Arts &
Creative Writing Program - The Benefits
Children with cancer and blood disorders and their families suffer emotionally as well as physically from these devastating illnesses. They deal with very adult issues and their childhood is taken from them. Treatments can last all day for long periods of time resulting in a large portion of their childhood years spent at the hospital.
So much time is spent at the hospital and dealing with their illness that they may miss quite a bit of school. They can fall behind in their studies and miss out on many basics including art and creative writing. This then impacts their studies and their self esteem as they fall behind their peers.
It is critical to treat the emotional side of life threatening illnesses, as well as the physical. If children are made to feel whole they are better able to fight the physical battle. Survival is not enough if they are unable to heal the emotional scars attributed to their illness.
The Periwinkle Foundation Arts & Creative Writing Program conducted in partnership with Texas Children's Cancer Center gives children and their parents something to look forward to when they come to the Cancer Center -- a distraction from needle pricks and long hours of treatment. Working with professional artists and writers, Periwinkle volunteers and staff, children have the opportunity to explore their emotions, fears and concerns in an uplifting environment. By controlling the creative process and sharing their individual creativity or journeys, the children can begin to heal emotionally and cope with an illness over which they have little control. Their self esteem grows when their art or writing is actually mounted and exhibited or published, affirming their feelings, honoring their existence in this world and assisting each of them toward a fuller life.
