The Healing Journey Project is a collection of art quilts inspired by stories of patients, caregivers and medical staff and their experiences with cancer. Each person’s journey is unique AND universal themes play out over and over – facing fear and difficulty with resilience, striving for balance, being transformed through powerful emotions, caring for oneself, caring for one another, holding intention and embracing flow.
I have seen this transformative power again and again during more than 10,000 art encounters with patients, staff and caregivers over my 20 years as artist in residence at Lombardi Arts & Humanities Program at Medstar Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. When we sit together making something time and worry recede. There is laughter, sharing, a sense of accomplishment and feeling part of a community. This self care experience reduces pain and stress, breaks the cycle of anxiety, and promotes bigger picture thinking which leads to resilience and hope.
An illustrated catalog Healing Journey by Lauren Kingsland is available on amazon.com.
