Kristen--Post 2

Hello everyone,

I hope you are well and finding time in your busy schedules to enjoy the summer, too.

I have been very busy lately getting more and more into the Art From The Heart program and integrating it into outside projects as well. The outside projects are really the more direct "writing-related" aspects of what I'm doing; however, every time I'm at the hospital I'm using my writing skills through communication, stories, or distractions.

Since our last posting, I've started doing some reading and writing with some of the kids. Last week, I made my first fill-in-the-blank story--it was intended for a very young age spectrum, say 3 to 7, and fit on the front side of a construction paper sheet. What I did here was move a story through a beginning, middle, and end but didn't actually regulate much of the content. About 70 percent of the story was blank, with instructions under each blank as to what kind of word/thing they should put there. (Obviously, for younger children this will be done with the help of someone else.) I'll show you an example of one sometime soon so maybe it will be a clearer picture.

Here's what's interesting about these blank stories, though: it seems like it would be really easy and almost lazy to write a story with so many empty spaces, but it's actually very difficult. I have to make sure that the story will make (somewhat) sense regardless of what anyone chooses to put in the blank based on the instruction for that particular blank and also have to make sure that following blanks will allow a story to be cohesive enough to either send a message, be funny, be impactful...anything. I have other story ideas too, but this is the one I've practiced already and have found helpful. The biggest motivator for these stories with blanks is one with a bigger meaning that I've learned in the hospital in my time there.

In the hospital, kids don't really get to make many choices. There is not a wide array of options for them to either approve or disapprove of what's going on in their lives and with their own bodies that they may or may not understand all too well depending on their age and development. So, volunteers and people like me working with them find that when you ask them a question pertaining to what they want to do...they wait for more direction or slink back, not being confident in their ability to control much. Thus, these blank stories and several other activities I do with the kids myself, allow kids to recognize their creative ability and furthermore their creative ability in a hospital setting where either they or someone they know is being hospitalized and controlled.

Here's a better example maybe: I was painting with a little girl last week and asked her what she wanted to paint and like almost all of them, she said she didn't know. So instead of offering a list of examples of what she could paint, I just got her talking about things she was interested in. Butterflies came up so I suggested she paint one if she wanted. She said yes and got the paint ready...but then hesitated again and asked me if I could draw the caterpillar part and she could draw the wings. Now, it would be incredibly easy for me to paint a "caterpillar part," but I instead put my hand over hers and had her essentially do it on her own. This way, she realized she could actually paint that portion of it and had control the whole time over the picture.

I'm realizing now that I've probably written enough and should leave you all to go on and read other posts. To wrap it up, my goals for next time are to have done more blank stories and started a new reading or writing project, to continue the consistency of being at the hospital two or three mornings a week, to remain involved in the outside writing project (I still can't tell you about it but I will be getting official permission and consent this week so I will be able to next time) and to of course, remember that at the core of all of these things I am doing with this internship is the well-being of patients and their families and how I am honored to be a part of their lives each and every time.

Everyone have a safe and fun holiday week!
-KO