HN Summary

•Creative wellness support: Joseph Brant Hospital partnered with the Art Gallery of Burlington to launch Reclaiming Clay, a program that helps staff reduce stress and support mental well-being through mindful, creative expression.

•Evidence-based benefits: Research shows creative arts therapy can lower burnout, anxiety, depression, and PTSD among health care providers, with improvements lasting up to a year.

•Resilience through creativity: Staff participants describe the workshops as a chance to recharge, connect socially, and embrace renewal — symbolized by returning clay creations to their original form at the end of each session.

For millennia, human beings around the world have used different forms of art as a means of expressing their feelings. Hospitals today have tapped into the power of creativity for healing purposes through means such as art or music therapy, creative writing, journalling or gardening. 

While these programs have focused mainly on patients, they can also boost the well-being of health care providers. Caring for people at a time when they are sick and at their most vulnerable is vital and rewarding work, but at times, coping with illness, death, grief, and family dynamics can also be emotionally demanding. 

Recognizing this, Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH) in Burlington has made it a priority to nurture and support its people as well as its patients. One way the hospital is living up to its commitment is through a partnership between the hospital’s Mental Health Recreation and Wellness Program and the Art Gallery of Burlington (AGB) to offer a unique series of workshops exploring creativity to improve mental wellness. Reclaiming Clay is a program designed to explore the therapeutic potential of clay as an artistic and healing medium. 

The program was first conceived under the leadership of the AGB’s former Associate Educator Tara Bursey. When COVID-19 put a halt to in-person programs, AGB moved to an online virtual model for patients in the hospital and was later expanded to include hospital staff, physicians and volunteers. The idea was to offer them the opportunity to have fun with colleagues while reaping the benefits that art and creativity can have on their well-being. 

Reclaiming Clay introduces creative practices that prioritize breathwork and mindful awareness while working with clay. Mikah Fortier, a graduate student at Toronto Art Therapy Institute, leads the workshop and puts the focus on the process rather than the final product. “It’s about the tactile experience of sculpting the clay, exploring the nature of the medium while centering permission for creative exploration and play. That’s what I hope people can get out of this workshop.” 

Positive impact of creative expression

A number of studies bear out the theory that art has a real and positive impact on health providers. One clinical trial carried out by the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab tested the effect of creative arts therapy interventions involving healthcare professionals. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four creative arts therapy groups: art, music, dance/movement and writing, with 12 weekly sessions lasting 90 minutes each.

The results were impressive – burnout scores for anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional exhaustion decreased by 28 per cent, 36 per cent, 26 per cent and 12 per cent respectively in participants who received the interventions. And these improvements remained up to one year after the conclusion of the program.

Katlyn Alcorn, JBH’s Well-Being Specialist, notes, “We have seen the mental health benefits of art through research and had a very positive response to the AGB’s collaboration with our inpatient and outpatient mental health programs at JBH. So, we were excited about expanding the Reclaiming Clay workshops to encourage staff to focus on their own well-being, engage in a new activity and socialize with colleagues outside of work hours.”

A journey of self-discovery

The philosophy of reclamation – of both clay and self – is central. Each creation is eventually returned to its original form at the end of each workshop. This act of letting go symbolizes renewal and embraces the notion of starting anew, a powerful metaphor for resilience and transformation.

Niki Brideau is a Registered Practical Nurse who works in JBH’s Operating Room and the Family Health Clinic. She was intrigued by the concept of art as wellness and wanted to participate as a way of recharging mentally and creatively. “The OR is a controlled and sterile environment,” she says. “It’s good to get out and learn a new type of art in a fun social setting. When you spend so much time working, it’s a nice reminder that there’s a lot more to the world beyond the walls of the hospital.”