Below this discussion, I have listed some great resources about using art to cope with chronic pain, including a document with ideas about what types of art projects to do. These resources may be found by clicking the "read more" tag in this document.
Many, if not all, chronic pain patients know how to stay silent and hide their pain. It's a matter of survival most of the time. Even friends may tire of endless complaints about pain, people may incorrectly label us or underestimate us if they find out about our chronic pain too soon, and those closest to us may grow aggravated by the details of our suffering. Often, it makes sense to stay silent about our pain, and I don't think that is wrong. I cannot count the number of times I have hidden my pain. Yet, staying silent all of the time can hurt us, both in the forms of misunderstandings with others who do not fully understand our pain, and in the sense that we need an outlet for the pain we endure. The arts can help provide this outlet, and, if you wish to share them, the artwork you produce can also help inform others about your pain in a way that conversation cannot.
However, arts that are not focused solely on expressing pain can also help people cope with their pain, as arts can be soothing, distracting, or just plain fun. For instance, I paint, draw, write, play piano, and play guitar, and I have found that each method helps me deal with pain in different ways. I tend to reflect on and express myself about my relationship with my pain through writing, express myself by playing piano, and relax and become more able to ignore my pain while painting.
You don't have to be a great artist to use art to cope with your pain. If you are interested, here are some helpful resources I found.
1. "The Art of Pain Management"--document with project ideas
This web document contains an introduction about the practice of using arts to cope with pain. Most of the brochure discusses several art project ideas that you can use to express your pain, focus on the positive aspects of who you are, or simply enjoy the act of creating something. There are several pictures and examples for each project. I especially love the idea of using poetry to create images, and I like the torn paper portraits. This is in no way a definitive list, but it might help you get started.
2. "The Pain Exhibit"--website of artwork representing pain
This website, painexhibit.org, is an online project that publishes artwork representing pain. You may browse the website to view other people's depictions of pain, or you may submit your own artwork to be considered for publishing. They accept high quality images of art (such as pictures of sculptures, paintings, graphic art, photographs, etc.). If you don't want to share your art--no worries! There are several galleries to look through and view others' art. The online exhibit is also meant to help doctors understand the experience of chronic pain.
3. "Pain as an Art Form"--article giving reasons to use art to express pain
This article on the New York Times website discusses the Pain Exhibit listed above, while also providing reasons why people in chronic pain often enjoy expressing themselves through art. The article also briefly discusses the famous artist, Frida Kahlo, who used paintings to express her own physical and emotional pain.
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