Hats off to the rain

Raji Lalli – Hats off to the rain

In my eyes, the Creative Enquiry piece I have submitted, depicts the journey of someone flourishing. The white figure sitting on the bench is thinking about something difficult going on in their life, the yellow figure on the bench is having a revelation about how they might affect change in their circumstances and finally the blue person no longer on the bench is living life after implementing the changes. The rain, as proposed by the rainbow-coloured strips of paper, shows the evolution in perspective of the figures underneath. Moving left to right across the image, the figures notice and grasp different parts of their humanity which ultimately changes their view of their circumstances and allows them to see the rainbows in the rain. The hats carry a very elusive significance and their presence can be interpreted in a variety of ways. They can signify shedding of old habits and insecurities that were preventing flourishing, or alternatively they can symbolise something we have to sacrifice in order to move forward in life.

Although I have an idea of what the piece means, the story in my creative response can be imagined in different ways and can offer an alternative meaning depending on the viewer. One might suggest the figure in the middle seems the happiest and I understand why. The figure is yellow, which is famously the colour of happiness, and has outstretched arms seemingly in joy. Although they may appear the happiest, to me, the blue figure is the most aspirational as I feel it depicts flourishing in a realistic way. As I see it, you cannot constantly be in the state depicted by the yellow figure, as no-one has revelations and is joyful every day; whereas, you can be the blue figure everyday through adopting a mindset from those revelations that transforms your day-to-day experience for the better.

I decided to illustrate flourishing because I am very fond of the concept. The idea that we grow and experience hardship much like trees blossom and shed leaves, feels like a very natural yet magical way to think of the human condition and is much more personable than the term resilience (Younie, L., 2020). It is not always possible to revert back to our usual selves after experiencing challenging events, but instead growth and acceptance can lead us to a new ‘normal’ for ourselves. Through this process, I think it is possible to uncover a great deal of beauty in the acceptance of vulnerability and hardship. This notion has been emphasised to me through recent exposure to artists who have created art inspired by their illnesses. Artwork, with lived experience of a disease at its centre, can be an invaluable resource for informing doctors about the nuances of living with a medical condition and the concerns and emotions associated with it. It has the potential to bridge the gap between a patient’s experience and the doctor’s understanding; as you do not need a medicine degree to understand art, you just need a heart!

Reference: Younie, L., 2020. When I say flourishing in medical education…. Journal of holistic healthcare, Volume 17 Autumn(Issue 3).

Raji Lalli (Medical Student, Creative Arts SSC, Barts and The London, 2020)