Untitled
The prints of paintings framed in Stanford Hospital’ Inpatient Psychiatric Facility’ walls fascinated me, not only for their aesthetic, but also as a fellow artist. I pictured myself in the artists’ places, painting the landscape around them, wondering what they were feeling at the time. As a painter myself, I analyze the individual brush strokes, wondering what was painted first: the sky, the water, or the boats? What was the painter thinking while painting this painting? Well, that’ what I would do when I was waiting in the hallway for my brother to finish taking a shower.
I had visited the facility enough times during the summer after sophomore year until mid-junior year to be friends with everyone there. In all honesty, I’m not sure how many people would be eager to visit a psychiatric facility in which their brother is getting treatment. There is a common stigma towards mental illness, and a hospital is not the most positive of environments to be consistently visiting. However, I wanted to show support towards my brother and his recovery, and because of that, I would keep an eye on him by observing the people around him, including everyone from nurses to patients.
Every Saturday, art therapy was held in the facility for patients and visitors, and I loved joining in. When we shared our diverse designs and color combinations among ourselves, it helped us get to know each other even better. Everyone’ story is like his or her own piece of art. It can have a similar subject and scenery, but the meaning behind it is so personal.
One particular Saturday, a drawing by Karl, a quiet and reserved patient who I previously hadn’t talked much to, caught my eye. Asking him about his drawing and the significance of it to him opened a door to conversation. Talking to Karl about his drawing allowed me to get to know him through his lens and gave me insight from his perspective. Soon, all of us who had attended the group began to share what we had drawn and the significance behind our artworks. In a hospital where patients were not very willing to talk to others much, art became a talking point and opened conversations. This made me realize that art is like the common denominator; it brings out the human factor in a place where people have often lost touch with reality. It allows us to connect without the hinderance of mental barriers. It’ a way of meeting each other halfway.
This skill of being able to talk to and connect with people who may be very different from me is why I’m confident in my ability to understand others. I am proud of this experience, as I have grown and become more empathetic. My ability to make strong connections with others will allow me to communicate effectively, throughout my life and in my professional goals to become an engineer. Every single human being is so complex, making it difficult to fully understand everyone, but being more accepting towards each other and at least trying to understand is a good start.