Creativity Video Posted

I’ve posted a video of the first Creativity, Resolution, Art, Illness & Community (CRAIC) group meeting (held on June 16) on my website at http://www.albanyhealthmanagement.com/services_craic_pastmeetings.shtml. I hope you’ll take an hour to view the video and let me know what you think.

Some of the things that happened during the webinar include:

• We talked about how innovation and creativity are vital in developing a healthy response to chronic illness and trauma.

• Photographers Bill Glenning and Ann Fantauzzi presented images they have taken and talked about how their art has been influenced by their chronic illnesses. Their photos are also posted below the video on the Past Meetings webpage.

• Participants asked questions and offered insightful thoughts about how to use art and innovation and to stay motivated when you have a chronic illness. (We’ll have more conversation at future CRAIC meetings.)

At the end of the video we announced a date for the next meeting, which unfortunately we’ve had to reschedule. We haven’t set a date yet — it will be August or September — so please join our e-mail list to receive information about the date and registration details. Just contact us with your name and e-mail address and note in the comments box that you would like to be added to the CRAIC e-mail list.

Creativity, Resolution, Art, Illness & Community

Craic is a Gaelic term that, loosely translated, means having a good time and laughter with friends. I was happy to discover that it’s also a perfect acronym for a project I’m launching in June — the Creativity, Resolution, Art, Illness & Community group.

Creativity is vital in developing a healthy response to chronic illness and trauma. By using our powers of innovation, we’re able to devise better ways of overcoming obstacles and dealing with the cards we’ve been dealt. And the arts — writing, music, painting, sculpture, dancing or other creative expression — offer an outlet for expressing our emotional and physical feelings. Art is both informed by and informs our suffering.

One problem we face is that chronic illness is inherently isolating, so we lose the ability to get feedback about our art and our experience. Through CRAIC, we’ll work together to create a community for feedback and sharing that is accessible in spite of limitations. We’ll meet using a Web- and phone-based system to learn about creativity and artistic expression, set individual goals and share our creative work.

It’s not a support group or therapy; rather it’s a safe environment to learn, develop community and get feedback from others on our progress. I’ll use my experience as a group facilitator and educator to ensure that we remain positive and helpful to one another and that individual interests and differences are respected. CRAIC came out of DePaul’s Chronic Illness and the Arts Symposium I spoke at on May 12, but the group is open to anyone. There is no charge for participation.

Whether you are currently working on an artistic project or simply want to learn more about CRAIC, I invite you to join us for the first meeting, on June 16 at 11 a.m. Eastern time. You can get more information and register for the Web-based meeting at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/797008011, or e-mail your questions to me at blog.28@albanyhealthmanagement.com.