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Overview of
CANCER & THE ART OF HEALING
Marilyn Hundleby, PhD & Sherry Abbott
Stories and Images
Every image in this book tells a story. In most cases, the artists have also reflected on how the image and the act of creating it relates to their healing journey. These excerpts are part of a much bigger story. They capture significant moments of insight that extend beyond illness to include memories and hopes, passion and purpose. Each story is told, just as each image was created, from the unique perspective and in the distinct voice of an individual whose life has been touched by cancer.
Our book has been a "Work in Progress" - for five years!
Compiling an art exhibit that includes artists of all ages, with widely ranging skill levels and working in a variety of media, is an ambitious undertaking. To that mix we can add the unique circumstances in which this art was created - at Arts in Medicine workshops across Canada. It seemed like a good idea when we first conceived of this book five years ago, and it seems even more so today. Our greatest challenge has been to stop adding material to this collection while being continually awed by the creative works that come to us each week through Arts in Medicine classes. We hope you enjoy the exhibit.
Cancer and the Art of Healing
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Tile Tales
Telling a visual story on an eight-inch square tile and then expanding on the story through words became known as “Tile Tales.” Unglazed, ceramic tiles are poured by local potters or purchased from ceramic  studios along with the glazes necessary to create the image and fire the tile.
To begin, we invite participants to sketch their image on a sheet of paper that is the same size as the tile. This template allows them to work with their ideas before beginning to paint the tile. Draft pencil marks, even though they show through some of the softer colours of glazes, actually burn off in the firing.
Colours for ceramic painting can be diluted to create a watercolour effect or mixed together to create unique shades. Special pen nibs allow for fine script for those who want to write their thoughts on the image. Once fired, the tiles emerge from the kiln with a beautiful lustre; the colours are enhanced in the process.
Along with the sketching of the image, there is a story, a poem or a single sentence that comes to mind as the artist works. Together, the image and the words become the artist’s Tile Tale.
Children's Tile Tales
A Very Hard Time
We the Algars were going through a very, very tough time when the one we loved very much got Breast Cancer. This very, very brave lady is our MOM. Nobody asked for it, but it is just one of those things that no one expects it could happen to them, but it happened to us. 
Now this is one of the worst things that could happen to a family. I mean, you know your mother is up in the hospital going through unbearable pain and you know it, but can’t do anything about it but go to visit her every second or third day.
Every time I went to visit her it killed me to see her lying in bed like that every night. I would go home and pray that she would be better the next time I saw her. But the next time I went to her room she had just gotten back from surgery. I felt like I was going to die on the spot.
That night I went home and I prayed. I didn’t pray that she would get better. I prayed to God if I could take the pain for her, but I couldn’t. All the nights I prayed that I could take the pain away, I couldn’t. It felt so unfair that it had to happen to us. After a long time she came home to us, and in a little while she was okay. But, I know it wasn’t just the pills that made her better.
- Daniel, age 11
Adult Tile Tales
The Beauty of Life around Us
At first, it is difficult to accept the reality of having cancer. After coming to grips with the initial emotional upheaval, it forces you to re-assess your priorities. Things that used to cause turmoil and stress recede and become minor.
The pace we set for ourselves to succeed, to accomplish, to climb to the top, slows down considerably. We weed out the non-issues and come to appreciate again the important values of life, our health, our family and friends. We see the beauty of life around us; “being” rather than “having.” The purity and infinite variety of our natural surroundings is the theme of my tile. It is my expression of appreciation.
- Marian
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Fibre Arts
The materials we use in fibre arts are as familiar as the clothing we wear; the techniques, often as familiar as our grandmothers. The opportunity to pick up a needle and thread takes us back to a place  where things happen one stitch at a time. The return to traditional arts of decorative stitching, appliqué, weaving and stringing beads often brings with it memories of childhood experiences of learning skills that require patience and focus.
The long tradition of fibre arts also includes working together to complete individual projects or to contribute individual pieces for a group project. Stitching together and carrying out a conversation about everything from the most ordinary of everyday events to the most heartfelt joys and sorrows, makes these art forms ideal for Arts in Medicine. The journaling component invites participants to reflect on their experience and gain understanding of their own healing journey.
THE NEEDLE
The needle, such a simple tool that tugs upon a thread.
It weaves the beauty of life’s colours into the canvas bed.
With thread and needle ready, the choice was, “Where do I begin?”
The canvas insisted softly, “The border! Fence creativity in.”
So I started in the upper left as I was always taught.
A good wide border on this project, total control was my thought.
I stitched the first few stitches and they cried out to be free.
Borders keep me in control!
Not them, as you can plainly see.
I’ve always been quite good at borders dividing up my time.
Little boxes in a row, decisions on a dime.
Six well-defined spaces to my mind clearly come.
My mom, three children, and a spouse and all the jobs I’ve done.
It’s time to give up borders and let my soul fly free.
Accept whatever life presents and creatively be me.
- Pat Batten, Arts in Medicine participant
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The Story Block Quilt
The Story Block Quilt was almost two years in the making. It has been described as a blanket of wisdom, made up of eighty squares contributed by patients, family members and health care staff. Each uniquely  designed square tells a story.
Each person was given two pieces of the same fabric to incorporate with the other fabrics they selected. This provided a unifying thread that traveled through the squares, connecting them one to the other. These stories were sewn into a piece that speaks of the human condition, an appreciation of the preciousness of life and an understanding that articulates not only the fragility of life, but the resiliency and inspiration that reside within the human spirit.
The stories and the imagination expressed in each square reflect how each of us is “one of a kind.” While we have our commonalities, each one of us is furnished with our own distinct and irreplaceable qualities as human beings.
Options
As I work with the fabric I notice that because I don’t have enough material, I have to look at my options. Like life with cancer, one has to look at many options and try to achieve the best design that life provides with beauty and joy. This is not easy but results in satisfaction with the development of new and interesting talents to enrich our life.
- Paulette
Fabric Collage
The Odyssey of the Chilkoot Trail
When I signed up for a “Fibre Arts” class, I already had a copy of the image I wanted to create for my fabric collage. It was a photograph from a local newspaper of a young woman who was sitting on top of a mountain peak. The caption intrigued me: “A Perfect Place to Ponder Your Future.”
 I placed the clipping on the fridge door and found myself looking at it every so often. Every day as I looked at the picture I thought, “I could do this if I put my mind to it.” Following one of my surgeries, I remember feeling a calmness come over me, and while I knew I had come through a lot, I also knew that it was time to do something with my life. Others had done their part to help me get well, but now I needed to do something for myself. I was determined not to have cancer consume my life. At fifty-one, I wanted to do more things, learn more things and see more of the world.
My three brothers often talked about going on a hiking trip to Alaska. One day they began making plans, and it was certain that they were really going. I had always wanted to go there. Even as a child I remember being drawn to pictures of Alaska with its pristine mountainous landscape. Alaska became my goal! It was something to strive for. I needed an inner purpose that would remind me to take care of myself first. Whenever I found myself slipping back into my old ways and old routines, I would simply look at the photo on the fridge and the objective I was working towards.
Some days I wondered if I would ever realize this dream. For many years I was the prime caregiver to my family. Four grown-up children, two of them getting married over the next few months, another family member’s illness, as well as other extraneous concerns all factored into the equation. I knew that I would have to put many family obligations aside for a while, if I were to make the trip. To get physically ready I began to follow a strict exercise and conditioning program. Finances were another major challenge. It took a lot of self-talk to tell myself that I could really swing this! At one point I came to the insight that nothing would stop me but an “Act of God!” The outer adventure had become an inner quest. 
With aching muscles and a weary body, I finally got to sit on top of the mountain, just as in my fabric collage. And as I sat I pondered my future. I had done this for myself. I was exhausted, but this is the first step to another journey. It might not happen next month or next year, but it will happen.
Cancer has been a hard journey and at times very lonely. But, if my dreams or some of my dreams become goals and come true, then I can only say, “It’s okay to have had cancer.” And, maybe it’s God’s way to help me look at life in a better way.
Creating this fabric collage was a creative process that allowed me to piece together in a tangible way some of the important components of this goal. The collage became a “touchstone.” With each tiny snippet of fabric I found myself envisioning and, in a way, rehearsing my trek. I was doing the climb vicariously through the creation of my fabric picture.
- Mariel
Baskets
Simple materials consisting of cane and yarns of varied colours and textures are fashioned into baskets, reflecting a story. The multicoloured fibres provide the potential for all kinds of creative possibilities.  Some baskets are big, others small, some are delicate or whimsical, while others are more sturdy and practical, capable of storing or displaying items. The yarns themselves are the raw materials that generate the ideas of how a basket will unfold. After brief instructions and a demonstration of the process, the weaving begins. In this process, personal insights and stories unfold. In effect, the yarns tell the yarn. Learning moments come through this creative work. As one woman said spontaneously as she moved her hands and the cane and yarn: “I’m winding to unwind.” The meditative nature of a repetitive part of a creative task engenders calm and tranquility. Sometimes, too, there are moments when we sit with others and there is silence, when everyone is quietly immersed in what they are doing. Even so, we can feel a connection with everyone within the silence.
Thoughts on Basket Weaving
What a joy it is to weave this basket!
What a joy it is to live!
So many beautiful colours radiating from a fragile beginning,
a core to its ever evolving larger shape – like our lives.
Where do all these wonderful colours and patterns come from?
Who is the weaver of this basket?
Who is the Master Weaver who weaves the body-mind
and these many-hued threads into the basket?
Like life this basket has no measure, no market value
and yet has all the wonders of being.
What is the metaphor of this basket?
Is it LOVE that encompasses living and dying – healing and wholeness?
- Amit
Beading Arts
Beads of varied colours, shapes, sizes, textures and materials are provided for participants to combine in unique ways. There is something enticing about the feel of a bead in one’s hand, and a sense of playfulness in placing the beads in a way that is pleasing to the eye. 
Participants choose from a vast collection of expensive and inexpensive beads. Trays of beads placed on the work table provide a smorgasbord for the tactile and visual senses. Pearls, semi-precious stones, Bali silver pieces and lamp work beads are but a few of the choices participants have as they create their own healing bracelet. A strong beading wire, crimp beads, Bali silver spacers and clasps of different styles are also provided.
Beads have been with us for thousands of years. Within this span of time, they have acquired a fascinating history. The word “bead,” derived from the old English word “bede,” meaning “prayer,” makes it easy to see why so many participants find beading a meditative experience. Beads can be a touchstone for tapping into that serene, still place inside. The solitary, thoughtful manipulation of them enhances this contemplative state of mind and the repetitious handling of beads helps concentrate on spiritual needs and awareness. Participants tell us how calming it is to simply run their fingers over and around the beads.
 Working with beads has made me aware of the numerous ways they can be combined, much like various aspects of one’s life. And if the combination isn’t quite working, changes can be made. But one has to be willing to risk or take a chance.
 Beading this morning, I felt luxuriously free; free to experience and wonder at the many marvels of colour, texture and shape. Free to immerse myself in a different reality, far removed from the world of cancer. How rarely do we allow ourselves this type of opportunity.
- Anonymous
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Drawing and painting are at the heart of many Arts in Medicine experiences. Participants work in a rich variety of media, from coloured pencils and pastels to gold leaf, using a wide range of techniques, from carefully honouring ancient religious icons to freely imagining the highly personal imagery of mandalas. Artist facilitators for painting and drawing classes may provide photographs or examples of highly stylized images that serve as a source of inspiration for participants. Arts in Medicine instructors are exceptional in the manner in which they encourage and draw out “the artist within.” Along with their professional skills and experience, these artists are compassionate and caring individuals. Although we often become totally immersed in the painting process, there is also opportunity for quiet conversation. Each class ends with an exchange of ideas, where we share our personal learning and “a-ha!” moments, which have come to us while painting.
The Mandala
A mandala can best be described as a circular art form, taken from Sanskrit, meaning centre or circle. M andalas are not only rich in symbolism; they give visual expression to various facets of our emotional and spiritual domains. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung created mandalas regularly, and came to see that they reflected a deeply personal, yet universal language. Creating a mandala is meditative, as one looks inward. The process of drawing and colouring seems to facilitate a connection with the still centre inside, where quiet wisdom dwells. As a healing tool, the mandala can allow one to experience a feeling of wholeness, even in the midst of a health crisis, or any life challenge. Many well recognized mandalas throughout the world are breathtakingly beautiful. Creating a mandala allows one to express a myriad of awe-inspiring images and ideas we all hold inside.
Spirit Animals
For many, feeling a connection with something in nature is calming to mind, body and spirit. This connection can also come through painting animals or birds. Often we are so rushed in our day-to-day lives that we take little time to really observe what is around us. Painting an animal or a bird requires concentration and keen observation of detail. It is in this place of focused attention that we become still and in this quiet place we are only aware of “the moment.”
Hope
Last year I chose a lion to paint because he looked so relaxed. I always admired the zebra. Not sure why, but I wished I would have painted one. After being diagnosed with only nine months to a year to live, my hope was shattered. As this program started up again in October, I honestly didn’t believe I would have the opportunity to paint a zebra. I knew he needed a name. When I got home I told my son I was painting a zebra but he needs a name. Without hesitation, he said, “Call him ‘Hope.’” Perfect, I thought, since this is all I’ve chosen to go on. My nine-year-old son continues to inspire me with his spirit and honesty.
- Lora
Icons Icons dating back to the 13th Century have inspired these works of art. We follow the egg tempura method, which is a unique medium for painting icons. This requires more patience, as the artist must use smaller strokes of the brush to attain the desired effect. Popular images of angels have circulated widely over the past decade, on everything from calendars and murals to greeting cards and mugs. The experience of painting an angel adds layers of personal meaning to each image. Pure gold leaf was used for halos, and variegated gold leaf as a background to the image.
 St. Francis of Assisi
My reasons for painting St. Francis of Assisi are literal. The wonderful man I have lost was also passionate about nature, particularly birds. My dear husband was a birdwatcher from the time he was a young boy. St. Francis helps me to remember the gentleness and the kindness of my husband. Painting the icon relaxed me and helped me move on. I come in daily contact with things that remind me of my husband, and I think that some of these things will remain with me for the rest of my life. The icon is reminiscent of his love of nature. It helps remind me to convey to others the information he passed on to me. I was never really interested in his hobby, but I am finding I learned a lot more about ornithology than I thought I had, by osmosis. The icon reminds me that I cannot run away from those constant reminders, but I must embrace them and enjoy them.
- Barbara  Unfinished Angel
When I look at my angel, she reflects calm, serenity and a quality of inner peace. I hope for this! She doesn’t look quite finished – just as I am discovering about my self. I would have liked to spend more time on applying more layers of paint – just as I need time to heal and discover my authentic self.
- Norma
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Watercolour
Watercolour is a spontaneous, absorbing medium. While it is a beautiful art form, it can be unforgiving. Each brush stroke reflects the painter’s innermost feelings. The mark may be sensitive, bold or tentative, depending on what the painter wants to portray.
The initial and succeeding marks or strokes on the paper stay and show through each layer. It takes great courage to make a mark, live with the mark and ultimately share it to the delight and sometimes the critique of others.
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Coloured pencils have been in use since the early 1900s, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that they were more widely distributed as an art medium. Today it is possible to purchase a selection of pencil crayons of every imaginable colour. What a delight to go into an art store and look at exotic shades with names like magenta, chartreuse, icy blue or mango to name a few, and then make your choice of individual pencils or a whole box.
 The basic materials we use include sets of 120 PRISMACOLOR pencils, colourless blenders, and medium-grained paper. Numerous books in art stores and libraries explore the basic techniques of coloured pencils and there are classes that also teach this art form. If you try this technique, you may find yourself becoming reacquainted with the joy you experienced as a child, opening a new box of crayons and colouring to your heart’s content. There is something comforting and relaxing about seeing colour spread across the page, filling an empty space. In that quiet time, we slow down and have time to just be with our thoughts.
SHADES OF YELLOW AND ORANGE
When I began to colour, I was upset. My eleven-year-old daughter and I had just had an argument. This was consuming my thoughts and feelings. As I coloured, beautiful shades of yellow and orange merged on my paper and with this came many thoughts about why my daughter and I were clashing. We are so close. Colouring initially seemed a rather silly thing to do at my age, but it was calming and I was aware of my thoughts. In a flash of insight, I realized what was going on with my daughter. I was angry with her because she was not growing up fast enough. She still needed me too much and I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to take care of herself if anything happened to me. The connection that I wasn’t allowing her to be a little girl, and that she needed to be a child right now, was made in the midst of colouring this little bird. Once I understood and acknowledged what was happening, I knew I could find a way through it. I had to take a step back and trust that my daughter would grow up when she needed to. Over time she has become a phenomenal support and suddenly I am finding that I can breathe again!
- Brenda
Heavy art paper, pencils, and good acrylic paints are the materials needed for this art form. Initially the image reflecting a person’s story was drawn on sketching paper, and then transferred to the proper art paper before preparing to paint. The vibrancy of colours and the intricate details in each work illustrate the splendour of our imagination. There is enjoyment in seeing how the various components in each person’s story come together to make a whole image. It is almost like a puzzle wherein the diminutive aspects of the story find their perfect place, thereby giving those who view each piece the “whole picture.”
Navigating in the Psychic Sea
When I began drawing, I intented to portray a breast. After all, it was breast cancer that brought me here. But the drawing took on a life of its own as it developed into a face within my lopsided heart. Each time I’ve looked at this piece of art, new emotions have been awakened and different interpretations have presented themselves. I was even motivated to head off to the library to seek information about universal symbols. I found that I would need to devote a whole lifetime of study to do any justice to unravel the mysteries of this very complex field. The introspective journey through art has ultimately been liberating. It has released me from the bonds of worrying whether I was doing the project the “right” way. Cancer in my life has been an unexpected and, at first, unappreciated gift that I have embraced with the hope that its lesson about life can make me stronger, self-confident, and a worthy human being. Daniel Defoe wrote that “The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond and must be polished, or the lustre will never appear.” Cancer has made me face the need to burnish my soul.
- Florence
Paper, pens or pencils, a journal or a computer are the only resources needed for written expressions. We encourage people to write about their creative experience. Typically, we spend the last thirty minutes of each class writing in our journals. This length of time allows participants to go deeper into the experience and find new ways to express themselves; to take time to fully explore their extensive and fascinating inner world. The words that come forth are often healing words, a balm to the soul. They can give us further understanding of our life experiences. Sometimes written expressions take the form of prose or stream of consciousness writing. They can find their form in poetry. Within the pages of this book, adults and children alike have expressed their thoughts and feelings in a variety of ways. Initially, people are hesitant to write, finding it hard to put their feelings on paper. Once they begin, they find that it is a wonderful extension of the creative process. We also offer Arts in Medicine workshops that focus on writing as the primary form of artistic expression. In these classes, stories and poems as well as journals give voice to a wide range of experiences, emotions and insights.
 Trust
What you see is a picture of a chickadee perched in the open hand of a gentle and loving friend. The story of connectedness that goes with this picture is far reaching. It was taken when I was out walking with my friend Kathryn. We go back a long way. When Kathryn and I meet we often spend our time walking. One of our favourite spots is Fish Creek Park. On this particular day, Kathryn decided we would feed the chickadees. I’d never done this before and had no idea what I would experience. We walked together along the path to a place where we could hear a family of these wonderful birds. Kathryn put some birdseed (the most important being sunflower seed) in the palm of my hand. She then told me to hold my hand very still. It wasn’t long before the chickadees were flying by to take a look at the situation. Kathryn explained that they needed to fly by a couple of times to decide if they were safe. I could not believe how I felt the first time I had a bird land on my hand! It is times like this that I believe I become most like a child again. There was wonder and delight and fascination; there was a discovery that a small and delicate creature would stand trustingly in the palm of my hand. I have heard of instances such as these described as moments of pure joy – pure bliss – and that is what this time was to me. The picture said so much. I call it “Trust.” Trust is a small yet powerful word. It is something that comes naturally to a child. Trust is something that can be lost over a lifetime, and yet it is something that we need to find to move peacefully on in this world. Sometimes we are the chickadee, and sometimes we are the gentle loving hand, and if we trust in both of these we are tied one to the other. We are connected.
- Denise
Photography
A roll of film and a camera are the photographer’s essential tools, which makes this creative modality readily available to anyone. Certainly, it is also helpful to know the workings of the camera and the visual principles of photography. We have been fortunate to have professional photographers who not only share their considerable technical expertise, but who are empathetic individuals understanding the physical, emotional and spiritual challenges that can arise with any illness. Sometimes we encourage participants to just go out and take pictures of things that attract their attention. At other times a theme or topic is provided to direct the artist’s eye to possible subjects that tell a story or share an insight or a moment of beauty. Capturing special moments and telling stories through an image gives participants an opportunity to focus on everyday beauty in their lives and their world.
Whenever I feel down, I pick up my camera and go!
A Water Hazard
This is a reflection of the clouds in the sky and long grass in a pond (also known as a golf course water hazard) taken on a cloudy day. Just shortly before taking this photograph, I could hear a group of golfers marvelling at the potential number of golf balls they could fish out of the bottom of the pond! This water hazard is usually so murky nothing can be found. When I approached to take a picture, my eye was looking at all the flies and grass reflections shimmering on the surface of the water. Then, looking through the viewfinder at a cluster of grass, I noticed the beautiful heart-shape made by a few strands of grass. I thought of the different perspectives we see when we look at the overall picture, and when we focus on the little things. These are treasures to be found either way, when we least expect it.
- Linda
A block of clay or soapstone and a few tools are the basics needed to begin sculpting and carving. Arts in Medicine classes teach the basic techniques and provide various sculpting tools, as well as the contacts for kilns in which finished work can be fired at the proper temperatures, depending on the kind of clay  used. Participants describe the experience of working with clay as a vehicle to more fully understand and deal with a change in body image as a result of cancer surgery or cancer treatment. As in all of our groups, a professional artist and a psychologist work as a team to facilitate the psychological and spiritual processes that are a part of this creative work.
Like the clay, if left unattended, we can become dried up and brittle. We must look after ourselves, even though it may seem like pampering. Looking after oneself is a means of self-preservation. What Anonymous
On Clay
My hands back in the clay – moulding, caressing, stretching, what a wonderful feeling! I am one with my emotions in the clay. This torso is my torso. The torso gives a voice, a visual expression to what I feel about my body. It says what I don’t and sometimes cannot say to people around me. It is life. See what I feel. It isn’t just a lump of clay before me. It’s an extension of my self.
 On the Critic Within
As the critic within rested, the creative and intuitive part of me awakened. Working with clay, with my hands, I found an inner rhythm was generated, making it a whole body experience. A glowing smile radiated from within and consumed me.
On Emerging
Art emerges from this block of clay that I have so lovingly moulded and shaped and another part of my self is born.
On Stillness
Stillness of the soul is a stepping stone to healing.
On Bravery
Working with clay is a quick study in bravery. What comes forth is in your hands. But it is not written in stone. As in life, you can change your mind and go in a different direction.
 On Neglect If you neglect the clay, let it dry out, it responds in a like manner and is no longer workable. So like our own bodies; if we neglect ourselves, our soul, it dries out – becomes stubborn and resistant, no longer malleable.
Clay Sculpture
When I start to work with my clay, it’s usually with a feeling of anticipation and excitement to see if I can create with my hands what I see with my eyes.
We brought a group of ten women together over a period of eighteen months to sculpt life-sized dolls. We worked with clay, and shared our lives with each other, and wrote about how we have been touched by cancer and other challenges. In all, sixteen dolls have been created, each one representing some part of  the creator’s self. A baby created by a seventy-three-year-old woman, a gypsy, a woman of Ukrainian heritage, an angel, a pixie and a young woman, among others. We have encouraged one another, hearing about our fears, our joys, our pain, our sadness and all the while healing some aspect of the human condition.
Reflections on My Doll
For one brief moment I tapped into. . . call it a divine connection, a higher consciousness, a creative source. I actually felt an attachment, like some invisible umbilical cord feeding me creation, a presence lovingly guiding my hands with a master teacher’s gentle but firm touch. It wasn’t I who created this face, these hands. They were created through me. My intellect, my ego, had no part in this reality. Something, some energy was guiding me, helping me to mould the clay. My hands knew exactly what to do to uncover, to unmask the doll from this block of wet earth. As I refined the features, scraping away the excess, the unnecessary, I worked into the late hours of the night, oblivious of time, so focused was I on revealing my doll, never wavering from the task. My whole being was completely absorbed in this creation. Never have I lived the present moment so fully. And just as swiftly as it came it was gone, this creative connection, this guidance. I’ve yet to capture its essence again.
- Carole
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