My first encounter with Healing in Arts was in 2013, when I folded a couple of hundred paper cranes as a high school student for the Wing and a Prayer exhibit. When I heard stories about the thousands of people who wrote wishes and prayers and added them to the art exhibit, I thought it sounded like such a beautiful experience. Being creative and honest are two things that can feel scary but also be life-giving. So, I felt impressed with an art exhibit that moved people to share their honesty and creativity.
Last year, I got to experience the Healing in Arts’ Let Go exhibit in person. While standing in front of the large panels of blue and white wavelike fabric collage in the Kent County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I teared up. The artist’s statement reminded me that we all carry resentment, shame, guilt, and sadness. The work prompted an opportunity for visitors to let go of something specific. The let-go notes from children and adults created a sense of communal courage, and I made a mental note of my own. What a sense of relief as I imagined releasing my issue and allowing it to wash away in the tide.
This experience helped me understand how art acts as a catalyst for healing and growth. I volunteer on the Healing in Arts board as the treasurer and assist with the administrative behind-the-scenes. I live in San Francisco and work as the operations manager for a fine-dining restaurant.
