![\"Hope](\"https:\/\/ffinearts.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/HopeFlows_Collection.jpg\" "\\"Hope")
<\/a>A collection of some of the tiles created for the project.<\/p><\/div>A treasure chest of frustration. A lone goldfish swimming in a bowl. The word \u201chope\u201d stretched across a sunrise. <\/p>\n
These are just a few of the themes of masonite tiles decorated by Clinical Center patients as part of a project called \u201cThe Art of Healing: The patient tile project.\u201d The Recreation Therapy Section\u2019s goal for the summer project, which ran from June through August, was to collect 100 tiles filled with images and phrases that capture the personal symbols of patient experiences at the CC. <\/p>\n
Patients saw the process as a way to make a statement about their experience of illness, have their voice heard, and give a thing of beauty back to the CC community. <\/p>\n
The tiles were made at a drop-in clinic on Monday mornings. Megan Robb, a board certified art therapist at the CC, and Natalie Haynes, a certified recreation therapist, traveled to patient units so that patients who must remain in bed, connected to medical devices, or in isolation had a chance to participate. <\/p>\n
Robb stressed that the tile project had been collaborative with the CC community since the beginning. The tile installation design and title came from a patient who is a professional artist. Several 1NW nurses suggested displaying tiles made by pediatric patients on their unit. Other staff across units were very supportive of hosting art clinics to create tiles specific to patient experiences, such as receiving donated blood stem cell transfusions to treat cancer or fighting alcoholism or mental illness. <\/p>\n
The tiles will be displayed in a flowing wall installation. The theme\u2014hope flows from one to another\u2014expresses the critical importance of the support from the community at the CC, not just from staff, but from the patients themselves. Through the tile project, patients described how they rely on each other for understanding, strength, and friendship. <\/p>\n
Patients created their tiles from copper cut-out shapes, game pieces with letters, paint, and a texturized modeling paste. Robb, the CC art curators, and the CC art committee are still deliberating about how to best tell the stories that accompany the tiles. Some patients wrote short descriptions of the significance of their work. Others wanted to display their names on the tiles and contribute to a book of testimonials. <\/p>\n
Family members, caregivers, and staff helped patients create their tiles. \u201cCreating a piece of art together breaks down the traditional roles and boundaries between staff and patients and lets us interact in new ways,\u201d Robb said.<\/p>\n