Creativity Heals in Here Be Dust

I was at my radiation facility (RBOI) on Monday – not for treatment, because I had finished active treatment last month. Not for a support group meeting, though this visit was related.

I was there for a photo shoot, several days after I had gone there to be interviewed by Citrus County Chronicle reporter Nancy Kennedy. The support group I am facilitating, “Creativity Heals,” held its inaugural meeting on Thursday afternoon. I had a PET scan (across the county road, at my chemo facility) that morning.

Photographer Steve Lasko was concerned that I might not want a shot of me in the room where I had received radiation, but his concern lasted only a moment. “You don’t seem like you would have that problem,” he said.

“No problem at all,” I told him. I have no trouble returning to locations where I’ve been treated. For all its challenges and side effects, treatment had not been a traumatic experience for me. On the contrary; I felt I was being well cared for. If anything, my associations are positive ones. Returning to the radiation vault felt like visiting an old friend, even with that old friend’s potential risks and my temporary burns and blisters.

When I was interviewed, Nancy had initially offered to have Steve come to my home to photograph me creating art in my studio. I chose RBOI instead because caregiving and my partner’s disorders have drastically altered my living conditions. Cancer treatment has not been traumatic for me in large part because it has also been a respite.

The Chronicle ran its story on Tuesday.

Large (and legible) size. The “Art Gecko” T-shirt I’m wearing was done by Craig Swanson, a.k.a. Perspicuity.

The doodle that Steve photographed me drawing is now complete.

Large size

Earlier this month I appeared with Wendy Hall, LCSW and cancer navigator for RBOI, on the Citrus Today show with host Dennis Miller to promote the group. This time the T-shirt I’m wearing displays my own art.

Thursday morning’s PET scan went well, as PET scans go; I’ll know the results when I meet with my oncologist next week. I learned that injecting the tracer into my persnickety veins was preferable to using my port, which could create uneven distribution. Fortunately, we found a good vein on the second try. I had not slept well the night before, in part from anticipation but also because my carpal tunnel flared up, and I did a bit of dozing while the half-hour scan was in progress.

Then it was home for a quick lunch before Creativity Heals.

Including Wendy and myself, we were eleven people altogether and filled the conference room. This was a “getting to know you” meeting – we each told our own cancer story and I asked what drew everyone to the group. Learning/sharing creative skills and connecting with other creative people ranked high on the list. So did socializing and collaborating. We also represented a good cross-section of creative activities: visual art, writing, crafts, cooking, drama, design, music, and more. As Wendy put it, the common denominator among all these practices is the cultivation of mindfulness – of being in the moment.

I provided info on creative resources and gave a couple of demonstrations of technique. Some wanted to know how I do the doodles. Another attendee shared her crocheting. During the meeting I had various art and writing supplies on the table so that anyone could start creating at any time; some took advantage of those. Participants could just dive right in if they felt so inclined. We ended the meeting with an optional prompt for next month’s get-together: “sunshine,” based on the gorgeous day on display through the conference room’s picture windows.

Below, in no particular order, are a few of the resources and articles:

Wellness and Writing Connections

Survivor’s Review: Encouraging the creative expression of cancer survivors

Should I blog? Everything you want to know about blogging your cancer journey (a free online course offered by Rebecca Hogue, beginning in March)

Tinkerlab Sketchbook Challenge

“Margaret Mills on Crocheting Through Breast Cancer” by Kathryn Vercillo

“Brain cancer takes a toll, but unlocks her creativity” by Eryn Brown, Los Angeles Times

“Expressive writing may help breast cancer survivors,” Science Daily

The radiologist who did my PET scan that morning showed me his own handiwork: a couple of woven pieces similar to macramé but with a hefty, weighted end. They were designed for self-defense and were beautifully crafted.