The "arts in healthcare" is a wide-ranging international movement that covers the waterfront of possibilities for how the arts enhance lives and impact patient care, hospital environments, care for caregivers, and community-building within medical and other settings. Also known by some as "arts in medicine," the use of the arts in healthcare has been around for many decades with a recent surge in growth during the last ten years despite a bumpy economy and the rocky ride to healthcare reform. Over the last two decades, research on how the arts-- visual, music, movement, drama, literature, creative writing, and humor-- enhance health has increased exponentially [see previous post, Humor: The Human Gift for Coping and Survival]. Data point to a number of promising trends demonstrating that patients' participation in the arts reduce use of pain medication, increase compliance with treatments, and shorten the length of stay in hospitals, among other thought-provoking findings. The arts are also being used to create safer hospital environments, introduce nature into medical settings, and enhance aesthetics through hanging art on previously sterile wall space. And guess what? Patient/caregiver stress is measurably reduced, quality of care is increased, and costs of treatment go down.
In many medical schools, first year med students now routinely take short courses in arts and humanities and experience visual art, music-making, movement, or creative writing as therapies. Long time arts-medicine icon and advocate for the arts in healthcare, John Graham-Pole, MD, is one of many physicians who believe that both the arts and sciences working together make the world-and hospitals-a better place. Graham-Pole, a pediatrician, co-founded the Arts in Medicine Program at Shands Hospital where the creative arts, play, and humor have become as important as chemotherapy, surgery, and medications. While recently retired from Shands, he is still an example of how art and medicine complement each other to benefit patients; John is a poet and humorist who consistently uses a mixture of laughter and literature to facilitate patient wellness as part of his work.

Interesting article for all of us creative people out there!
I do think it takes extra intelligence to think out of the box - use both sides of your brain... but perhaps that also leaves deficits in other places instead of simply a lack of intelligence   http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-fundamental-four/201202/creativity-and-intelligence-tripartite-structure

Leave some comments...
tell me what you're thinking :)

These things are super expensive online --- but it doesn't look like it is that hard to build from scratch (I could be totally kidding myself though)
Tonight, I plan on trying to start a few little seats / crates, if it comes along together well -- perhaps there's something in that design that can be combined with this awesomeness!

Has anyone seen / build anything like this?

Ever feel like there's just so many things you want to make?
so many ideas floating around in your head?
i feel it all of the time.
sometimes so much, that i get overwhelmed with my own creativity and forget to use it!

I'm moving soon and have been doing a lot of browsing around for cool decoration ideas.
I'd like to one - recover my couch (ok so honestly, I'm not so sure that I'm able to accomplish this.... but I'm going to give it a shot b/c all I'm seeing out there are slipcovers that are 100+   oy!)  I've also found that a lot of the covers I see are pretty dull.  Come on, there's gotta be something better out there then white and brown!
I don't want to repaint the apartment, so I'm looking to add some sparks of color somewhere else.
I have a loveseat and chaise with a matching ottoman.   I love the ppl who have a plain couch and the ottoman is a pattern.   herm... wonder if I could do just the opposite?
Lyle, has a great DIY suite case chair tutorial  I think I want to get some foam to add to the cushions and do the tufting like she teaches here.  The back pillows, seat pillows, chaise pillow and chaise pillow back - pretty simple.  It's the body that totally throws me off.  Obviously, the back, not that hard, but the arms, front.. errrrr....   worth the effort or dish out $200?

It's def. one of many projects I'm thinking about :)
I'm sure you'll hear plenty of updates very soon!
If you have any home improvement diy pictures or stories, please post or post a link to your blog... I'd be very interested in checking it out!

Hello World!

     Welcome to my first post.    I hope to fill this blog with lots of tutorials, pictures and ideas from my wacky head ;)

     I am a photographer.  hooked on yarn/crochet.  artist.  weaver.   collage lover.  embroider.   sewer.   and soon to be carpenter (we'll see how this one turns out).

     Professionally, I'm an art therapist and I use my love of creativity to work with children and adults suffering from trauma at a county hospital.  (Trauma being anything from addiction, terminal disease, mental health, abuse etc.)  I really love what I do, I'm sure you'll hear some stories about my clients (ethical of course!) - my adventures of trying to make my way through the glass ceiling and contemplations of furthering my education --- as if two master's isn't enough pssh!

   BUT -- the real purpose of this blog is to share in the love of creativity! 
I'd love to connect with you all.   Please post comments and leave some info about your own blog!