Art For Healing

Imagine a flock of birds flying past so close, you can almost touch them. You watch them fly west, into a deep red setting sun.
Now imagine you have been admitted into a hospital room, greeted by gloomy grey walls.
Where would you rather be?
The owners of Kaizen Hospital in Ahmedabad thought of exactly this, and decided they wanted to make their newly-opening Gastro-speciality Hospital, as warm and comforting a space as they could. They invited us to use the walls of their rooms as a canvas to express love, creativity and joy.
A group of volunteers from all over the world, Australia, Germany, Singapore, US, India, jumped at this opportunity of offering their time and skills, to create spaces which would bring a smile to an unknown brother or sisters’ face.
Every room has its unique creative theme, flowers, sunsets, fish, birds, and even some Tribal Pithora painting and Kutchhi Lipankaam. When we visited the hospital recently, it was wonderful to see how the patients responded to this, especially when they realised the paintings were done by volunteers.
Art has an ability to heal. Not only the observer who naturally responds to positive images and joyful colours, but even the one painting. For the painter, it becomes an act of meditation especially when the intention is towards creating something beautiful for somebody else.
I believe skill has only a small part to play in this, the true magic lies in allowing yourself to connect with what you are painting and then letting go, the brush will do its Magic!