Resilience and the Arts

It is a known fact that telling one's story bolsters resilience. As readers, we see resilience bolstered in both fiction and non-fiction literature as the protagonist's tell the story about themselves. For instance, in Maya Angelou's I Know Why A Cage Bird Sings, young Maya illustrates her brutal childhood but also her buffers which are writing and reading. Therapists see resilience bolstered in their clients as they reveal facts about themselves. Telling one's story is self-empowering. In fact, the more children know about their family history, the more resilient they are. Our capstone class was shocked to hear that the children who are most resilient were not those who played sports, were not those who made honors, but were simply those who knew their family's history. Knowing one's family history makes a child grounded in the past but also aware of the present. Author, Bruce Feiler, of New York Times article The Stories That Bind Us, has come up with a scale of twenty questions. Children who are able to answer most of the twenty questions about their families are more resilient.  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/fashion/the-family-stories-that-bind-us-this-life.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0


Given this grand information on resiliency, I have made it by goal to become a resiliency mentor for children. I spent my summer doing an independent study working on bolstering the resiliency of ten children through the arts. I planned art activities for children that would involve their families. For instance, one activity I planned was called Climbing Your Own Family Tree. The goal of this art project was for children to use Bruce Feiler's twenty questions, interview their parents, and create an artistic family tree of information they learned, and or scrapbook of information gained. I wanted to enrich youth of their knowledge and background of family history because it is proven that the children who are more knowledge about their families history, both the positives and conflict, are more resilient- meaning more capable of completing challenging tasks and tackling adversity. The reasoning behind this claims that a supportive family is, in the terminology of resilience theory, a protective factor for children; or an element that help children resist risk. The children were challenged and encouraged to visually represent the newly enriched and attained knowledge about their family by creating a collage or family tree using actual family photos. This knowledge includes both positive (happy) times and times of conflict.
 

               During the time of this independent study, I also created a workbook. Using my knowledge of both the arts and child development, I have created an inspiring workbook for girls ages 10+ to bolster their resiliency, improve sociability skills,  and help them to develop to their full potential. In fact, children who are resilient are “temperamentally more alert, cheerful, responsive, self-confident, and more independent than children of the same age and sex” (Young Children, 2001). Resilience is a behavior that is both innate and can be learned. It is critical that resiliency is developed at a young age so that children know how to overcome adverse situations, whether it be a fight with a friend on the playground or as severe as a battle with a disease (as in my case). I consider myself a resiliency mentor for young children— one who has a significant impact on the lives of children within the social and familial environment and am taking action through art and through my book.  

Art: A Three Fold Process

Though it is impossible, each and every day felt far longer than twenty-four hours to me. There was nothing to do but simply lie on my hospital bed with one IV fluid pole and one for blood transfusion. I also had another wire wrapped around my finger, to check my pulse, and as if this wasn’t stressful enough, nurses coming in and out to give and draw blood, while checking my blood pressure. I felt less like a person and more like an electronic device, plugged into an outlet to charge, recover, and feel better.          

                  Despite the fact that I was unaware of my surroundings due to the immense pressure on my brain, specifically the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, I remember the sound of nurses walking in and out of my room, constantly surrounding me. Even if I were in the deepest, most comfortable sleep of my life, I would wake up when the nurses flushed my IV. I not only heard them around my bed, but I smelled the saline that they used to clean and flush my IV. My sense of smell was very sensitive at this time, and I dreaded having my IV flushed.

                  The only time I was somewhat content, maybe even happy, comfortable, and at ease was when my child life specialists entered the room. I suddenly felt like this mundane hospital world had ended and that anything was possible.

                  At this point in my lifetime, so many obstacles stood in my way, thus making so much physically impossible for me to do. I could not walk, talk, smile- (my smile was only raised on the right side of my face since the brain surgery impaired the duties of the left side of the brain). I could not eat on my own, sit up on my own, go to the restroom, or even take a shower on my own. I was also restrained from drinking any fluid, though I was dying of thirst. I needed assistance with every single action I took. I felt helpless and restrained from living at this point. My child life specialists: Vicky and Katie, allowed me to break free from all of it; they were the light at the end of the tunnel.              

                  When they entered my room with a cart full of toys, games, and arts & crafts, decisions were finally all up to me. For once, it wasn’t up to the doctors to determine what was best for me. I got to choose which activities I wanted to do and, for once, I did not need anyone’s help making this decision. I remember one day, I choose to paint a giraffe on a small canvas. This particular day was my final Chemotherapy treatment and most definitely one to celebrate. My child life specialists printed out a picture of a giraffe for me to reference and set up all the paint colors that I had asked for. I spent hours painting and blending every color to perfection, although I noticed myself beginning to feel nauseous from the aroma of the paints, I kept going anyway: as you can tell, I never give up.

                  Right after I finished the masterpiece painting, I motioned for my Child Life Specialists to move the materials as quickly as possible. In pretty much one giant handful, they grabbed all of the art supplies just in time. I got sick all over the place and luckily my art was not ruined. It now hangs on the living room wall of my home.

                  Cancer took all aspects of being a typical, healthy teenager away from me. I was no longer worrying about what outfit I was going to wear to school, or that nerve wracking history test I had. I now had major issues to think about, worrying about myself- whether or not I took the right pills at the right time and with the right foods, and would I ever be able to walk, talk, or smile again? More importantly, was I going to survive? These were all questions that constantly ran through my head like a movie on instant replay.

                  Doing art projects was a healing experience for me throughout my cancer treatment. It took my mind away from the deep, cold, and dark world of cancer and into a happy, warm state of mind. This was the only experience that fully took my mind of cancer and somewhat back to being a regular child. I give my Child Life specialists full credit for introducing me to this notion of healing through art, and I continue to do it to this day.

                  More often than not, I complete my art pieces when I am not feeling that well or have a lot on my mind. It allows me to escape how I am feeling, just like it had previously allowed me to escape the truths of cancer. I always feel a bit better after working.

                  I want to make it clear that cancer does not end on the last day of treatment; I will forever have after affects from it. It is a long and bumpy healing process, in which art helps me get through. The day I went to Jerry’s Artarama art store, I bought more supplies than I could even possibly need, and I literally treasure each one. Each pen, marker, jar of paint, brush holds its place in my extra-large black art box. I blend all of these techniques along with additional tools, such as a hair comb for texture and an embossing machine to accentuate every last detail, to create a masterpiece of its own.

                  Each one of my pieces, so far there are 24 in total, hold their own meanings. For example, Cancer, is an art piece I created in May of 2010, specifically for cancer survivors filled with thoughts on bravery, hope, perseverance, and love. The website where I sell my art is: http://www.redbubble.com/people/jayheart . Each piece that I have completed is inspiring, creative, colorful, and full of hope and love.

                   A portion of the proceeds from my art sales, this year, will be donated to the Susan Cancer Fund, which offers college scholarships to young survivors of cancer, like myself.                

                  Since I found the organization and resources so helpful through my own journey with cancer and beyond; I decided to give back this particular fund, so that survivors can continue to benefit from it, because I know that I truly do. So far, in the past years, I have raised $2,100 for the Ulman Cancer Fund, and $800 for the i2y cancer organization, and I plan to keep creating art for a different cause each year.

                  In the process, I have received really personal and touching email responses from those I know and even do not know about how my art helps them to heal. I can then acknowledge the impact of the art that I am creating, not only on the organizations that I am helping- but also on the people, or survivors, who have purchased it. I have inserted some of the feedback I received from customers.

  Suzette Miller Tomaska    August 20 

Your work is gorgeous. I will definitely share with my Facebook contacts. I am tempted to buy one for my office. God Bless you and may you have continued health and strength!

  Katharine Macomber    August 4 at 6:12pm  

Hey Jamie! I've been looking at your artwork recently and I want you to know that I really think I'm going to order a poster! I'm going to school on August 18th and when I get there I'm gonna show my roommates your gallery and we'll pick one out for our dorm!! You're work is absolutely amazing, you are such an inspiration and this is such a great cause that you're donating money to!! I'm glad to hear that you're doing well, and I hope that you'll make more artwork in the future, you're so talented!!! Thank you Jamie!  ♥

                 

 Art is essential in my life; and it is a three- fold- process. I create art as a way of healing through the aftermath of cancer. In return, cancer survivors who have purchased my art inform me that they benefit from the beauty and inspiration of it. Different organizations benefit from the proceeds of my art sales being donated. Fans and supporters of the foundations that I have helped also benefit in the long run, because my donations will help to keep these foundations up and running, hopefully forever.  I believe that my experiences in creating, marketing, and selling my own handcrafted art will also be valuable as a future Art Therapist. I have gotten lots of feedback from friends but, mostly from strangers, which then inspires me to continue creating art. Here are some of the greatly appreciated comments that I have received:

Lindsay Meisels    July 12 at 1:50am   Report

Hey Jamie,

I wanted to let you know I admire your bravery so much and I think this great what you are doing. I would LOVE to help in any way i can..fundraisers etc... I myself battle with a disease called CMT (Charco Marie Tooth) and i know how hard it is being a teenager with a disease.. You are so strong and I admire that greatly... Let me know if you need help with fundraisers and what not

Sincerely,

Lindsay

  Amelia Hackett    November 3 at 11:40pm  

Hey Jamie! Im Amelia! I heard your story from when i went to the doctors and saw one of you drawings and i fell in love with your talent!! and your story touched my heart! God Bless.

  Cathy Smerdon Rezmer    August 3 at 8:56pm  

Jamie ~ My name is Cathy, I found your Facebook profile somehow from cancerkicker.org. I am very glad that I did! Your art is AMAZING, and you are AMAZING!!!! My son was eight years old when he was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. To make a very looonnnggg story short, Shane fought his cancer for over ten years. He set goals for himself, and he reached a lot of them. They are what I think kept him going most of the time. His cancer became to powerful for him to fight (but not before he was able to graduate high school (something no one ever thought he would be able to do), and move away and go to college for a month). Shane died six years ago when he was eighteen. He beat the odds that were given him so many times. Your story has made me think of Shane a lot. You are a fighter, and a survivor, and you are helping others along the way. I know Shane would have done the same.

Keep on fighting, staying healthy, and creating (they are beautiful!!)

Cathy

(www.caringbridge.org/mi/shanerezmer)< a little about Shane

Gemma Hart-Hobman    July 24 at 3:25am  

Hi Jamie

WOW saw your art, AMAZING. I'm in isolation right now and they are a well-needed breath of fresh air! Congrats on beating cancer :D  -Gemma

                 

                I still find it extremely inspiring that people I do not even know open the door to share their personal stories of how cancer affected their lives with me. I feel honored. It was shocking to me, to have received so many messages (this is just a handful of the bunch) since I had not expected my art to make such a difference in anyone’s personal life.

The feedback I get, and the influence that my art has had not only on the foundations I help, but also on the lives of others, makes me happy and even more proud, each and every day, that I am a survivor, a Braveheart.

I, personally, will never know the reason why I got brain cancer in the first place, but I can’t change the past, nor can I dwell on the past, all I can do is keep moving forward. Now that I’m attending Wheelock College in Boston, a different route has paved my career path. I am on the journey of becoming an inspiring mentor and therapist for children.I will never give up.