Is it curing or healing?

There is a big difference between curing and healing.  Curing involves eradicating the disease from the body or bringing the body to the point where the progression has halted any and all progression.  Healing is more of an emotional and spiritual component linking the idea of acceptance, peace and meaning of life to the process.

When we are creative we learn new languages.  Having the capacity to  express ourselves honestly and authentically is a gift.  It’s amazing that we can communicate without ever having to utter a word simply be expressing ourselves through art.  They say that art is a universal language and that may be true, but it’s in the expression that healing takes place.

I recently had the honor of spending time at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.  They began one of the first artist-in-residence programs in the country for patients in the hospital.  They currently have artists in all disciplines and the results are amazing.  Creating art can lessen pain, creates a diversion during treatment, releasing negative thoughts that have been impacting the outcome of treatment and other medical prescriptions.

It allows the patients to be whole because we are thinking holistically.  We are integrating mind, body and soul in the process and when these three aspects of our selves are in sync there is a synergy that can have amazing results.  It may not cure every illness, but it will impact one’s quality of life and that’s always the key component to living a “successful” life.