I just returned from the annual conference of the Global Alliance for Arts and Health (soon to have a name change). It is one of the few places where art and health intersect and noncompetitive entities. It’s a sacred space where the providers, artists, medical personnel, spiritual advisers, and researchers intersect for a common goal; giving those with illnesses transform their experience through art.
The conference was inspiring, thought provoking, and a catalyst for what’s possible when fields of study come together with a common goal. There is an exponential outcome when we stop competing and combine our gifts and talents for a common cause.
Over the next few days I’ll share some amazing programs, projects, and people who make the field of art and health mystical and magical. These people, projects, and programs provide hope to the multitudes of patients, family members, and professional caregivers increase their competency and efficacy in the healing arena.
Although history has proven time and time again the importance of creativity in our lives; it’s only the past twenty-five years (give or take a few years) that we are engaged in an ongoing dialogue about the impact of art on health. The healing process, open to personal definition unless you’re a researcher, is opting to include creative experiences fortifying the healing properties in our minds, bodies, and souls.
I have to admit a condensed dose of inspiration was a bit daunting and over-stimulating. On the other hand, the reinforcement of the possibilities that art has on the healing experience was freeing. It clearly provided a framework for how everyone can have creative experiences; you don’t have to be an artist. Our souls make us artists and that’s should be the focal point of all our journeys.
Time to Live Creatively 