For many years during Christmas time, I create ornaments out
of clay for my family and friends. A couple of weeks ago during my self-care
creative time the idea came to me to make clay ornaments for my patients to
paint during my bedside art visits during the holiday season. The idea was inspired by the white cardboard 3
dimensional butterfly ornament project on my art cart, that the patient paint
and color. Many female patients, I have
discovered, really enjoy this project because they like butterflies. I do too and how they are slit to become 3
dimensional (see picture). As I was
making the flat clay ornaments with cookie cutters, for my patient art cart,
the idea came to try making some of the ornaments 3 dimensional like the
butterfly project. So I tried it with a
few different shapes: angel, tree, star and heart. The concept worked however clay is much more
pliable then cardboard; soon my 3 dimensional Christmas ornaments became
healing angel sculptures.
For my creative practice blog assignment this week;
introduce myself through a work of art, I really felt since I was all ready in
this creative flow, I was to make a healing angel reflective of me. I started contemplating on what would this
healing angel look like, what did I want this angel to express about me and
what shape would I use to create the angel.
I knew I did not want to use a Christmas ornament shape. The butterfly came to mind because they are similar to angels, I love butterflies,
but why are they special to me? What is it about them that reflect me?
I began reflected on all the things I knew and liked about butterflies
and what they represent; new beginnings, life transformation and hope. I remembered
once reading the Greek myth definition for the butterfly: hopelessly in love
with the other. I started thinking about
my patient bedside arts in medicine practice and realized all these things, I
aspire to be. To transform the atmosphere when I enter the patient’s room, to
bring life transformation and hope through art and creative activity. I want to be that butterfly/angel of hope that
walks into their room. That watches their pain leave, blood pressure and
breathing become normal, smile return, all while their engaged in creativity,
painting their butterfly. New beginnings
and hope restored. I am so passionate
about this, because just like the butterfly I too am hopelessly in love with
the other.
