The arts and spirituality have been close allies throughout history and across many faith and healing traditions, and acknowledgement of their synergistic healing potential is returning. The arts continue to demonstrate their ability to provide categorical evidence of their impact on spiritual and existential concerns. The arts offer a poignant spiritual language for alternative pathways to being and knowing. Fortifying benefits include transcendent powers, internal work and connections. The arts provide a way to practice spiritual care with a diverse range of careseekers. In this Forest Find, a transdisciplinary approach will be presented to encourage members to reflect on how these approaches to care might serve them. Please note that in the Community Discussions there are multiple spaces dedicated to film and visual arts. Post your thoughts and share your examples there for the community.
Experience the artistic side of chaplaincy in a fresh approach to spiritual care.
Have you ever brought a poem, an image, a film clip, or a musical selection to a care encounter? How can art assist someone share their narrative?
The use of story and various arts-based techniques has become popular in a number of helping professions, including spiritual care. Have you ever brought a poem, an image, a film clip, or a musical selection to a care encounter? How can art assist someone share their narrative?
Transforming Pain Into Beauty
Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine
This special Madrasa-Midrasha Program event stems from the work of two Master of Arts students at the Graduate Theological Union, Mia Trachtenberg and Sakinah Alhabshi, who were awarded a Haas Student Research Grant in 2021. The event focuses on how Chaplains use art and creativity in their work with guest speakers Taqwa Surapati, Cancer Care Chaplain at Stanford Health Care, and Amy Shoemaker, Director of Operations for the Covid Grief Network and Relief Chaplain at Stanford Health Care.
Art & Creativity in Spiritual Care / Chaplaincy – Graduate Theological Union
In the UK, this project connects artists with spiritual communities to ask questions, explore doubts, affirm faith, extend light, and create opportunities for individual and community expression. Click on the images and find tools that might help in your provision of care.
Arts Chaplaincy Project – University of the Arts London UK
Whose shoes would you like to take a walk in? What kinds of stories have you been curious about? Is there a particular person whose story you have always wanted to hear? What pair of shoes would you provide for someone to walk in? What story would you record?
A Mile In My Shoes – The Empathy Museum
Consider
When a careseeker mentions a visual artist, make some copies of that artist's work and bring color copies to the careseeker. Ask, “Is there a song I could play on my phone that would make a difference for you right now?” or, “Would you like some materials to draw with?”