Tag: Healing Arts

Please email instruction@knitwell.org to schedule an Individual Knitting Instruction appointment.

with Project Knitwell

Knitwell in the Cloud

During these stressful times, we need the wellness benefits of knitting now more than ever.

Project Knitwill invites you to join Knitwell in the Cloud, a new program offering private, one-on-one knitting lessons via Zoom. It’s a safe, effective way to knit and learn.

Who is this for?  Beginner knitters and those who already know how to knit but need help with a project.

How long are the sessions? 45-60 minutes. You will have up to 4 lessons with your instructor.

What equipment do I need to participate? A smartphone or tablet (iPad, etc.)  and the free Zoom app downloaded on the device you will use.

Do I need to get my own supplies?  No — Project Knitwell will provide you with what you need.

Knitwell in the Cloud is an ongoing program with rolling registration. Please email instruction@knitwell.org or call 703-249-9112 and mention that you heard about the program through Smith Center.

If you’re looking to meet up with other knitters, consider connecting with K2tog. K2tog events are not formal lessons, but rather are casual get-togethers where everyone brings their knitting projects and chats about different knitting-related topics. Anyone can register by emailing k2together@knitwell.org, even if they have never participated in a previous PK program.

About Project Knitwell

Project Knitwell

Project Knitwell offers knitting as a tool to promote wellness and help people cope with stressful situations at more than a dozen hospital and community settings.

All of Project Knitwell’s programming is provided by volunteers, and services and supplies are provided free of charge to the people we serve.

About the Project Knitwell Volunteers

About Ilene Gast

Ilene Gast

I have been knitting since childhood, learning when I received a knitting kit as a gift. Knitting allows me to combine color and texture, transforming long strings of yarn into aesthetically pleasing, functional items. I knit all manner of objects, but my favorites are wild colored socks and unusually shaped shawls.

Although finishing a knitted object is satisfying, it is secondary to the process of knitting. The rhythm of knitting is relaxing; it never fails to relieve stress. At the end of graduate school, I not only completed a degree, but also created a series of “dissertation sweaters.” Knitting also lets me take leave of myself. When I am knitting for someone else, which is often, I can virtually spend time with that person. Or, if I use yarn acquired in a special place, I am transported back in time and space. Add portability to these benefits—I can take it with me!

However, most of all, I enjoy sharing the art and craft of knitting with others. I am fortunate to have discovered Project Knitwell, an organization dedicated to bringing the benefits of knitting to people in stressful situations. I am doubly grateful to be part of the Schar ISC Artist in Residence program.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Barbara Andersen, PhD (Ohio State University) and Susan Lutgendorf, PhD (University of Iowa)

Did You Know?

Smith Center is pleased to announce the launch of a special series of talks designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the center. Each of the talks will highlight one of eight healing practices that research and practice tell us is important to the health and well-being of cancer patients/survivors, and their loved ones.

The topics include: Eating Well, Moving More, Managing Stress, Sleeping Well, Creating a Healing Environment, Sharing Love and Support, Exploring What Matters Now, and Expressing Oneself.

For each topic, we will have two expert speakers. One will provide a clear and concise review of the science behind the given topic: what we do and do not know about the topic, the impact of this practice on cancer-related quality of life and mortality specifically, and national recommendations for action. The second speaker will “translate” this information into an action plan (e.g., provide user-friendly tips about how to integrate this aspect of healing into your daily life). At the end, there will be time for a question and answer period.

Did You Know? will be hosted Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.

Upcoming Dates: 

  • May 19 – Finding Social Support
    • with Barbara Andersen, PhD (Ohio State University) and Susan Lutgendorf, PhD (University of Iowa)
  • June 16 – Expressing Oneself

In honor of our 25th Anniversary in 2021, we are suggesting donations for this series in fractions or multiples of the number “25.” E.G. $2.50, $12.50, $25, etc.

About Barbara Andersen, PhD

Dr. Barbara L. Andersen, a member of the Ohio State University (OSU) faculty since 1989, holds the position of Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Psychology, with a joint appointment in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Andersen is a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center, and was instrumental in the development of the Behavioral Measurement Shared Resource which she directed from 2003-2005. She also served as Director of the OSU Livestrong Survivorship Center of Excellence (2009-11). Dr. Andersen, whose work has been funded since 1983, has published 3 books and written over 170 research articles in clinical psychology and cancer. Recipient of multiple honors for her extensive contributions to the field of psycho- and behavioral oncology, she is widely recognized for her research on the biobehavioral aspects of cancer and their implications for health and disease progression. A randomized clinical trial in collaboration with surgical oncologists William Farrar and William Carson showed a psychological intervention reduced stress, improved quality of life, health behaviors, and adherence for patients with breast cancer in addition to lowering the risk for breast cancer recurrence. Based on a group-delivery format, sharing social support was a key component of this intervention.

About Susan Lutgendorf, PhD

Dr. Susan Lutgendorf is a Clinical Health Psychologist and a Professor in the Clinical Science Training Area in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Iowa. She also has faculty appointments in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Urology, and is a member of the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center.  She is the Program Director of the NIGMS-funded T32 Mechanisms of Health and Disease at the Behavioral and Biomedical Interface Training Program. She recently served as the President of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, and as President of the American Psychosomatic Society, and is widely recognized for her outstanding contributions to our understanding of the biobehavioral pathways in cancer. Her current research examines how factors such as stress, depression, and social support are linked to biological processes involved in tumor progression and chemo-resistance.  She has recently been funded by NCI to study a novel web-based psychosocial intervention for ovarian cancer patients.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Renee Sandell

Join Renee for a timely, interactive art “workout,” designed to strengthen your endurance. We will use her Balanced Way of Seeing® method to explore layers of meaning in Frida Kahlo’s 1932 painting, Self-Portrait Between the Borderline of Mexico and the United States. We will explore the significance of this work and its timely relevance to the Pandemic. Reflecting on past moments in our lives requiring our perseverance and bravery, we will rediscover sources of endurance needed for the challenging issues in times ahead.  We will consider this work and explore its timely relevance to our lives in 2021. Reflecting on past moments in our lives, we can rediscover sources of our own endurance needed to confront challenging issues in times ahead. An Endurance Resource PDF will be emailed after the workshop.

Suggested Materials: 

  • White paper
  • Pencil
  • White drawing paper
  • Black sharpie marker

Suggested Donation: $10

About Renee Sandell

Renee Sandell’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All: Engaging Creativity and Insight® for EVERYONE. Renee is founder/director of the expeditionary, museum-based SummerVision DC Program, which she designed and has delivered for the National Art Education Association (NAEA) for 10 years since 2010. Previously Professor of Art Education at George Mason University (2004-2014) and at Maryland Institute College of Art (1990-2003), she is co-author of two books on gender issues and has published numerous articles, book chapters and art curricula. Winner of the 2019 Lowenfeld Award, Sandell was recognized as 2015-2016 Distinguished Lecturer in Art Education at Miami University and 2013 NAEA National Art Educator. Renee has received numerous awards for her leadership and scholarship on her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)®  and her Marking & Mapping®, an accessible form of visual meaning-making. Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All® for Engaging Creativity and Insight® workshops are designed to nurture envisioning skills for individuals within professional development programs, organizations, health spas, businesses, and other venues. She has been offering Art & Virtues workshops since early in the Pandemic. During fall 2020, Renee taught her first Smithsonian Associates studio course: “Curating a Life: Art as Memoir.” Her Spring course is Seeing More: Art, Virtues, and Our Lives.

Renee’s artwork includes artistic installations of multi-media markings on paper, board, and silk, explore the human condition in time, space, and place. To learn more about Renee’s work, visit www.visualfitness4all.com and www.reneesandellart.com

This program has been postponed. Please check our Program Calendar for future program dates.

with Tiffany Carmouché

Spend an evening with artist Tiffany Carmouché. Explore painting possibilities as you reflect on written and sensory inspiration. Create art during the guided journey of hope and beauty. Dance with your muse as you create your masterpiece! As we add color to the blank canvas and have fun we can reflect, play and be present in the moment.

Suggested Donation: $10

About Tiffany Carmouché

Tiffany Carmouché

Best Selling Author, Motivational Speaker, and Fine Arts Sculptor, Tiffany Carmouché, empowers people to break out of their comfort zone and shed limiting beliefs as they step into their power and live fully expressed, helping people speak with confidence, write with impact, and create without inhibition. For over 15 years with her art, her captivating words and the life she lives, she has touched and inspired people worldwide.

Ms. Carmouché uses a variety of the arts to help people heal and have fun, as they ignite creativity, they expand brain plasticity and are empowered to embrace self-expression, innovation and author their lives.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Brian Gonzalez, PhD (Moffitt Cancer Center) and Julienne Bower, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles)

Did You Know?

Smith Center is pleased to announce the launch of a special series of talks designed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the center. Each of the talks will highlight one of eight healing practices that research and practice tell us is important to the health and well-being of cancer patients/survivors, and their loved ones.

The topics include: Eating Well, Moving More, Managing Stress, Sleeping Well, Creating a Healing Environment, Sharing Love and Support, Exploring What Matters Now, and Expressing Oneself.

For each topic, we will have two expert speakers. One will provide a clear and concise review of the science behind the given topic: what we do and do not know about the topic, the impact of this practice on cancer-related quality of life and mortality specifically, and national recommendations for action. The second speaker will “translate” this information into an action plan (e.g., provide user-friendly tips about how to integrate this aspect of healing into your daily life). At the end, there will be time for a question and answer period.

Did You Know? will be hosted Monthly on Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30pm.

Upcoming Dates: 

  • April 21 – Sleeping Well
    • with Brian Gonzalez, PhD (Moffitt Cancer Center) and Julienne Bower, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles)
  • May 19 – Finding Social Support
    • with Barbara Andersen, PhD (Ohio State University) and Susan Lutgendorf, PhD (University of Iowa)

In honor of our 25th Anniversary in 2021, we are suggesting donations for this series in fractions or multiples of the number “25.” E.G. $2.50, $12.50, $25, etc.

About Brian Gonzalez, PhD

Brian Gonzalez is an Associate Member at Moffitt Cancer Center, where he studies sleep and other quality of life issues in cancer survivors. He works to identify which survivors are at greatest risk of sleep disturbance and how to improve sleep in cancer survivors.
Dr. Gonzalez is passionate about helping minority and underserved cancer survivors improve their quality of life. Too many cancer survivors are affected by quality of life issues that are preventable or treatable. Dr. Gonzalez’s research focuses on identifying which survivors are at greatest risk of these issues. He works with multidisciplinary teams to design studies that identify multilevel risk factors for decreased quality of life. Dr. Gonzalez also develops culturally targeted interventions to improve quality of life, using inexpensive and widely disseminable Health strategies.

About Julienne Bower, PhD

Dr. Bower’s research focuses broadly on mind-body interactions among individuals confronting stressful life events, particularly diagnosis with life-threatening illnesses such as cancer. One area of her work examines immune effects on mood and behavior, including fatigue, depression, and sleep disturbance. Another line of research examines how positive psychological factors, such as benefit finding, positive affect, and goal engagement, influence physical health, with a focus on the biological pathways that link positive psychological states and health outcomes. Dr. Bower also conducts mind-body interventions (i.e., yoga, Tai Chi, and mindfulness meditation) with a focus on how these treatments influence immune and neuroendocrine function. 

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register using the form below or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

Featuring Donald Abrams, MD

Smith Center 25th Anniversary Conversation Series

The year 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the founding of Smith Center for Healing and the Arts. In celebration of this momentous achievement, we are launching a series of special conversations. Across the course of the coming year, members of our Smith Center family will join us to reflect upon Smith Center’s roots, examine its present programs and impact, and imagine what the future may hold for us at Smith Center and the larger world of integrative healing.

Our third conversation will be held Monday, April 12th from 6 – 7:30 pm (Eastern Time). We are honored to feature Donald Abrams, MD, Integrative Oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. Dr. Abrams will be interviewed by Smith Center’s Executive Director, Lisa Simms Booth.

We hope you will join us for the conversations in this special series. Please feel free to circulate this announcement and share with others the details of this upcoming conversation.

Tickets for this event will be $25 and will help raise money for Smith Center’s 25th Anniversary Fund.

Smith Center’s 25th Anniversary Conversation Series will be hosted throughout 2021.

Selected Themes:

  • Visionary Leaders in Integrative Care
  • The Facilitators’ View on Caring and Healing
  • Participants’ Perspectives
  • Envisioning the Future

Tickets for each conversation will be $25.

About Donald Abrams, MD

Donald I. Abrams, M.D. is the past chief of the Hematology-Oncology Division at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, an integrative oncologist at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and Professor Emeritus of Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He graduated from Brown University in 1972 and from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1977.  After completing an Internal Medicine residency at the Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco, he became a fellow in Hematology-Oncology at the UCSF Cancer Research Institute in 1980 during the time that the first cases of AIDS were diagnosed. He was one of the original clinician/investigators to recognize many of the early AIDS-related conditions.  He conducted numerous clinical trials investigating conventional as well as complementary therapies in patients with HIV including therapeutic touch, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions, medicinal mushrooms, medical cannabis and distant healing. His interest in botanical therapies led him to pursue a two-year Fellowship in the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona that he completed in December 2004. His particular passion in the field is nutrition and cancer. Since completing his Fellowship, Dr. Abrams has been providing Integrative Medicine consultation to people living with and beyond cancer at the UCSF Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. His integrative oncology interests are in medicinal mushrooms, Traditional Chinese Medicine interventions and nutrition. He co-edited the Oxford University Press textbook Integrative Oncology with Andrew Weil, M.D.. He is a member of the NCI PDQ CAM Editorial Board. Dr. Abrams was President of the Society for Integrative Oncology in 2010.

This program series is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must have attended the first session in the series.

with Leslie Lass, PhD, MFA, MSW Candidate

Sustainable Journaling

In the forward to Sandra Marinella’s book The Story You Need to Tell: Writing to Heal from Trauma, Illness, or Loss, author Christina Baldwin writes, “When things happen that are unexpected, unwelcome, challenging, disorienting, or traumatic, we survive, but the storyline we were following is shattered. Untold stories don’t go away.”

In this three-part workshop series, we will explore our own “untold stories” – ones that have forever changed the storylines of our lives – by capturing one moment in time that can convey meaning about a larger experience, bring needed healing, and offer powerful insights about our shared humanity.

Using the micro-memoir, also called the flash memoir, as a vehicle for telling our untold stories, we will discuss techniques for distilling them to their essence (750 words or fewer) and for crafting them in ways that powerfully communicate what we intend.

Activities include:

  • learning about the essential elements of a micro-memoir
  • reading and discussing examples of published micro-memoirs
  • participating in writing activities
  • completing at-home assignments
  • talking about what it means to share our writing with a larger audience

By the end of the third session, you will have written a micro-memoir that tells the story you need to tell.

Reading your work aloud is voluntary. If you choose to do so, you will have an opportunity to read what you have written to the group, and you will have a chance to hear others read their “small stories” as well. After each reading, generous, positive feedback will be encouraged.

You do not have to consider yourself a writer to participate in this workshop. The only requirement is a willingness to tell your story as open-heartedly as you can and to compassionately support the efforts of others in the workshop who wish to do the same. The program is open to any adults who have been impacted by cancer as a patient or as a caregiver of any kind.

Writing a Micro-Memoir: The Stories that Don’t Go Away will be hosted in three parts. Participants are encouraged to attend all three sessions. Upon completion of the three parts, participants will have developed a working micro-memoir. Program limited to 8 participants.
Program dates:
  • May 5
  • May 12
  • May 19

Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/series

About Leslie Lass, PhD, MFA, MSW Candidate

Leslie Lass, PhD, MFA, MSW candidate, has taught writing for more than 20 years at universities and community colleges on the east and west coasts, including Northern Virginia Community College, George Mason University, and The Evergreen State College. Her doctoral work focused on writing creative nonfiction and on Latin American testimonial literature. She is an author of a novel, a memoir, short stories, and poetry, and for the past nine years she has maintained a blog, where she writes “small stories” she hopes will point towards more universal themes that will resonate with her readers.

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Johnnette Armstrong

Groove Method is a delicious and fun group dance experience with simple steps and movement that nurtures the body, mind, heart and soul.
We invite you for one hour to move and connect with your body in a unique, authentic and cool way. Letting go of whatever is going on in your world, allowing yourself to be free and have fun moving your body.
Let’s get Grooving!

Body Groove will be offered Weekly on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30pm ET. 

Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/month

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Johnnette Armstrong

Certified Personal Trainer, Herbalist, Pink Pilates instructor, Health Coach and a Groove Method Provider. I call myself a Wellness Advocate. I have worked in the fitness field for over 15 years and I currently offer classes at Hope Connections in MD, work with seniors, and offer one-on-one personal training.

After my own struggle with body image and self-esteem, I went on a journey to find out the healthy way to lose weight and feel better about myself. I discovered that there is no right way to wellness. We are all beautiful and unique individuals and over the years I have learned three important things for teaching and working with people:

  1. How to create a space where people feel good about themselves.
  2. The importance of accurate knowledge to take care of our bodies.
  3. And how to consistently move our bodies so that we feel good. 

After 15 years of working in this industry, I have found that there is more than one way to move our bodies. The most important thing is to find one that you enjoy. I am super excited to bring Groove Method to you. It’s a fun and simple way to move our bodies. The cool thing is, anyone can do it! 

My passion is helping people to create a wellness toolbox that works for the whole person. Thank you in advance for allowing me to share my passion with you!

Let’s get Grooving!

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Johnnette Armstrong

Groove Method is a delicious and fun group dance experience with simple steps and movement that nurtures the body, mind, heart and soul.
We invite you for one hour to move and connect with your body in a unique, authentic and cool way. Letting go of whatever is going on in your world, allowing yourself to be free and have fun moving your body.
Let’s get Grooving!

Body Groove will be offered Weekly on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30pm ET. 

Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/month

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Johnnette Armstrong

Certified Personal Trainer, Herbalist, Pink Pilates instructor, Health Coach and a Groove Method Provider. I call myself a Wellness Advocate. I have worked in the fitness field for over 15 years and I currently offer classes at Hope Connections in MD, work with seniors, and offer one-on-one personal training.

After my own struggle with body image and self-esteem, I went on a journey to find out the healthy way to lose weight and feel better about myself. I discovered that there is no right way to wellness. We are all beautiful and unique individuals and over the years I have learned three important things for teaching and working with people:

  1. How to create a space where people feel good about themselves.
  2. The importance of accurate knowledge to take care of our bodies.
  3. And how to consistently move our bodies so that we feel good. 

After 15 years of working in this industry, I have found that there is more than one way to move our bodies. The most important thing is to find one that you enjoy. I am super excited to bring Groove Method to you. It’s a fun and simple way to move our bodies. The cool thing is, anyone can do it! 

My passion is helping people to create a wellness toolbox that works for the whole person. Thank you in advance for allowing me to share my passion with you!

Let’s get Grooving!

This program is being offered virtually through Zoom. In order to participate and receive the Zoom link, you must register here or by emailing carla@smithcenter.org

with Johnnette Armstrong

Groove Method is a delicious and fun group dance experience with simple steps and movement that nurtures the body, mind, heart and soul.
We invite you for one hour to move and connect with your body in a unique, authentic and cool way. Letting go of whatever is going on in your world, allowing yourself to be free and have fun moving your body.
Let’s get Grooving!

Body Groove will be offered Weekly on Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30pm ET. 

Suggested Donation: $10/session or $25/month

In addition, our yoga classes are listed with the National MS Society and we welcome patients and caregivers of those with multiple sclerosis to our gentle yoga classes.

Our programs are also open to the community, and tailored to meet the needs of people affected by cancer. Classes and workshops are free or low cost on a pay-as-you-can basis, ensuring that our programs are accessible to everyone.

About Johnnette Armstrong

Certified Personal Trainer, Herbalist, Pink Pilates instructor, Health Coach and a Groove Method Provider. I call myself a Wellness Advocate. I have worked in the fitness field for over 15 years and I currently offer classes at Hope Connections in MD, work with seniors, and offer one-on-one personal training.

After my own struggle with body image and self-esteem, I went on a journey to find out the healthy way to lose weight and feel better about myself. I discovered that there is no right way to wellness. We are all beautiful and unique individuals and over the years I have learned three important things for teaching and working with people:

  1. How to create a space where people feel good about themselves.
  2. The importance of accurate knowledge to take care of our bodies.
  3. And how to consistently move our bodies so that we feel good. 

After 15 years of working in this industry, I have found that there is more than one way to move our bodies. The most important thing is to find one that you enjoy. I am super excited to bring Groove Method to you. It’s a fun and simple way to move our bodies. The cool thing is, anyone can do it! 

My passion is helping people to create a wellness toolbox that works for the whole person. Thank you in advance for allowing me to share my passion with you!

Let’s get Grooving!