Abstract
For centuries, many health care professionals have also been practicing artists in the realms of fine art, music, dance, and other art forms. It turns out that health care professionals who engage in practicing the arts may help both themselves and their patients. Research suggests that playing an instrument, painting, dancing, and so on may reduce burnout, provide balance, and enhance patient interactions. It makes sense that focusing on something positive and relaxing can only benefit both parties.
There are many past and current examples of physicians as artists—some of these examples share incredible stories of how the physicians’ artistic involvement led to important medical inventions. In an article about arts in medicine, Cerda mentioned a physician whose medical/art connection led to one of these essential inventions. 1 The article stated, “Herman Ludwig Ferdinand von Helmholtz (1821–1894) was professor of physiology at Konigsberg. A physician by training and a teacher by profession, Helmholtz became Germany’s foremost physicist, succeeding the chair of physics at the University of Berlin.” 1 The author added, “His contributions to our knowledge of acoustics nearly equaled those he made to physiologic optics. Among his greatest accomplishments in medicine during the nineteenth century was the ophthalmoscope, invented in 1850. He was a skilled pianist and musician, having studied the theory of music as required at the time of a proper music education. His first article on physical acoustics appeared in1849, and his most famous group of works, “On the Sensation of Tones as a Physiological Basis for the Theory of Music,” became a fundamental textbook in its field.” 1
In more recent years, The Foundation for Art & Healing reported on Paul Kolker, MD, JD, a cardiovascular surgeon, attorney, and visual artist (a painter and sculptor), who, in a video, shared the variety of ways that the arts have impacted his “medical training and career, his interactions with his cardiac patients, and his own healing journey as a patient.” 2 Kolker found that interpreting the artwork exhibited in the halls of medical school “required the same empirical and intuitive skill sets used by doctors in examining and diagnosing their patients.” 2 This caused Kolker to ask, “Why not immerse medical students in an ocean of the arts, in addition to the sciences, to hone their skills?” 2 Dr. Kolker described how artistic expression involves sharing emotions, and interestingly, this same process helped him to become more empathetic with his patients.
The Association of American Medical Colleges reported on medical professionals who create art including a New Yorker cartoonist who teaches medical students, a surgeon who draws images of human anatomy, and an otolaryngologist who sings. 3 The author reported on how clinicians creating art “eases burnout and helps them connect with those they serve.” 3 In this article, otolaryngologist Chris Puchi, MD, was quoted as saying that “Music has certainly served him as a physician…partly as an outlet for decompressing but as a way to sharpen teamwork skills too.” 3 He said, “Medicine is a bit like being in a choir. You have to do your own part, but you also have to adapt to those around you.” 3 He added that music can help build bridges and said, “I can join a band with anyone from any background, any culture, or any political belief, and anyone from any background can enjoy it,” and added, “In these times of division, music can create beauty and help unite people.” 3
Cerda stated, “It would appear that music is an art to which many physicians are attracted. Whether as performers or as listeners, a considerable number of people in the medical sciences have had some sort of interest in music. The reason for this affinity between medicine and music is hard to explain and will continue to be an interesting topic for speculation and with validation of therapeutic goals through interdisciplinary research involving physiology, psychology, and applications of music and medicine.” 1
Practicing an Art Helps with Balance and Mitigates Burnout
With epidemic rates of physician burnout, Brett-MacLean and colleagues stated, “Learning what contributes to the happiness and well-being of health professionals is of increasing interest to individual practitioners, as well as their various professional associations and schools. For example, in their essay on physician well-being, Shanafelt, Sloan, and Habermann assert that ‘physicians must identify, nurture, and defend their personal interests and values if they desire personal and professional satisfaction in life’.” 4 The authors added that “Artmaking is an avocational activity some health care practitioners engage in, often in a serious, committed way.” 4 There appears to be a significant interest in art among health care professionals, as the authors described a juried art exhibit called “After Work” hosted by the McMullen Gallery at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta, in collaboration with the Arts & Humanities in Health & Medicine Program at the University of Alberta. The authors stated that “Over 70 health care staff, faculty, residents, and students responded to the call for submissions, 51 HP-artists [health professional artists] were invited to participate in the show, and over 60 artworks were exhibited. We reviewed all of the HP-artist statements and identified a number of recurring themes. Two prominent themes were artmaking as a joyful, enlivening activity, and artmaking as a way of achieving balance.” 4
In a systematic review, Engel and colleagues affirmed, “Burnout in the medical workforce is a growing global concern. Visual arts–based interventions can be a novel way to mitigate burnout and bolster resilience in medicine. Improving tolerance of ambiguity and uncertainty has been associated with decreased rates of burnout in clinicians.” 5 The authors conducted a systematic literature review using the terms: art, medicine, burnout, and uncertainty and reviewed evidence for the effects of visual arts–based interventions on clinician burnout. The search identified 26 articles that met study inclusion criteria, and findings included mixed methods assessments of changes in burnout, empathy, and stress. Results showed that “Overall, visual arts–based interventions promoted empathy, connectedness, and tolerance of ambiguity and had positive effects on burnout; however, some results were mixed.” 5 The authors concluded, “Visual arts–based interventions to mitigate burnout show promise, and additional research should focus on feasibility and longer-term outcomes.” 5
Learning About the Arts Should Begin in Early Medical Education
Some medical students come to medical school already practicing an art or may even be working professionally as a musician or artist. Research shows that having physicians engage in the arts may actually help them become more empathetic toward their patients. Brett-Maclean and colleagues stated, “Engagement in the arts can help bring an enriched presence of being, both personally and professionally, through cultivation of attention, awareness, and other reflective processes.” 4 In regard to also contributing to their professional work with patients, the authors added, “Nurse and senior lecturer P. Anne Scott suggests that in relation to medicine, the ‘arts may stimulate: (a) insight into common patterns of response (common or shared human experience); (b) insight into individual difference or uniqueness; and/or (c) enrichment of language and thought.’ These patterns of thoughtfulness may contribute to patient-centeredness and perhaps also to the experience of happiness and satisfaction in one’s professional and personal life.” 4
Creative Arts Therapy as an Intervention
There are a number of organizations that support and promote the connection between the arts and medicine. The International Society for Arts and Medicine was established in 2023 with the primary aim of highlighting the important connection of arts and medicine. The website, https://isfam.de, states, “Our mission is to create a forum and hub for scientists, medical doctors, artists, therapists, as well as any individuals, organizations, and supporters working or interested in the field of arts and medicine. Our shared interest is improving and sustaining health through the arts including visual arts, music, dance, other performing arts, literature, and architecture.” In June 2026, the organization will hold a congress, “The Healing Arts—Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine.” The event will take place in Berlin, Germany, and online and “will bring together medical and artistic experts, researchers, practitioners, and students from around the world, offering opportunities for collaboration and networking across continents and disciplines,” according to the website.
The University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine, Gainesville, Florida, is another center focused on highlighting the benefits of the arts. The website, https://arts.ufl.edu/programs-schools/center-for-arts-in-medicine/, states that the Center is “a national leader in arts in health research, education and practice. Housed in the College of the Arts, the Center unites artists, scholars and health care professionals to explore how creativity transforms lives.” The website adds that since 1996, the Center has “pioneered interdisciplinary collaboration, shaping the field through research, innovative curricula and hands-on training. Our programs empower students and faculty to push boundaries, engage communities and drive change.”
There are many other arts in medicine organizations, academic centers, and programs that encourage and support health care professionals to continue or to find an artistic pursuit that will enhance their well-being. In the Journal of the Mississippi State Medical Association, Kurnutala and Stratton stated, “The medical profession is gratifying, but choosing this path is stressful and sometimes exhausting. Health care providers experience many emotions because we often put ourselves on the front lines caring for patients with severe illnesses and death.” 6 The authors added, “Becoming healthy implies that we are taking action to improve our health, which is essential in re-establishing equilibrium. Arts are a great avenue to improve emotional well-being and reduce stress. The healing nature of the arts needs to start at the personal level with the motivation to balance physicians’ professional and personal lives.” 6 They stated that a unique approach to healing has been demonstrated through the arts, and programs to support this should be provided by departments, institutions, state medical societies, and national and international societies. They concluded, “The artwork of health care providers is just a tiny portion of who we are and reflects the valuable skill sets that allow each person to provide enhanced patient care.” 6
Conclusion
Hopefully, clinicians who are involved in practicing the arts can pass on the demonstrated beneficial research and wisdom of engaging in the arts to students and professionals as well as their patients. Directly practicing an art may provide a means for rest, reset, and a way of finding balance. On a personal note, I, the author, was going through a tremendously stressful time during residency. I was exhausted and needed an outlet for rest. Spontaneously, I picked up a paintbrush and started painting. It was life-changing for me. I had never painted seriously before, and now, I exhibit my paintings in juried shows. There is nothing more meditative in my life than when I simply lose track of time. By using both sides of the brain, we, as clinicians, may regain balance and a sense of rest and creativity that can greatly and positively impact our lives and the lives of our patients.
Footnotes
Author Disclosure Statement
No competing financial interests exist.
Funding Information
No funding was received for this article.▪