Poetry and Me

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SPECIAL REPORT: CREATIVITY & PSYCHIATRY

Rumi, a Persian poet, once wrote, “What you seek is seeking you.” His sage wisdom resonates with me as I reflect on the intersectionality between creativity and the field of psychiatry. Creativity in the form of poetry is the joy that lays with me as I reflect on a day filled with patient encounters that evoke a full array of emotions. Creativity is the weightless and abundant state of being in which I seek to calm the chatter in my mind as I battle imposter syndrome. Creativity is like the feathers of a pillow that invite levity and serenity in my soul as I express gratitude for another day to hear the narratives of the communities I care for. It is the cathartic antidote that I seek and that seeks me with open arms.

This Special Report invites readers to journey with individuals who use their artistic side to reflect on their experiences as healers and the healed. These individuals recognize that creativity is the sfumatura that blends medicine with the arts and humanities. I hope their words embolden you to seek what has been seeking you.

Dr Clark is an outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health-Upstate and a clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. He served on the American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force to Address Structural Racism Throughout Psychiatry, and he currently serves as the diversity and inclusion section editor and advisory board member for Psychiatric Times.