Creative Arts

The creative arts can relate to many forms of the arts embodied in action and practice among them (but not restricted to) drama, dance and musical performance, visual arts, writing, publishing, graphic arts, cartooning, film, multi media and design.

In Humane

To be humane is to have or show compassion or benevolence.

Being concerned with the alleviation of suffering.

To interact with care, consideration and respect.

Medicine

the word medicine is from the Latin ars medicina, meaning the art of healing.

Broadly speaking the practice of medicine is to be

active in the prevention and treatment of illness.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

The Arts in Health and the Education of Medical Learners


"As a palliative care physician for over 10 years now, my experiences in working with individuals who are embarking on the final stages of life’s journey, as well as with their families, has highlighted the need for the art and the science of medicine. A holistic approach that requires attention to the physical, psychological, socio-cultural and spiritual/existential dimensions of a person’s illness requires an openness to the human experience which is not taught in the traditional training of health care providers, and many studies illustrate important deficiencies particularly in medicine. This holistic approach, based on relationship-centred care, can facilitate healing even in a person with terminal illness.

The arts can serve as a doorway through which one can pass to explore different cultures, traditions and ways of knowing. The arts can serve as a medium for a “shared humanity of creativity in connection” (McIntyre, 2004, p. 260). The arts are experiential, engaging senses, feelings and emotions as well as cognitive functions. The arts provide a forum where individuals can share perspectives and learn to appreciate the richness that diversity offers and add to our understanding of any given situation.

The arts provide insight into the human condition.

Excerpt from article by Pippa Hall MD, CCFP, M.Ed., FCFP, The International Journal of the Creative Arts in Interdisciplinary Practice, IJCAIP Journal, October, 2009
Issue 8, "Physicians Speak Out About Arts and Medicine"