We stood in a room awaiting the patients arrival. Anticipating the looks on their faces when they saw the activity they would get to participate in and the wonder in their eyes of the artwork in front of them.

This was my first international PaintFest. We were in Beijing, China, in a hospital much different than any hospital I had ever been in. The patients were children, escorted by their nurses and mothers or fathers. When they entered the room, I saw the excitement I was expecting to see in these little one’s eyes. All the canvases strategically laid out on the tables, with the paint bottles and brushes ready to be used by their little hands. They started giggling and looking around, eager for someone to tell them to start painting. But what I loved most about these little faces was not necessarily that they were excited for the event, but that they were quickly forgetting the pain and complications they were going through at the time. Instead, they were engulfed in a fun and creative activity. Many of these tiny patients were dealing with severe skin diseases, burns, or tumors. Most of these children were dealing with illnesses that you could see with the human eye, not just internal diagnoses. However, these children painted and laughed with a confidence about them. They talked with each other, and helped each other with their canvases. Many of them began painting silly faces and pictures on their disposable aprons and took goofy pictures with each other.

What I think was most enjoyable though, was to see the way the parents were lighting up after seeing their children paint and laugh and smile. They too forgot about the illnesses and complications, and became wrapped up in these couple of hours of painting and laughter.

Because the majority did not speak English, I did not know what they were saying, but they were all speaking with a huge smile on their face, which says a lot more than words sometimes.

This is what FFHA is on a mission for. To bring life to a place where a lot of desperation tends to live. Artwork is more than pictures on a wall. Each painting tells a story and touches another life. From one care facility to another, we spread joy!

Anna Kathryn Simmons