We bring people together in workshop/retreats to form inspired communities of Creative Support. “Was it a Monday or a Tuesday? I can’t remember. The headaches were getting worse. I called in an appointment at Kaiser Permanente in Harbor City, CA. My visit with Dr. Prado was my sixth consultation in as many weeks of excruciating migraines. I told her about my pain. She completed a neurological exam. And then she wrote CT Scan of the brain, STAT on a pink order slip. And my quantum shift began….”
This excerpt from the Preface of 20 Poems 20 Paintings A Creative Warrior’s Journal , shares the moment I became a brain cancer fighter. This book documents how I processed my “quantum shift,” but more significantly, it provides an interactive platform that will help cancer fighters, survivors and their support people to process the challenges and changes that come with cancer. The book is not “finished.” I intentionally designed it to facilitate co-authoring by those who purchase or receive it. After the Preface, the rest of the introductory section is about supporting my co-authors’ creative process and fostering connectivity. I encourage co-authors to give and receive healing support by sharing what they create. The poems and paintings in this book document my journey through brain cancer. I curated each work to help co-authors understand what inspired it and what I learned through writing or painting it. For each curated poem page, the book provides a mirror Your Writing page with a prompt that will help co-authors process their challenges and changes. For each curated painting page, the book provides a mirror Creative Space page with a prompt co-authors can paint, draw or collage to. When my co-authors share this book and what they have done in it to process their experiences, they will build a community of inspired creative support. Throughout the book, I highlight the most effective healing modalities and strategies I encountered during my journey through cancer. The mission of this book is to foster Quality of Life improvements for co-authors by providing opportunities for connectivity in the form of shared creativity and support. Clinical Studies prove that Quality of Life improvements extend the lives of those fighting cancer. My dream is that we all can share in this by healing through creativity.
