Doors of Perception
The collection, called ‘Doors of Perception’, contains examples of vigorous flexing of the imaginal muscle: patients in the foetal position in the waiting room; a visualisation of trigeminal neuralgia; Haikus on depression, the search for hope in extreme adversity; the knot as a metaphor of extreme complexity; imagined conversations between a wife and dying husband; a humorous depiction of living with hemianopia.
OOOH!! Search & Filter
Use the OOOH!! filter system below to locate all the works in OOOH!! which use a particular medium. The dropdown list “Perspectives” will reveal all. You can then narrow your search by choosing additional dropdown categories such as Art Forms and Diagnoses.
Waiting Rooms
The surgery waiting room – exploring the body language of vulnerability
Big Black Dogs
Metaphorical musing around depression as something which cannot be shaken off
We Do Not Yet See Clearly But Hope is Gold
An evocative narrative, taking a universal approach to explore the role of hope within terminal illness
The Knot
An analysis of the impact of alcoholism and drug abuse upon the individual, their family and professionals involved
Precious
Fictionalized account of a tender relationship, Sita the life-long companion and carer of her frail husband
Doors of Perception
OOOH!! Search & Filter
Use the OOOH!! filter system below to locate all the works in OOOH!! which use a particular medium. The dropdown list “Perspectives” will reveal all. You can then narrow your search by choosing additional dropdown categories such as Art Forms and Diagnoses.
Breaking News
Concern around physical and mental exhaustion impairing future sensitive communications with patients and relatives
Autism, art and animals
The positive impact of animal companions and the arts for children with autism
My Pain
A young woman’s incapacitating and unvoiced pain – reflection on the need for trust between doctor and patient to achieve vital diagnosis and support
Im Abendrot (Eichendorff)
Thoughts around embracing death and learning from the wisdom of age
The Placebo Effect
The impact of colour is considered within placebo medication and how sensory/creative engagement in general contributes to mental health
Connectedness in the Context of Healthcare
Shared humanity across the medical spectrum is valued with exceptional insight
Crumpled Sheets
A multi-sensory embodiment of depression
Fire and Snow
The early trauma of visiting the poet’s mother’s in hospital re-visited
The Impact of Rheumatoid Arthritis
The patient’s shaken life-world when faced with an initially invisible, degenerative condition
The Meeting
How an isolated, shared experience, albeit brief – can forge a unique bond and impact on your life
A Little Boy, A Little Time
The heart-wrenching impact of encountering young children with life limiting AIDS/HIV upon the author
Hope
The determination of a mother to ensure her son’s survival following a motor-cycle accident
Healing power of prayer
The role of faith in well-being under multi-perspectives scrutiny
My mind is not my own
A visual and audio interpretation of the impact of a stroke on a particular patient based on his detailed embodied descriptions
11 minutes
A family enmeshed in addiction to smoking – socio/cultural, emotional and medical issues unpicked with compassion
Life… injecting it or sucking it away?
The struggle to break the cycle of addiction explored
The Heart of the Matter
Musings on the heart, cultural, anatomical, personal inspired by patient artwork
Rescue
The initial disconnecting and isolating aspect of pain and illness – and relief when a web of support emerges
Alive
‘The miracle of life is not to live – but to be alive’: the doctor’s role in supporting patients to address self-depleting patterns
Sun-Spun
The poet observes a child with autism absorbed in play and feels privileged to be invited to join her world
A New Beginning
Birth and death, joy and grief – bound up in exceptional circumstances
Long Dark Tunnel
Image from the perspective of a elderly patient whose world is rapidly shrinking due to anxiety about her infirmity
Big Black Dogs
Metaphorical musing around depression as something which cannot be shaken off
The Struggle
The tension between the will to thrive and a body cumulatively challenged by ill-health
Abnormal
Concern for a young woman patient living with chronic pain and skin disfigurement – compounded by a detached parent
Precious
Fictionalized account of a tender relationship, Sita the life-long companion and carer of her frail husband
The Knot
An analysis of the impact of alcoholism and drug abuse upon the individual, their family and professionals involved
Let Go
A lyrical interpretation of patients’ feelings of being misunderstood and aching to be free
Use Your EQ not just your IQ
Rap based on the need to take an holistic approach during consultation
Desert Rose
An encounter with a young girl in Zimbabwe is pivotal in this poet’s choice of medicine as a career
A Note On Haiku
Imaginative, poetic presentations of medical conditions
Emmanuel – A Gift, Too Soon
An obstetrician’s reflections upon the death of a newborn – from the child’s perspective
Dead Meat
Expectations and practicalities in anatomy sessions jar against thoughts of a donor’s lived experience
Eclipse
The fears of a foster mother to a young adult with Down’s syndrome who is experiencing undiagnosed pain and overwhelming seizures.
Dementia and whole person care
A medical student explores the challenges of connecting with residents in care-homes suffering from dementia and presents an insightful case-study
Sitting Opposite Miss Havisham
A photographic construction of a patient’s experience of agrophobia and anxiety
Fragmented Identity
A stark portrayal of identity-construction post-stroke
Asthma
A lyrical interpretation of respiratory challenges
Solar Eclipse of the Eye
Living with acquired tetraplegia leads a student to re-consider the nature of embodiment – ‘after meeting Peter I question the need for our body at all’
Helen’s Heart
The sensitive balance of emotional support and cognitive challenge in nurturing holistic well-being for children living with disability
Matthew John – Died Aged 9 Days
The longitudinal, emotional impact of an infant’s death from the obstetrician’s perspective
Infectious Love
The role of emotional healing within well-being for self and others