A Sneak Preview ....... "Mountain Magic"

The above painting is a work in water color inks for Wyoming Medical Center to commemorate the International Caritas Consortium to be held October 8 and 9th, 2009.

JOURNALING MY CARITAS JOURNEY

First I would like to say I am honored that you were my guest as I documented in my Caritas Journal. My Caritas travel will not end here and I hope that you will always be a extension of it. Caritas is many things but most definitely it is about encouraging one another which is a life long commitment.

I guess you could say from early childhood I have linked Art with Nursing. I always wanted to do both, but didn't realize at that time that creativity was a therapeutic modality that could be used in Nursing. We now now that art at the bedside can reduce anxiety, decrease pain and improve the immune system. Bedside Art is implemented in many hospitals worldwide. The pilot program at Baptist Medical Center South will begin on October 14, 2009. I will develop this program using the paradigm of University of Florida at Shands, however I would like to incorporate nursing, not to complicate but to simplify the care at the bedside. Giving nurses another option for the comfort of their patients. The Caritas Journey for all Nurse's is to explore every avenue in making patent's comfortable. These avenues should not be limited to administering chemicals, but tapping into the emergence of creative opportunities.

Thank you again for allowing me to share some of my Caritas moments with you.

Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

September 4, 2009

Carative Factor 2
Instilling/enabling faith and hope.

Conference Call : It is now official I will begin October 14, 2009 as the Resident Artist Caritas Nurse for Baptist Medical South. A pilot program for "art at the bedside" will be initiated at that time for patients in this beautiful hospital .

Caratas Process 2 Sustaining

Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

Carative Factor 1 Humanistic-altruistic values

The Gregory Drive Library project is completed as we welcome in a new year of literacy opportunities to our children. Pictured above is my painting for the Library. Thank you to the other participating artist Elaine Bedell, Annelies Dykgraaf and Marsha Hatcher who's paintings will also become a permanent collection to this Library.

Caritas Process 1 Practicing loving kindness and equanimity for self and other

Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

A collage of photos from our painted silk scarf workshop.

Carative Factor 1 Humanistic-altruistic

These photo's were taken at Baptist Medical Center South. What more can you ask for than a workshop that requires no skills and you end up with a uniquely beautiful hand painted and signed scarf as well as the know how to make more for gifts. This particular workshop was created to honor an employee who was receiving chemotherapy. All the beautiful scarfs were gifted to her by her peers as a gesture of love and support for her as she is receiving treatment.

Caritas Process 1 Practicing loving kindness and equanimity for self and others.

Journaling My Caritas Journey

Carative Factor 8 Providing for a supportive , protective , and /or corrective mental, social, spiritual environment.

August 5, 2009

Today I drove to Flagler Beach to attend a work shop on silk painting taught by Susan Kenthack. What a perfect project to implement at the bedside. A project requiring no skills and you end up with a beautiful authentic silk scarf signed by the designing patient. The scarf dries very quickly and the patient can wrap themselves up in the healing colors with amazement that during their time of recovery they created this glorious comfort cloth. As you can tell I am very excited about this project and it's therapeutic value.
Caritas Process 8 Creating healing environment at all levels (physical, nonphysical, subtle environment of energy and consciousness whereby wholeness, beauty,comfort, dignity, and peace are potentiated( Being /Becoming the environment)





Pictured above is the scarf I painted in Susan's workshop. I have it snuggled around my Caritas Journal. There is more to come!
Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

My announcement below has been published , now it is time to roll up my selves and get the exhibit ready.

Weaving Art into Healthcare

Baptist Medical Center

800 Prudential Dr.

Exhibit in the Healing Art Gallery

Sept. 2-30,2009

Meet the Artist, Patty Magee, RN at 12 noon

in The Library for Healing, September 16, 2009

"Art as a Way of Caring"

Journaling My Caritas Journey

July 31, 2009

Carative Factors 3
Cultivating Sensitivity to oneself and other.

Today I visited my favorite framer Annette Conger of Finely Framed.
She completed the framing my elephant nurse. I am preparing for my "Weaving Wellness" art exhibit at Baptist Medical Center in the Library of Healing. This is part of my Caritas project. The exhibit will be from September 2-30 and my opening will be on September 16 at 12 noon in the beautiful downtown Healing Library. Annette documented the outside frame size 18" x 23" and then she ask me for the title of the drawing for her computer files. I answered "We are the ones we are waiting for" and with big presence. She gave me a curious look and asks for clarification. Idiom: "Elephant in the Room" is a problem that everyone knows about but no one talks about. I must credit Dr. Mary Rockwood Lane at University of Florida for suggesting this title for my drawing. Her thought is that we are the ones waiting for cultural and value change in Nursing . We tend to think that someone else will do it, but the world is waiting for us. She says, "stop waiting for someone else to open the door." "If you don't do it, who do you think is going to do it?"

Caritas Process 3 Cultivating one's own spiritual practices; deepening self awareness, going beyond "self ego". Dr. Jean Watson supports this vision on a international level, may we all recognize the" Elephant in the Room" as our self. Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

July 30, 2009
Carative Factor 6

Systematic use of scientific (creative) problem solving caring process

Do we look like we are having fun yet?

Above are hard working employee's of our Performance Improvement Department at Baptist Medical Center. Tonight together, we are winding down the work day with watercolor therapy, a Caritas candle and Enya playing in the background. Tonight's agenda was not so much about "Performance" but about loosening up more than just a paint brush stroke. We talked about the role that creativity can play to reduce stress, improve health and actually increase productivity in the work place. For us paint pushers there is sometimes a hesitation about how we apply color to our canvas. Tonight all participants were successful in breaking through that barrier. Experimentation, exploration was allowed and honored, everyone rose to the occassion.

Something we were withholding made us weak, until we found it was ourselves. Robert Frost

Caritas Process 6
Creative use of self and all ways of knowing/being /doing as part of the caring process (engaging in artistry of caring- healing practices) Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

July 27, 2009

Carative Factors 1
Humanistic-altruistic values

Our circle of Caritas Coaches met today. This is my first group meeting with other Caritas Coaches at Baptist Medical Center. The purpose of this gathering is to discuss projects in motion system wide. What a pleasure to work with these caring individuals, next time I will bring a camera, so you can meet them too.
Caritas Process 1
Practicing loving-kindness and equanimity for self and others. Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

Carative Factor 10
Allowing for existential phenomenological dimensions


July 23, 2009


Here they come ready or not, I'm calling my acrylic panel completed . This 8 foot long canvas panel will join others from the The Art Center in a Literary kick off at Gregory Drive Elementary School Library. The grand opening of the Library will be in September.
As you know, I am caretaker of my Mom for nine days while my sister and her husband are on vacation. Mom has been very involved in this painting project by giving me critiques and comments daily. I noticed that symptoms of her condition were minimal during this time. The deadline date arrived and it was time to turn in the art ready or not. When this creative activity/interest was no longer in the house, I noticed a return of her symptoms. Hey, you know how I feel, Art is Healing , but there is certainly room for Jean Watson's Caritas Process 10.
Opening and attending to spiritual mysterious, unknown existential dimensions of life and death-suffering "allowing for a miracle"
Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

July 10, 2009

Caring for our planet.

Tonight was the art show and silent auction "Art Unleashed." My daughter Mandy attended as my guest. Here we are at the opening reception, preveiwing an amazing display of art work . All of the art work was donated by artists in an effort to raise money to care for neglected animals.

Can we apply this biblical truth to animals and humans ?

" Inasmuch as as ye have done to one of the least of these my brethern, ye have done it unto me." Matt.25:40

A very sucessful night for artists and animals. Helping the planet "one nurse at a time."

Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

July 3, 2009

I am so happy to announce an invitation to participate in a "health festival" with the Oldest Drug Store in the United States located in St. Augustine, Fl.

I will be connecting art and wellness with art work along with others who will be featuring old city remedies. The emphasis of the festival will be the belief system of healing from the inside out, using herbs ,teas, shea butter, black soap, natural remedies and of course ART. Hope you can join us for this event. Will keep you posted. Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty

Journaling My Caritas Journey

ART AS A WAY OF CARING

May 27, 2009

Last evening I sat down to begin my reflections of my Caritas Journey. I was going to write about my evolving CARING attitude. Pen and paper in front of me I was busy writing when the phone rang. It was my neighbor who feared infection and wanted me to examine her recent surgical incision. My first thought was the project I had just started. Then I said to myself "you hypocrite." I could tell by her voice that she was anxious and needed some reassurance. On the way out the door I grabbed one of my prints titled "Weaving Wellness" as a gift for her.

She met me at the door with an expression of anxiety on her face. I examined her incision and saw no immediate threats. Reassurance was offered to both she and her husband. We visited about an hour. During that period of time I experienced several dimensions of the caring process. My focus was on my friend, allowing her to share her feelings, comforting, supporting and maintaining a hopeful attitude. What a timely phone call. Coincidence or Miracle? I will let you decide.

Caritas Process 10: Opening and attending to spiritual mysterious, unknown existential dimensions of life and-death-suffering: "allowing for a miracle." Connecting Art and Wellness, Patty