On Tuesday April 27^th, a wonderfully diverse group of participants gathered for a workshop led by Evi Feltus (Childlife Specialist at Swedish Medical Center) to learn about using creativity with hospitalized children and their siblings.

Participants gained an awareness of the hospital experience from a child’s perspective, and engaged in writing, drawing, and collage exercises to deepen their understanding of how to use Art with Heart’s therapeutic books in ways that build trust, encourage creativity, and help reduce fear of the hospital experience.

All workshop attendees are eligible to become Art Buddies at Swedish Medical Center. Art Buddy volunteers work under the leadership of Evi Feltus, and spend time creating art with patients and their families.

Art Buddy workshops at Swedish Medical Center are now held quarterly, so if you weren’t able to join us this time, you’ll have 2 more opportunities this year! The next workshop date is TBA, so now is the perfect time to sign up for our monthly e-newsletter, to stay informed for all upcoming events.

We received this letter the other week from a sibling of a cancer patient. I love this…

I am 10 years old and wanted to let you know that I love this book [Magnificent Marvelous Me] and I can express my feelings in here.

Before I did this book, I felt lonely like there was no one around. After I did this book, I felt really happy and important. This book helped me learn that it’s okay to show the world who I really am.

If you’d like to help kids like Lisa, please consider donating today.

We received this letter from a parent in Austin, TX:

My name is Kelly, I have a 7 year old daughter. She is the most loving child, but struggles every day with crippling Perfectionism. She has social anxiety, she is self-defeating and feels she cannot and should not do much to avoid failure. Her biggest issue is feeling inadequate.

We have taken steps to help her change how she reacts to things and how she sees herself and the world around her.  She is a very intelligent child and has fought us every step of the way. For Christmas I thought this book would be a fun way for her to open up about her feelings and express herself in a new medium. She did not touch it until today.

We worked together on a few pages in Magnificent Marvelous Me tonight. When I asked her about herself and how that page made her feel, she yelled, “I am awesome!“.

After she said it, she stopped and looked at me and we both smiled and cried.  She said she did not mean to say that, but it felt great. I have NEVER heard her say that unless she is forced to.

I cannot tell you how great this was.  It is a small thing, but a giant step for us.

Thank you so much. Art has always been very important to me and this is a great way for my child to open up to herself and express emotion in a new way. She is finding herself and I cannot say thanks enough.

Thank you,
Kelly Clark

We got this letter the other day from a 10 year old boy who received Magnificent Marvelous Me from a Child Life Specialist…

I am 10 years old and wanted to let you know that this book is amazing and you should make more books that are similar and I would love that.

Before I did the book, I felt amazed by it.

After I did some of the book, I felt better with my feelings and how I am now.

The book so far has helped me with my feelings alot because I have been very scared to talk to my parents about my feelings and I can now talk about my feelings.

Dear Art with Heart,

I received the books you sent.  They are absolutely wonderful.  I have already given the sibling book (Magnificent Marvelous Me) to a patient’s sibling who is coping with her older brother’s brain injury and hospitalization following a suicide attempt.  She is 8 years old, and this book is a great way for her to express her feelings in a safe place, and I look forward to working together on some of the activities with her.

I love how open-ended the book’s activities are.  There are so many books out there that are very specific, which is nice, but I like that this book can really be used for any stressful life situation, not just a particular diagnosis.  I wish I would have come up with this myself!

Once I get a chance to try the other two books, I think I will definitely be making another order.  Thanks again for your help.

Colleen Hannon, MS, CCLS
Child Life Specialist
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

Kelly Huggins, L.C.S.W., Hospice Social Worker & Bereavement Coordinator at Heartland Hospice in Illinois wrote today to say, “I just want to say thank you for the wonderful work you do, seriously fabulous.  It warms my heart.”

Thank you Kelly! It warms our hearts to know the difference we are making! Thanks for writing!

We received this feedback in the mail today from a boy in Burlington, Washington, who received our Magnificent Marvelous Me! book from a therapist at Catholic Community Services (click on it to enlarge).

The book supports their work with children who are dealing with difficult family issues. The smiley face reflects how he felt after he finished the book!