Artful Healing

This is a new climate I’m journaling in, right now. I find that my original purpose of writing this got interrupted by the whole wide world but I will maintain its main purpose, which is to heal.

Hey everyone. How are you? Have you created something today? Taken time to love you?

This article, I want to dedicate to self-care in the form of creation. Hear me out. Often, in a cloistered environment such as these mass lock-downs and shutdowns of everyday life, we hover in this cloud of depression. This depression will then pull down your will to move forward. In order to help break apart this cloud, the arts can be useful. You don’t have to be a great artist, it doesn’t have to be any one medium you use either, dancing, singing badly to yourself, writing a poem, as long as it comes out of you, it’s something to be proud of.

Several years ago, I was reverse-quarantined at a special wing in UVA hospital. I’d experienced a strange reaction and it led to me being hospitalized for three months. My skin erupted into massive oozing boils, all over my body. My face, my scalp, arms, legs, back, everything was open wounds and inherently dangerous in a normal hospital. In order to heal safely, they had me placed in a special ward where everyone that entered my room had to wear a gown and gloves to be near me. I was moved to a smaller section of the hospital, with less traffic and with more protections for the patient. I slept in copper-infused sheets and spent nearly the entire time on a pain IV drip. My mother and I were each other’s company throughout the day, yet even she needed rest during the long hours at the hospital (shout out to the mother that spent three months on a cot beside me watching Law and Order until I was cleared to leave).

That’s when I needed the art, during the silent times.

I drew on printer paper provided by some of the nurses. Listened to music on my phone and jiggled my shoulders to the beat, as I lay down. I’m sure my interpretation of dancing didn’t look pretty but it helped to clear those clouds. During the time I was there, going outside was also a rarity. I was only allowed out a handful of times and even then it was to the hospital square where benches were at the front of the building. My world view shrank immensely. For months I only saw the world from a window. Nothing seemed real. Art helped me to create a reality for myself. It helped me to have a goal, a project to finish, a reason to stick around. During these dark times, give yourself something to look forward to. It doesn’t have to be major, it can be trying a new recipe, playing words with friends. Art is more than just a paintbrush, that’s something I took with me when I left the hospital. I learned that art is anything that you create, that brings you joy. If kicking ass in Rainbow Six brings you peace, if knitting or heck organizing your space fills a place inside your spirit, that is art.

Art is action.

Art is taking something and making it your own. It doesn’t have to beautiful to resonate with you or someone that you care about. Right now, as an immunosuppressed individual, I’ve begun limiting my time out of doors. I know that in this environment, I’m at risk. I write these articles, find joy in expression. Maybe this art will encourage others to do the same, to write more, create more. That is another positive effect of creating. There’s a chance you might move someone. There’s a chance that your positivity will enter the environment and linger there. Your art might light a candle for someone who previously had been in the dark. My fiance tells me all the time, that in the world of spoken word poetry, there is always a chance that what you say will move someone.

Poetry for Peace featuring Amina Iro and Hannah Halpern. (Iro & Halpern, A Muslim and Jewish girl's bold poetry slam 2015)

Angry Black Woman featuring Porsha Olayiwola (Olayiwola, IWPS Finals 2014 - Porsha O. "Angry Black Woman" 2015)

They might not tell you but hearing what you say could be the moment that changed their lives for the better. I also perform spoken word poetry and sing live at venues. In that environment, I could see that my words, moved others. In that space, other performers moved me. By bringing our art forward, we got to create a shared healing experience.

In the age of technology, we can still stay connected. We can still perform our poems. We can still move the human spirit, still laugh, still feel joy. We just have to create it, using whatever medium is at our disposal. Your mind is only as confined as you want it to be. There is room for what you allow. Set it free. It might seem difficult but you will find that with repetition art will move through you more freely.

Art never gets old.

Even if art is nothing new to you, there is always a way to make it interesting. Going online is the easiest way to be inspired. Lots of people post what they’ve created, models for you to try. There are channels on Youtube dedicated to do-it-yourself projects. There are books that offer ideas and even with libraries closed, a lot of these books are also available online. Do you have friends that are involved in the arts? Maybe they too can offer ideas on what is an uplifting project to try. Art can be the therapy we all use during these trying times. It can help clarify the beauty in our hearts and help us realize our true goals. It can help us remember to be more human to others. It can help us process our pain and fear.

Art is healing. Art is action. Art never gets old. I hope you take this with you. It might seem like a very basic mantra but it can be life-saving. It has helped me in hospital rooms, it has helped when I have lost someone dear to me, it has healed me when I was lonely. It isn’t a cure-all, mind you but it reminds you that you can be cured. Art reminds you to breathe.

References

Iro, A., & Halpern, H. (2015, January 02). A Muslim and Jewish girl's bold poetry slam. Retrieved December 18, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCUz2b050lE

Olayiwola, P. (2015, February 18). IWPS Finals 2014 - Porsha O. "Angry Black Woman". Retrieved December 18, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSoITsaSs0M