Salem Cancer Institute – Dayna J Collins

Flags of Hope

Back in 2014 I was invited to participate in a pilot program between the Salem Art Association and the Salem Cancer Institute. I taught my Embellishing a Soft Cloth Doll that first year, then last year I taught three sessions in visual journaling. Over the past couple of weeks I taught two sessions of making prayer flags, calling the class Flags of Hope.

Creating prayer flags came out of a project I facilitated the summer of 2014 through the Salem Art Association’s Project Space. I wrote several blog posts about it at that time, which can be read by clicking here. After the success of that project, I led a similar project last year at Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility, and now, on occasion, I offer mini workshops on creating flags, which is how these flags were created.

The Flags of Hope project was held in the reception area of Building C at Salem Hospital, a lovely, comfortable space where patients and caregivers can relax with a latte, work on a puzzle, color a mandala, or read a magazine.

I always come away from these classes feeling blessed, humbled, and honored, as the women who take these classes are either in the middle of cancer treatment, just finishing treatment, or have gone through it in the past. Here are some photos of the flags being created over the past couple of weeks.

During this week’s session, a cancer survivor was chatting with a woman who just finished up chemo. Her hair is starting to come back in, but she revealed she wasn’t feeling very pretty. The woman who battled cancer in the past, stepped over and began encouraging and sharing her experience with this woman, affirming to her how beautiful she is and how it gets better. The painting of prayer flags was a lovely respite from the treatment, but the beauty for me was witnessing the human connection of two women being able to talk about a shared experience.

Another woman, who came in late, finished up as I was putting supplies away. She said, “This is so therapeutic for me. I needed this. I live with the fear of wondering if my cancer will return.” This is her flag:

The flags from the two classes will be on display at the hospital on Wednesday, June 8, during the National Cancer Survivors Day celebration.

Visual Journaling: Making a Mess

Late last summer, II was invited to participate in a pilot project between the Salem Art Association and Salem Hospital Cancer Institute. I did a session on creating art dolls last December, and this month I offered three sessions of visual journaling.

I provided all the materials for the ladies to make a simple journal and each week they jumped in fearlessly. Many of the women were undergoing chemo and they shared that for the hour and a half they forgot about their treatment and just had fun.

Their pages were beautiful, some completed, most just backgrounds waiting for words and images to be added.

And many vowed to continue working on their journals at home. One woman confided she planned to add pockets and was going to insert the messages she received from friends as she went through chemo.

One of the participants wrote me the sweetest note after the last class and with her permission I’ll share it here as it sums up so beautifully what the experience was like for her:

My observation was that this offering certainly has a healing place in the lives of – well anyone who needs healing. It is in the process – not necessarily the art and certainly not the finished product, but the individual elements in combination – side by side with people sharing a bit of their life even through illness and disease.

It has purpose, and I suppose gives us permission to ‘let go, and treat ourselves’ as the time flew by without a thought other than what color to use, where to put it.

The open format you offered covered many art forms and medium – a great introduction, or experience for all levels to both find comfort and step out of that familiar place.

I have begun a journal project at home using felt, and fine paper. It feels more like I am in control – so I can introduce – at a slower pace – all of the delicious things that I tried to put onto one page…

Expressive Art Experience

Several months ago I was asked by the Salem Art Association if I would be interested in participating in a pilot program to offer therapeutic art classes at Salem Hospital’s Cancer Institute. I enthusiastically agreed and offered up some ideas for classes I could teach. Yesterday was the inaugural offering: Embellishing a Soft Cloth Doll, a class I have offered for several years through my studio and through Salem Art Association events.

My personal collection of art dolls I have created over the years.

The class was small, but the women who attended were enthusiastic and grateful for the opportunity to make art and play. We knew when we scheduled the class, that people might not feel up to attending when the day rolled around.

The dolls that were completed:

It was a wonderful experience to offer a respite in the lives of these brave women. One of the participants said she had not done any art since being diagnosed with cancer and beginning treatment. It was a joy to re-ignite that spark for her.