There are days when I wake-up and see what a patient sees.  Bound to an unwanted bed, yearning to be free… free from sickness, free from pain, and for some, free from imminent death.

There are also days, albeit many fewer, when I wake-up and see what a doctoral candidate in medical research sees.  I am hungry for explanations and validation of the power of art…that the science of art can comfort and love.

On the surface, both are diametrically opposed and stand in conflict with each other.  One is searching with their heart and one is calculating with their brain.

I stand in awe of people that are much smarter than me.  God has given them the talent to take empirical data and weave it together into a beautiful tapestry that tells a story.  A story that is true.  Article after article testify to the positive impact of art on a patient’s soul, their recovery, and ultimate healing.

The beauty is that we need the articles, but we also need the art; and more of it.  We need art for the patients.  Their hearts are searching for something beautiful, something that reminds them of a special time in their lives.  They want to see what they can’t see.  They want to see what is on the outside.  They want to see something interesting that lifts their spirit.

We have a choice, we can blindly fill the space with white walls and sterile, gray medical equipment, or we can infuse color, and hope, and joy into the void.  For us, the choice is simple; we will paint and paint until every patient sees with their heart’s eyes.