As an artist and writer, I am a firm believer in the deep connection between art and healing. My own own life reflects my positive commitment to art as a tool that can be used to renew and regenerate the spirit and act as a constructive catalyst for change.

After recovering from a debilitating illness that left me unable to write, I tentatively picked up a brush, dipped it into some paint, and found that I could create art --and in the process of creating, I found my lifeline back into the world. At the time I was going through my transition, I didn't know about the scientific studies that had been done on the healing power of art, nor did I know that art heals by changing one from the inside out, and not the other way around.

When you are in the presence of serene and calming art, and that presence speaks to you in a way that reaches you on a spiritual level, the physiology of the body also changes from being stressed out to being deeply relaxed, and from being fearful to creative. I found that when I felt stressed or uneasy, just looking at one of my own watercolors, calmed me down. And the process of painting, itself, is an experience that, for me, can be so uplifting that it can take me from one level to another, much higher level, where worries don't exist.

I have read that hormones and neurotransmitters play a big role in brain wave patterns. And there are studies that show that art and music affect the autonomic nervous system in a positive way. The idea of art and creativity as tools for personal and professional growth is one that is catching on around the world.

I am now a member of the Society of the Arts in Health Care, an organization devoted to the healing power of art. Among its members are hospitals, healing and wellness centers, health care professionals, art therapists, and artists, like myself.

I can't say for sure that illness, or extreme stress are metaphors for change, but in my own case, my experience led me on a new life-changing career path. Because of illness, I turned to art as a healing modality, and when I did, I changed my life. My paintings started out as nothing more than crudely completed, childlike compositions, and grew from there to reflect my fascination with organic shapes, textures, and colors that support a healing environment for my own home and office, as well as the homes and businesses of friends and associates.