Being Heard: Empathetic Artistic Interpretations of Young People Living with Serious Medical Conditions

The “Being Heard” project explores how artists can help young adults with serious medical conditions feel understood and cared for.  Young adults worked with a team that included a nurse researcher from The Institute for Integrative Health, an art therapist/social worker, and two professional artists.  Each child wrote an “I Am From” poem and then participated in an interview with an artist, who created a painting and accompanying narrative based on what they heard. The nurse researcher and art therapist then shared the painting with the child, asked for their thoughts and feelings, and offered an opportunity for the child to create a watercolor print.

The exhibition at the Children’s National Medical Center included eight paintings by patients between the ages of 10 and 19; the booklet from the show also includes the art work, poems and children’s responses.

The Washington Post ran a story on this project, available at this link.

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