Art Is Medicine

On his best day,  he’s
out hunting human
emotion on the busy
streets of New York
City with his camera. 

He captures what
brings feeling &
shares, caringly in
times when he sees
others need positive
energy.

Neurology is his
medical specialty &
photography is  his
passion–both reveal a
lot and  both heal a lot.

Notes from the interview that inspired this poem:

He was the kind of person who was always trying to positively impact those around him. He was a neurology resident who loved street photography. He loved to share interesting stories, art, information, and resources with his peers and colleagues, but he hadn’t done as much of that as he would have liked this year. He was stressed and feeling more burnt out than usual. He told me that this year had been brutal. He normally got energy and inspiration from street photography in large, busy cities, but now, with states restricting visitors due to COVID-19, he wasn’t able to do that. “I rely on these environments, where humans are everywhere; they’re so filled with life. I love to capture what brings feeling,” he said.

Interviewee: Anonymous, Resident
Listener Poet: Jenny Hegland