From Broken to Beautiful: How Healing Art Makes a Difference

How to make healing art that helps “make a difference"?

Hi. I hope you are well in your part of the world. Today I’m wondering if you can please help me bounce some ideas around regarding “healing art.”

You see, recently I got some feedback from a few newsletter subscribers that made me do a double-take. Comments include:

“This artwork makes me feel happy and at peace which is something I’ve not felt in a long time. My spirit is broken and I’m trying to figure out how to fix it.” K.M.

“Having been sick with breast cancer this past year, I am drawn to the serenity of your work – it just appeals to me!” S.D.

“I have had chronic pain for 36 years and seeing your beautiful work brought a smile across my face for the 1st time in a long time.“ S.A.

These comments kind of hit me over the head like a frying pan (in a good way!) because many moons ago I gave up painting because I wanted to “make a difference.”

So I went into education as a professor and later did humanitarian work running a charitable fundraising website. The last few years I started working for the UN to help them better communicate via multimedia with donors and beneficiaries.

I loved all of those, but now I’ve come full circle. As a teen, I thought art can heal and that was the way to make the world a better place. Decades later, it would be nice to believe that again. 

So I’m asking you… especially my educator, helper, healing, and healthcare friends… Is there an organization or person you think I should get in touch with? A hospital or rehabilitation center where I should donate a work? Or maybe you know a particular symbol or icon I should explore further that promotes healing?

I’m just trying to put the puzzle pieces together which is why I am thinking out loud in my blog post today.