There was a time—though it feels a lifetime ago—when I thought creative pursuits would be my path. In fact, some readers of The Differential may know that my undergraduate degree is in English and I have double minors in Dramatic Arts and Creative Writing. I even began an MFA program in poetry only to find it wholly unsatisfying. Creating stories is not nearly as thrilling as the privilege of watching them being born (my OB/GYN friends will know this), seeing them grow up (the pediatricians), or carrying them through the trials of life, love, and all the medical moments that shape the in-between.
I love the world of words and imagination, but I love the world of people more. With all the commotion that goes into a medical school application (and for me a few semesters in community college and a master’s degree in physiology to round out my prerequisites and letters of recommendation) and the resulting flurry, writing for pleasure became rarer and rarer. The process of becoming eligible for, interviewing, matriculating, and learning in medical school required, for me, a laser focus. I couldn’t give a specific day, but the last time I wrote anything purely for the joy of putting to paper was 2013—and now, May 2020.
In preparing this submission, I reflected on two things. First, the role various arts have played in quarantine life for me, my classmates, and my friends. Our school is full of previously hidden, awe-inspiring, diverse talents: cartoonists, singers, sketch artists, Zen meditators, painters, quilters, writers.
The second thing I reflected on was why I suddenly felt the urge to put pen to paper reappear. That first thing I wrote in May was actually a sort-of analytical take on this question. My first lines were fairly telling, and I suspect a familiar sentiment to the readers of this publication: “Creativity is a passion I’ve lost somewhere in my journey to fulfill other dreams. I have this nameless anxiety that claws at my chest somedays and somehow I feel like something is missing.” Who doesn’t feel something similar to that right now?
I wrote three pages that day, and the next day, and the next day. I am gradually starting to form a story that is compelling, to me at least. That story, which may or may never be finished, is not the point, though. What matters is how it took time away from the many-headed-anxiety beast. I think we all have one right now—mine feeds off being a third year with vulnerable loved ones trying to learn how to care for vulnerable patients in the midst of a global pandemic I could never in a million years have imagined. Taking that time made me feel better and let me be as focused as I ever was, if not more.
I’ve found my situation isn’t unique; engagement with the arts helps reduce anxiety, and the scientific literature backs this up (Level II-III evidence). In a 2018 systematic review of three controlled trials (n=62), Abbing et al. found that creative work including mandala drawing, collage, painting, clay work, different drawing exercises improved general anxiety and PTSD in two out of the three studies involving patients ranging from students with PTSD or exam anxiety to prisoners with pre-release anxiety (the ultimate conclusion of the study though was a need for more investigation). In a 2019 randomized controlled trial involving anthroposophic art therapy in women with anxiety disorders, Abbing et al. found improvements in both self-reported executive functioning (emotion regulation, working memory, planning/organization, and task monitoring) as well as heart rate and heart rate variability in women engaging in the therapy compared to a waitlist group.
The most important thing to me is that I enjoy my pursuits. If there’s one positive thing to come from quarantine, it’s re-engagement with a once forgotten passion. But I also like knowing there’s also reasonably good supporting evidence and hope it encourages others to find a creative outlet for their anxiety.
[1] Abbing A, Ponstein A, van Hooren S, de Sonneville L, Swaab H, Baars E. The effectiveness of art therapy for anxiety in adults: A systematic review of randomized and non-randomized controlled trials. PLoS One. 2018;13(12):e0208716. Published 2018 Dec 17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208716
[2] Abbing A, de Sonneville L, Baars E, Bourne D, Swaab H. Anxiety reduction through art therapy in women. Exploring stress regulation and executive functioning as underlying neurocognitive mechanisms. PLoS One. 2019;14(12):e0225200. Published 2019 Dec 3. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0225200
Charlotte Archuleta is a class of 2020 medical student at UACOM-P and a very happy Arizona transplant. She moved to Arizona in 2012 after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill with an English and Dramatic Arts degree. She also has a Master's degree in Physiology and Complementary and Alternative Medicine from Georgetown. She chose to pursue medicine because she loves learning. She is excited to bring this passion to her future health care career.