Illustration by Marcos Chin for the New York Times article "My Pain, My Brain" May 14, 2006, by Melanie Thernstrom.

Art as Therapy

"Art as therapy" suggest that the process of creating art itself is curative and that verbal reflection, discussions or interpretations about the art itself is not necessary. Source

Chen Zhen

Chen Zhen. "Diagnostic Room"
Zhen was born in Shanghai but moved to Paris, where he lived, worked, and died from autoimmune hemolytic anemia. His works often reference his illness, as well as the disparity between Eastern and Western approaches to medicine. “Between Therapy and Meditation,” is a collection of works in which Zhen transforms medical equipment into everyday household objects. Source

Knitting and Quilting for joy

"Quilting is always the thing that I have to put off the most because of pain, so I spend a lot of time "quilt dreaming". "

"The joy I have in making things for others gives me a feeling of not being so useless."

From "Meme" at rsdsupport.com

Caregiver's self-portrait

Self portrait of a regular Jane, me, caregiver of husband with RSDS/CRPS, spinal cord injuries.

Squeezed Tear

Cindy Frostad (BFA., BEd.) Source

SQUEEZED TEAR

Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas (2001)

Squeezed Tear symbolizes the desperation of overworked, overstressed people living in the midst of an over-burdened healthcare system. A normally resourceful and capable individual forces a fist full of tears and angst and frustration through society's limited consciousness to show that tangible crisis is at hand.

Still, windows of hope exist.

They are visible in the background.

Mixed Media Artist with spinal cord injuries

Artist: Radene Marie-Cook (California)

Mixed media artist, these two are regarding her spinal cord injuries.

©2004 Radene Marie-Cook - Aniwaya Artistry (http://www.cook.myexpose.com).

The Face of Torture Due to Unrelenting Pain

The Face of Torture Due to Unrelenting Pain
Artist: Zevin (Tucson, AZ)Media: Felt tip pen, ink pen, colored pencils;

Artist’s Comment: This drawing represents the unbearable torture of upper cervical C1, C2 subluxation and the unrelenting headaches because of the locked neck and head. The head is as heavy as a bowling ball. I can no longer endure. The heat of the irritated inflamed nerves, like lightening, escapes through the top of my skull, blowing the lid off my head.

©2007 Pain Exhibit (PainExhibit.com). Source

Fighting the Pain Monster, from rsdhope.org

Fighting the pain monster, from RSDHope.org

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo. "Henry Ford Hospital 1932".

"They thought I was a Surrealist, but I wasn't. I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality. "
Quoted in Time Magazine, "Mexican Autobiography," April 27, 1953 Source

PainExhibit.com

Pity I couldn't swipe any of the images from painexhibit.com to show, but the exhibit is absolutely worth a visit. Creation of Mark Collen.

"The Pain Exhibit is an educational visual-arts exhibit that features artists with chronic pain. These artists come from all across the globe, and their art expresses some facet of the pain experience, whether it's torture, fear, acceptance, love, hope or any other feeling that someone will go through in dealing with chronic pain."

update: managed to find some of the pieces out on the net. i chose "the foot".

Art therapy and chronic pain

An article worth reading by By Steven D. Feinberg, MD and Bridget Flynn, MA/AT. Exerpts from the article......."Chronic pain patients often comment that they find their experiences beyond expression. There are no words to describe the journey they have taken. Talk therapy has been exhausted..." "Art gives a face to the ambiguity of chronic pain. When drawing an injury or the source of the pain, it gives a visual expression to something that is often elusive." Read the full article here.

update: found the same coverage at American Pain Foundation, and included this image.

Artwork book by cancer survivors

Sometimes Words Are Not Enough, a book of artwork created by cancer survivors and edited by Sue P. Heiney, Heidi Darr-Hope and Laura Zaidman, is available from the South Carolina Cancer Center (SCCC) by e-mailing: arts.healing@palmettohealth.org. This is a 32 page soft-cover book for patients, families and caregivers that provides a glimpse into the inner world of cancer patients. It features original artwork by patients with little or no art training. The artists range in age from 21 to 70. In addition to the artwork, the book contains 15 personal stories of cancer survivors, their artwork and reflections on each piece. The book was developed through Arts and Healing ®, a support program at the SCCC. Source

Richard Paey

Richard Paey.....MS, failed back surgery, in prison in Florida, was on 60 Minutes, famous case, makes cartoon drawings from prison. You'll see Charlie Brown and Spy vs Spy (from Mad Magazine) bits, the collection grows, and they're engaging. Source