I cannot recall the first time I noticed the blue glass bowl in the hospital, but I do remember the experience that I had watching its cool brilliance as it caught the sunlight. I felt calm. Centered. Immersed in beauty and wonder. This atmosphere is one that envelops me every time that I pass the bowl. I find myself seeking this piece out both for the view and the feeling, going out of my way to bask in the loveliness of the bowl.  

This piece is situated within one small corner of a large hospital campus and is passed by every day by people who experiencing the worst days and best days of their lives. It has been my honor to work with families who are living through some of the most significant and challenging moments of their lives. While I can say without a doubt that I love what I do, it is also true that I have experienced distress while bearing witness to the suffering experienced by patients and their families. Beauty can be born from suffering and yet also has an important place in healing and I have found that considering the art around me helps me to process my experiences in medicine. Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the body and the mind, noticing what is happening without judgement. For me, the hospital art program, Project Art, has created an environment of beauty that allows me to find moments of peace. 

Art grounds me to the present. Each day brings its own challenges and I often find myself racing through the hospital, thinking about a difficult conversation that I had or the myriad of tasks that are ahead of me. A new piece of art, or an old favorite, will often pull me out of my head and into the moment. The Project Art team has placed objects all throughout the hospital and I find the surprise of noticing a new artwork of draws me out of my drifting thoughts into the present moment, where this new piece waits to be explored. Additionally, witnessing a patient or staff member take in a piece that I love causes me to re-examine that piece, questioning what it is that I find so appealing and wondering if other people are drawn to the same elements that capture me. In this way, art also helps me to consider my connection to the people around me.

Art tells a story. Mindfulness practice does not exclusively challenge us to clear our minds or be still. I find that I am sometimes best able to be mindful when I spend time considering the story within or behind art. The hospital’s collection has been growing for more than 50 years. In the Project Art collection there are a wide variety of pieces, each with their own interesting context. One such piece is a gorgeous painting of Boyd Tower, one of the oldest parts of the hospital. Whenever I see it, I think of the many patients, families, medical providers, and hospital teams that have walked through the halls of University of Iowa’s hospital. I contemplate my place among them and experience gratitude for the opportunity that I have to be a part of the hospital’s history. 

Art speaks to who I am. Some pieces evoke favorite pastimes, such as the piece Under the Stars by Paula Schuette Kraemer, which features marshmallows and constellations, stirring memories of bonfires under the stars. Others, like a four-paneled piece by Cheryl Jacobsen, remind me of my cultural identity as a Nigerian and an American, a mixed identity with intermingling facets and wonderful complexity. It is not uncommon in my work to be confronted with ethical dilemmas or challenging cases that cause me to re-examine who I am as a physician and as a human. The artwork that helps to remind me that I work as a physician so that I can help patients live beautiful lives and, when the time comes, have beautiful, peaceful endings as well. Though my own contributions do not grace walls, I hope that the work I do adds good into the world.  Reflecting on this desire for good is another meditative practice that helps me to remember the meaning that infuses everything that I do.

Take time to examine artwork mindfully. I urge all of us to spend time with the artwork in whatever physical spaces we spend time, utilizing the art as a springboard to mindfully consider our experience of the world. Does the piece attract you? Repel you? Comfort you? Noticing our reactions can help us to learn more about ourselves.

Consider other sources of beauty in our lives. There is so much beauty in the world. For me, there is joy in seeing drawings on patient doors, artwork created by patient’s siblings and school mates displayed on hospital room walls, the garden so carefully tended by the groundskeepers, a hug of comfort between family members who are navigating a complex hospital admission together.  The more we are able to find beauty around us, the more we have opportunities for mindful consideration.

For more information on University of Iowa’s Project Art program, please visit the websites below.

Program History and Gallery: https://uihc.org/childrens/project-art

Program Gallery: https://www.facebook.com/projectartUIHC/photos_albums

Cover image by Josh Liu.