: what looks good and why. I continued to encourage her to uncover and honor her own sense of style as an artist. I left to get supplies and, when I returned, Victoria was telling someone she was not an artist and I questioned her statement. What does Victoria think she is doing, making all of these things, wonderfully putting them together, 100% independent of me…is it that she’s only been doing this for a few weeks and is not ready to identify herself as an artist?

As she worked on her version of a Georgia O’Keeffe-style flower, adding the finishing touches, other patients in the waiting room would comment on how talented Victoria is…they’ve seen her create jewelry and now this…developing her own artistic style. Someday soon I hope she will be comfortable seeing herself as the talented person everyone else can see.

Notes from the Field: Exploring what it means to be creative in any medium…

2013-02-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

The last 3 days have been ground breaking for Lisa in that she has gone full tilt into the process of exploring what it means to be creative in this medium. As she asks me “What do you think…” about this or that composition I tell her what I think and why; then follow with the caveat that my answer is based on my sense of things as an artist and colorist and designer and that these predilections indeed wholly mine-not hers. The point being she now needs to uncover her own predilections so she can begin to recognize them, develop them & design consciously based upon them.

I used many analogies to illustrate what I meant-often falling back upon cooking, a category that seemed to resonate with Lisa. A simple one was that when we each would cook from the exact same recipe, once it came to adding salt, she might chose to add more while I might chose to omit this ingredient completely and that choice was a very personal one, based on each person’s own sense of taste. Using this idea, I told her that my goal is not to “impose” my sense of how to create upon her but to have her develop her own ideas and methodology. This is an idea that I deeply believe in and I really adore seeing patients get to this level.

Notes from the Field: A Lot of "No"s, then a "Yes"...

2013-01-29T11:22:00.002-05:00

I could tell the woman in the corner room was going to be a tough sell. She began shaking her head immediately, “No! I have no artistic ability.” But I had a feeling I should stick with her and try to change her mind. I showed her the card the man sitting two rooms away had created. “No. I’ve done this before. I’m not good.” “I prefer beginners!” I said, “but seriously, if you are too tired or have another project going on...” She interrupts me, “Project? What kind of project would I have going? I’m not tired. I’m depressed.” I found out later she had ovarian Cancer. She had already had a mastectomy and was beginning her 3^rd round of chemo. The word depressed was the hook for me. If she had said tired, I would have wheeled my cart away.

I started setting up as if it was the only place I could be standing. She began to talk about her grandchildren, her daughter, and the things that were on her mind around the cancer. Still insisting, “I’m no good at this!”

I stamped some foliage onto a card, showed her how to “work the paints”. She finally agreed to use some paint. It was interesting to see that she simply painted the entire background a solid blue. Most patients vary paint colors. She kept criticizing every stroke she made, but generally seemed in a much better mood, even laughing a little. “Can I collaborate on this with you?” I cut up some leaf shapes and we glued them on the limbs. She picked out a frame, and said “That really looks good!” She said at one point, “I’m just painting while I talk.” I thought, well, that’s the idea. I had her start on another, and we added the 3D effect. She added some more decorative elements to it and asked if she could use the rhinestones with adhesive backs to make earrings.

Less than twenty minutes ago, putting turquoise rhinestones on her earlobes would have been in conceivable. I spent a long time with her and was glad I did. She confessed that this was a good idea and she was feeling much better.

Notes from the Field: Translating the Patient’s Interests into Creative Expression...

2013-01-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

I get so close to working on a painting with Bill. So close! His first response to me is asking me how much will it cost. After letting him know that the materials are free and that I do not make the art for him, he shakes his head no. He says he’s not into art. I ask him what he likes to do. “Watch TV. When that gets old I just like to sit and think”. He tells me he likes to think about sailboats and being on the water, and that those thoughts carry him away. I tell him that's how I like to work too--that his way of thinking and my expression through painting sound very similar. He agrees to watch me paint in front of him but a nurse comes in and then another hospital staff person. It's too much commotion for him to concentrate. This happens several times throughout the day with different patients. When it rains, it pours. So true. I actually got caught in a torrential downpour on my way home today. Before I left, Bill agreed to try painting the following week…and we did…of a sailboat!

Notes from the Field: When Too Much Isn't Close to Enough...

2012-12-20T17:31:00.003-05:00

I was able to spend a lot of time with Susan, which was really beneficial for her. As soon as I arrived on the floor Mike, the receptionist, wanted to make sure that I was going to see Susan because she was really excited that I was coming again today. As badly as I feel when patients hound the staff about my schedule, it’s always flattering to know that they want to see me so much that they’ll reconfirm my arrival with the staff. I went into Susan’s room and she started chatting right away. She told me that when she talks too much she becomes really nauseated so we decided that I would do most of the talking and teaching. We started off by going through the photos that she’s taken since last I saw her. I gave her small suggestions such as exposure adjustments and cropping. I explained to her some photography compositional elements such as the rule of threes and how to divide your camera into thirds. I talked to her a little bit about Photoshop and some of the elements that it could achieve and then we started talking about jewelry making. The conversation flowed from one topic to the next because the conversation about jewelry making also touched upon balance and design and color so it was really a lesson that continued through multiple art mediums. It was well past my time to go downstairs. I had spent almost two hours in Susan’s room, which was very rewarding for both of us, but stressful because I knew that I could have spent another three hours with her and it still wouldn’t be enough.

Notes from the Field: The Patient Whisperer

2012-12-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

After Cindy had been taken in for radiation treatment, a staff member, who had been in the waiting room while I work with Cindy, asked me “How do you do it?” Cindy has such rough edges - they could be part of her personality. Maybe it’s due to what is happening with her medically and emotionally right now.

It is very hard to articulate what I do when I encounter this type of personality but I would say the teachings of yoga help guide me. Perhaps it is also that I choose to disregard all of “the stuff” everyone brings in with them –the stuff can only be an obstacle if one acknowledges it. So I ignore it and focus on art and usually the defenses melt as the person settles in, begins to feel at home and realizes there is something positive here to focus on. Seemingly, Sara has been “…giving everyone here a rough time…” and so, my other goal would be to have her evolve in everyone’s eyes, into an artist and a person –not just a difficult patient. I hope to have her redefine herself through art- becoming more than what she has presented to everyone. I suppose I could explain it by simply making a reference to a recent term from our pop culture: I am, in a way, a patient whisperer, much the way that others are dog whisperers or horse whisperers and in that tradition, we (with experience), get very attuned to what people might need and what approach will work best in difficult and challenging situations. And while I might not be able to get everyone to make art with me, I think I can make them feel at ease. That may just be all someone needs in order to move forward and make art.

Notes from the Field: When an AIR needs air....

2012-12-04T12:32:00.001-05:00

My favorite part of today was when I arrived. There was a gift for the art cart. Janice, a woman I had worked with for several sessions earlier in the summer, left a donation of card-making supplies, along with a hand-made card. It read, "Thank you so much for awakening the artist in my soul". Her statement was the infusion of fresh air (no pun intended!) that I needed and a gift to know that she appreciated the AIR program so much.

Notes from the Field:

2012-11-29T11:48:00.002-05:00

No more constant checking...The best is yet to be!

The new patient was on a lunch break from work and quickly asked me if watercolor paints were available so she could complete her background. I did a small watercolor lesson and she proceeded to create a wonderful textured background, with collaged words and images that she cut from magazines. As she worked, she explained her journey with breast cancer. I was so blown away by her explanation of her picture that I asked if she could write an explanation on the back of the release form. “This painting tells my journey with breast cancer. The red spot is the cancer and it’s like crispy chicken because of the radiation. Later on, there was a question if I had ovarian cancer (here's where she added the word "new"”).

Since I didn’t want to have to check all the time, I had my ovaries removed. (She added “ No more constant checking” from a feminine pad ad). And at the time, I didn’t know how things would work out, but I just had to "trust and stay committed" (another collaged phrase) to my recovery program.”

The artwork is just as impressive as the story! She shared with all of us how the dark black color in her picture was how she was feeling but now she has moved towards the lighter side and she put words “Best is yet to be?” which she cut out of a magazine. She initially created the dark areas to represent the shape of the woman’s body but didn't feel it communicated what she wanted and asked for help on what to do. I suggested she look for a picture of a woman that could represent her and she found one she liked. She also put a picture of garlic at the base of the woman’s feet which is symbolic to ward off bad things such as cancer. The depth of the art and the explanation was so powerful that I was really taken by surprise.

Notes from the Field:

2012-11-20T11:10:00.001-05:00

Chemo Made Me Mean...

Ms. Carter was one of those "full of life"ers. We had several wonderful sessions together. Her favorite project was the group recipe books we created for the 4^th. Each patient contributed his/her recipe. We copied each one, assembled, and then each person made their own cover. We bound with ribbon. However, the last couple of times I’ve seen her, the talk between us moved to her husband, whom she resents for not "being there" for her. "Jean," she said, “Chemo has made me mean.”
I try to extricate myself from these topics as she begins to talk negatively about other family members as well. She has repeated these stories to me before. The voice in my head says that as an AIR, this is not my role and I’m just not equipped to help in these situations. I need to ask Maria, my facilitator, about this. Should I direct folks to counseling? I think Maria may be aware of it though because Ms Carter said that Maria had urged her to take a writing class.
Even though it's not my place or my job, I think I should feel honored that because patients have placed a certain level of trust in me, they feel safe enough to release the bad feelings along with the good.

Notes from the Field: Language Barriers

2012-10-26T17:35:00.001-04:00

When a language barrier doesn't feel like much of a barrier at all...

I notice a woman crying in the waiting room. I sit a few seats over from her and start working on a drawing. She looks over and says “beautiful.” It's abstract, with suggestions of flowers. I work a bit more. She is drying her tears. I offer her a pencil and rip my drawing in half. She politely nods. I slide the drawing down the table in front of us, and she looks at it and kind of shakes her head, no. She is still upset. I lean over and start drawing tiny flowers on it. She nods, yes. She starts talking about her son, Andrew, who is very sick. She talks mostly in Spanish, so I can understand a word here and there. But mostly I can just tell by her gestures what she is saying. He is her baby, and she is very, very sad. She starts crying again.

I continue to work on my drawing as she talks. She knows a little English. I ask where she is from, trying to get her talking about something not quite so sad. Dominican Republic. She tells me about her son and how smart he is. He has his doctorate and went to school in the city. She's taking deep breaths in between talking. I ask her if she wants to make a card, maybe for her son. Yes. I get a fresh sheet of paper and she makes this tiny little drawing of what looks like a little animal and points to it, her son. She writes something across the top in Spanish. She just stops and looks at it, points to the little animal and says something and starts crying. She folds it up and puts it in her purse. I get out the rubber stamps which are instantly gratifying. A big flower. Stamp it. She loves it. I make another. Then offer her the stamp. She stamps twice, and she loves them. She keeps that piece of paper and folds it up and puts it in her purse. We both start gathering our things. She says she's feeling much, much better and thanks me. I can't imagine what she's going through, and I actually don't understand a lot because of the language barrier, which doesn't feel like much of a barrier at all. I know she is really sad, but I don't know specific details. At first, it was hard for me to sit there with her, but I just kept working on my drawing, this time to distract myself and magically, it helped her, too.

Notes from the Field:

2012-10-11T15:03:00.002-04:00

Dealing with Death: Looking to the Staff for Support

It was good to see Lilly, the nurse manager after several weeks. I’ve become very reliant on her help and guidance to visit certain patients. I knew today Lilly and I were going to be going through Simone’s belongings so I wanted to meet with her before embarking on the emotional task of going through the belongings of a late patient that I connected and cared for so much. One of the patients I visited last week, the one with the two daughters, had passed away suddenly. I was trying to describe to Lilly my experience with the patient and her daughters. I described the mood of the room as very depressing, no television, no music and the daughters were just sitting in silence staring at their sick mother in bed. The daughters were probably sitting there with overwhelming sadness and I had no idea.

Recently, I feel like the unit has lost a lot of patients. It started with Ernie, Bob, and Rose. In my first few months on the unit, I really didn’t experience death but since then there've been several. Jack is currently the next-to-youngest patient. Since losing so many young patients in their 20s in the past few months, Lilly and I half joked but mostly serious about how Jack really has to pull through for the mental state of the unit. I don’t know how Lilly does it; dealing with the family members of very ill individuals and connecting to a patient and then losing them. I look to her for strength and she has been so supportive.

Notes from the Field:

2012-10-03T12:11:00.000-04:00

Setting the tone- is it me, or is it the space?

After working in the waiting room for a while, it began to empty out so I went right into the treatment area to ask patients if theywanted to participate. The treatment rooms are divided between private cubicles and an open "bull-pen" - the solarium, where, surprisingly, I usually have the best luck for participants.

I think there’s something about the bright, open windowed room that makes people happier and upbeat, creating an atmosphere that encourages participation and chatter rather than just sleeping the day away. Although the architects who retrofitted this unit with small private cubicles probably thought they were doing a good thing by giving people their own private nooks, it's just not been my experience. I've really begun to think of art-making as a collaborative process, and that certainly happens when people can connect with each other- even the nursing staff gets involved!

Art making together seems to make a long day of treatment move quickly and certainly more pleasantly.

PROJECT IDEA

2012-09-21T12:12:00.000-04:00

Univ. of Florida Proton Therapy Institute-Jacksonville, FL
(2010 LIVESTRONG GRANTEE)
AIR-Barbara Holmes-Fryefield

The University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute works with patients from all over the world due to the unique proton radiation treatment opportunities they offer. Barbara, the AIR, has developed a keen ability to listen to her patients and develop art activities around their interests and origins. "Aboriginal Dot Painting" was inspired by a thank-you card she received from an Australian family that she had worked with. Using the image from this card, Barbara led a hospital initiative to develop a contemporary "dot painting" in the Aboriginal style of Australia. Like the early cave painters, Aborigines use art as a way to communicate and tell stories known as dreamings. Dreamings are the aboriginal folk tales and myths that teach why things happen the way they do. This patient-centered interaction inspired another--the construction of a chime to be placed in a prominent spot in the lobby for patients to ring when they complete their treatment.

How to create an ABORIGINAL DOT PAINTING

Materials: Brushes, Acrylic Paint-multiple colors, Spray Paint-earth tones, One large wrapped canvas, Toilet Plunger, Aluminum cans, corks (to make dots and rings), Paper or Foam Plates, Hair Dryer.

· Introduce artworks created by aboriginal people from Australia. Discuss with patients primitive artists used homemade paints and pencils to create images that communicated ideas to one another. Show images of dot paintings. What kinds of materials do you think these primitive artists used? What types of subjects did they paint? Nature, animals & plants.

· Spray a large wrapped canvas with earth colored spray paint to cover the entire surfac or pre-paint using acrylic. (This should be done before working with the patient and should be done outside the facility).

· Mix different colors of acrylic paint in a shallow paper or foam plate.

· Dip the largest round shaped objects into paint, then press onto canvas surface in multiple rows. Once large circle shaped rows are established, begin placing medium circle shapes, and finish with smallest circle shape.

· Dry circle shapes with hair dryer.

· Once paint is dry begin to paint inside of circle shapes with different colored paints until you are satisfied with the finished design.