Creative Mastermind Week 8/26: Colleen Darby

So here we are my fellow Creative Cabana readers, I have found for you the very first Creative Mastermind. With today being the official debut of The Creative Cabana blog, I really wanted to choose someone that really stood out to me as being a real creative, insightful person. As time goes on I'll try to switch up my choices so it's not all artists, or not all actors, not all celebrities, etc. But as luck would have it, today (actually just a few moments ago) I came across an article on my LinkedIn feed and realized this has to be fate.

The very first Creative Mastermind I would like to introduce is Colleen Darby, an artist in Buffalo, New York. Darby has been credited with several Children's Art pieces as well as some Fine Art designs .

The article, which comes from MedCity News (Click to read story), was in regards to her plans for giving patients in hospitals what was described as "A Room With a View"- a series of paintings which will depict views that patients might admire during their stay. It's a spectacular idea putting beautiful artistic portraits in hospital rooms because of the feeling it can give to a patient (especially those put in rooms with no windows.) Darby tells MedCity that she'll be taking a month away from her work at a children's hospital in New York, to produce paintings for these rooms. She hopes that these "views" will give some relief to the patients and families who deal with the stress of seeing a loved one in need of serious medical attention.

It's really interesting to think about when you stop and consider what artwork you see when you're visiting a medical office or hospital. Go ahead, think about your doctor's office, dentist, therapist, or any other medical setting. Chances are in a standard room, or even in the waiting room, you are most likely to observe different examples of Art that reflect a peaceful, relaxing environment. I don't think it's any secret that these portraits are put in these rooms to help take your mind off your problems, but they also provide a sense of serenity and hope. Although Colleen Darby is just one out of thousands of artists to have their work displayed in a hospital, it goes to show you how Art can also translate into healing.

I chose Colleen Darby for Mastermind of the Week because not only has she displayed creative ideas working at a place that she loves; she has also opened an opportunity to share her talents with the community. Personally I find her plans to be inspirational and extremely caring because when you can't be a doctor, you can always help treat patients through comfort and art. Who knows, maybe in the future every hospital will be able to have "A Room With a View".

*All Images Courtesy of Google- Artwork is the property of Colleen Darby.