Medicine As Art

One cannot help others by taking on their troubles, nor can the world be saved by carrying burdens as a sign of caring. It is far more practical to concentrate upon the beneficial aspects of the culture and to observe the accomplishments of people, rather than making mental lists of their deficiencies and lacks, thus eliminating effective action. The idea is not to ignore the dire circumstances of the world, but to acknowledge one’s own strength and creativity, and from that viewpoint, look at those areas in need of constructive help. I felt it was important to enlarge upon feelings of well-being and spontaneity and to encourage the feelings and activities that bring them about. Unfortunate life situations should have no power over us if we realize that events do not exist by themselves; they exist first in the mind. If every person changed her attitude, the world will change for the better. Empowering new laws would follow.

The ideal is to join with every human being, all living creatures, the sun, earth, wind and flower. Prayer connects us to all things in the universe. This is why it works so well to bring about healing.

Another ancient art that is powerfully helpful is to tune into the message of our dreams. This requires an acknowledgment that beneath the world we know, there is another. Adjacent to our familiar focus there are other realities that are just as legitimate. We can draw from these worlds to heal our lives.

Long term illnesses have often resolved suddenly through a dream or dream series. Dreams often allow for the prevention of a chronic condition without our having any conscious awareness of how this happens.

I had a vision for my calling as a nurse. I wanted to be the kind of person who could stimulate my patients to pursue personal potential in a strictly unique style, to pursue and develop awareness as a prerequisite to peace of mind. The official, accepted view of the world no longer applied, then and now, as new suppositions of the will are built upon and encouraged to evolve, bringing a new base and foundation upon which to formulate individual and cultural action, as a manifestation of life-as art form.

Medicine as an art form rests on these principles: a spontaneous and life giving approach, an evaluation of exteriorly manifested conditions as a reflection of attitudes and beliefs, and the act of remaining flexible and playful in one’s approach to life. The choice is a personal one. But once the journey has begun, the adventure becomes a colorful kaleidoscope of unpredictable action; the art-form never finished, always giving to new creation.