We Are All Artists: Creations by Healthcare Workers

Healthcare workers are experiencing unprecedented levels of chronic stress and burnout. Even prior to the pandemic, professional burnout in hospital staff was at near crisis levels. It was against this backdrop of stress and fatigue that our healthcare workers valiantly met the challenge of a worldwide pandemic. As a result of this confluence, many hospitals have seen record number resignations. This not only impacts quality of care and the health of our communities, but further stresses the healthcare system.

How do we address healthcare worker burnout? Tapping into creativity and community is an effective tool for resilience. The Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab (CORAL) studies how creative art therapy groups mitigate burnout in healthcare workers by creatively processing trauma, cultivating positive coping skills, and reconnecting to purpose.

In this exhibit you will witness artwork created by healthcare workers from the CORAL study. Our creative arts program uses visual, musical, writing, and physical expression therapies and techniques to help providers identify, explore, and transform psychological difficulties. The power of the artists’ creations explores both the depth of the crisis and the light of hope in the darkest times.

Special thanks to the National Endowment for the Arts, the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab team, Lighthouse Writers Workshop, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Ponzio Creative Arts Therapy Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Krista Hanley, and to all participating artists.