Blank Canvas

I look toward the street

Where the parade will pass by

Its march the beginning again

Of the give and take

Between medicine and creativity

The barter of skills

That all may enjoy

           The O+Festival began in Kingston, NY, my neck of the global woods.  When I heard about it in 2011, I thought it was a unique and potentially very effective way of bringing together two groups of people, namely healthcare professionals and those in the creative arts, who don’t, but should, see more of each other.  It’s three days of synergy, what the festival calls “Bartering The Art of Medicine for the Medicine of Art”.  I didn’t go in 2011 because of my schedule.  I didn’t go in 2012 for reasons that I can't remember now.  But this year – ah, the charmed third year – I plan on being in the middle of it.

Having been somewhere in the healthcare field for most of my adult life, from clerical to clinical and back again, I’ve seen the results of a lack of healthcare due to no insurance and/or funds and it’s not pretty.  I’ve been there myself and I know that you put off going to see a doctor, dentist, therapist, etc. unless or until it’s something you can’t handle.   It’s not the best way to take care of yourself, but sometimes it’s the only way when there’s no alternative.

As a fellow creative soul, I’ve also known the drive of the muse.  Words must be written.  Paint must be applied.  Film must be shot.  Clay, marble and metal must be molded.  Music in all its styles must be made.  It pushes you to pursue your creativity with or without that day job that everybody tells you not to give up.  The last thing you might want to think about is what’s going on with you, health-wise.  But, even that sometimes elusive muse should be saying it’s really a top priority.

Enter the O+ Festival, where those who offer medical skills can enjoy art and music in all its festive splendor, and those who contribute their creativity to the festival can have access to healthcare beyond the basic bandage.  It’s also there for those who aren’t in either category to simply enjoy.  My admission is a sure thing this year because I want to see this cooperative effort, which has expanded beyond Kingston and now has a second anchor point in San Francisco CA, in action. Volunteering to help is never a bad thing and I may be somewhere in that mix.  But, I may also just be audience, paying the price of admission (wristband – tres chic) to help with the costs of continuing this effort in the future.

I’m not sure what to expect to hear or see in terms of music, art, or clinical care offered.  I know that it starts in Kingston with a parade on October 11th and ends on the 13th, with a lot in between, but that's about it. That’s the blank canvas that this entry’s title introduces and I look forward to filling said canvas with answers and fun.