How to make a tire planter

This is a medical advocacy blog. So some of you may wonder what does tire planters have to do with healthcare?

This summer in Grantsville, MD, colorfully painted tire planters edged the side of Route 40 and delineated the arts and entertainment district in Grantsville.  The students of Grantsville Elementary, their art teacher Kelly Lasher, and other local adult artists created the planter art using rice paper and Dye-Na-Flow dyes. I assembled the art and facilitated the project.  Many a town resident has commented,  "It sure brightens things up!"

And it does.  Sometimes at the end of hard day you just want a little something to brighten things up. 

Guys Tires, Northern Outreach Center and Mountaintop Truck Driving Institute of Garrett College, and local citizens donated the tires. That makes me very happy.  I love to reuse, reduce and recycle.  These tires were destined to end up as trash and they became art instead. 

Chestnut Ridge Nursery of Grantsville donated flowers for the planters.  Local volunteers prepared the tires for display. The Greater Grantsville Business Association helped pay for the flowers and the town of Grantsville approved this volunteer public art project during town council meetings. The planters have been on display since May and the colors are still bright!

We came together as a community and made something beautiful.  Isn't that what happiness and health is all about? 

How to Make a Tire Planter

1. Cut out the scallop pattern with a sawzall

2. Flip tire inside out. (Three strong people are needed for this step.)

3. Scrub tire clean with a degreaser. Rinse and let dry.

4. Prime with gray primer spray paint and let dry.

5. Paint with high quality exterior latex inside and out.  Use bright, light colors, as the planter will be very hot if painted in a darker shade.   Let dry.

6. Apply second coat exterior latex. Let dry.

7. Create artwork on rice paper by drawing an image with an ink pen or fabric marker and then paint using Dye-Na-Flow dyes.  After the art is dry, cut out the art image.  

8. Decoupage the art onto the tire using Golden Gel Medium Soft Gloss. Let dry.

9. Spray seal tire with acrylic gloss sealant. Let dry.

10. Staple chicken wire fencing to inside hole on tire.

11. Place planter in yard and add mulch.

12. Add a bag of potting soil.

13. Flowering plants are added.

14. Mulch around plants and water.

15. Display until fall and place in storage before hard freeze. 

Top 10 Reasons we need a physical home for The Walking Gallery

Update: For the past year, I have been trying to find a property that would be a good physical home for The Walking Gallery of Healthcare. There we could host art classes for all ages, artists could paint jackets, and patients from around the world could visit us in peaceful Grantsville, Maryland. The red brick house (red brick is great for mural painting) next to mine became available and I put in an offer. The contract was accepted!!!

We need to close by February 19, 2016.  Then I must begin needed repairs to the furnace and plumbing.  I hope to have the space ready to have a public dedication on Thursday, May 19, 2016 at Cinderblocks3. 

My son Isaac thinks we should call the art center Salt and Pepper Studios, since salt is used in medicine and a little pepper is what makes health activists great. 

Thank you CANCER101 and so many others for supporting this project so far! I will keep you posted as we go forward. Some folks have had a few questions about the new art center. Though I do not do list posts very often, I thought this would be the easiest way to explain why we need to create this center.  

10. People need space to create. 

I have worked with the students in every class in Grantsville Elementary School as they created art for the Grantsville Art Walk.  That is 220 some children working on art.

We had a blast painting and the children did excellent work. Then I took 9 canvases and hundreds of painted rice paper sheets home and assembled the art into ten class creations.  This year I am very thankful I was able to do the assembly in the gallery space in my house.  (We gave up having a living room to have a gallery instead.) 

The last time I assembled this many class creations, I lived in a small apartment in Washington, DC. I can tell you from experience that doing large quantities of art in small spaces is very stressful on the artist and their family.  

 

We need space to create. We need rooms that can get messy and we can just shut the door.  We need a place to put our tools.  We need to be able to share those tools, because art can get very expensive and out of the economic reach if you have to buy everything for personal use. 

9. Painting can be very lonely.

You might have seen me painting at medical conferences around the world.  I am usually set up off to the side.  During every break the wonderful attendees come over to my easel.  We talk about their personal health stories and the power of art to heal.  The most important thing is: we talk.  Some people have noticed I do not paint Walking Gallery jackets as quickly when I am at home. There is a very good reason for that. 

At home, I paint alone.  I trudge down to my basement studio and paint for hours. Some artists may like this solitude, but I do not.  If I didn’t have the ability to listen to WAMU/NPR out of Washington or WFRB broadcasting from Finzel, I am not sure could complete my work.  I look forward with glee to the point when the painting is finished and I can get on Facebook and Twitter to post the pictures and “talk” with people again! Then I look over at the next jacket.  I pin it to its painting form.  I begin the process of priming it and painting alone.  

When my loving husband Fred was dying he worried.  He told me, “Reggie, you are going to be alone.  We both know you are not good at being alone.”  He is right.  Fred and I met 22 years ago in a painting class.  We were both sad and lost and we found each other.  We were never alone surrounded by stories, paint and each other.  Now he is gone and our sons remain.  Each day I work very hard at painting our family ever larger.  That family is The Walking Gallery and that family needs a home.

We need a place that artists from all over America can come and paint together.  A place where we can support and inspire each other.  If we want this movement to grow from hundreds to thousands of jackets, we need a place where we can paint and grow this movement. 

8. Children need to see the arts as highly valued in our society. 

The children are watching.  They are amazing information sponges.  They see that in school they have math and reading everyday but may only get art once a week.  Or perhaps they must choose.  They can take an art class or a music class or band, but not all three.  They can see that a town or a county will spend thousands on a soccer field, tennis courts and baseball diamonds, but not invest in outdoor easels and public art.

I know that art is the driving force that helped me through a very hard childhood.  I know having the opportunity to draw a picture and act in a play made all the difference in my life.  I know that I attended school and stayed in school because I loved my art class and my debate class.  We need places like this art center, shining like a beacon of hope and creativity because people will see it and the children are watching.

7. We need a culture of healing in healthcare and not just a sickness model.

When I begin to explain what I do, people often interrupt with the question, “So are you an art therapist?”  I explain no.  Art therapy is great and art has so much power to heal.  But I use art in a way that goes beyond the therapeutic goal. I use art to share stories. I use art to create public policies that are patient centric and I focus my art on the world of healthcare. 

Right now there are many activists and advocates like myself focused on flipping the sickness model of care into a new culture of healing.  We talk with hospital executives and hear their concerns about a future of empty beds and lost revenue.  We counter with a different vision.  What if the hospital of tomorrow is an art-filled community hub, a fitness center and a play area for children, as well as a place that can provide needed emergent care?  Some CEOs scoff at this vision of tomorrow, but it is already happening throughout the country.  For example look to Eskenazi Health, a public city hospital, in Indianapolis; they have a public garden, a water feature to play in and dozens of commissioned pieces of art throughout the grounds of their facility.   Just read the words of CEO Lisa E. Harris, MD:

    

“Medical, psychological and neurological research have focused attention on understanding the full scope of the healing properties of art, and the positive correlation is clear and compelling,” said Dr. Lisa E. Harris, chief executive officer of Eskenazi Health. “The new Sidney & Lois Eskenazi Hospital and Eskenazi Health campus feature art and garden spaces like Arbor intended to enrich the lives of patients, visitors, staff and the community.”

So this really edgy concept of hospitals embracing the arts is becoming mainstream.  Now let’s do something really innovative; let’s build an art center that embraces medicine.

6. Communities need a place to congregate that is not centered on eating.

For many years my family lived in a small apartment and it would often get very claustrophobic.  On nice days we could go to the park, but in winter the options were few and far between.  We could go to stores and spend money that we could scarce afford or we could go out to eat.  The problem with frequently going out to eat is that the caloric load is very high, especially in the types of food establishments a poor family can afford.  As a person who is very plump, I try to find public events and venues that allow congregation, but are not centered on food.

Art classes, health workshops and family game nights are all wonderful ways to utilize our future center without adding to the national obesity crisis. 

5. We can do great things by crowdfunding in healthcare. 

I go into way too many meetings where people tell me the good ideas they envision to help others cannot be realized.   They do not have the funding.  I reply, have you tried crowdfunding?  At this point with the help of the crowd, we have created patient travel scholarships, a video on how to join the Walking Gallery and help pay for our first Partnership with Patients conference: #Cinderblocks.

This project is part of a current crowdfund campaign on gofundme: The Walking Gallery   We already have raised money towards the down payment on this building on Medstartr and now are gathering the funds to make needed repairs after closing, insurance for the building and any offsite events, and this fund helps pay for the paint and shipping cost associated with the Walking Gallery.

4. Creative Placemaking is really happening, check it out! 

Around the nation a movement is building called Creative Placemaking:

In creative placemaking, public, private, not-for-profit, and community sectors partner to strategically shape the physical and social character of a neighborhood, town, tribe, city, or region around arts and cultural activities”

In September 2014, I was able to attend a Creative Placemaking Summit in Cumberland, Maryland hosted by the Allegany Arts Council. Across the nation hacker spaces, maker spaces and art bars are cropping up.  In Garret County we already have a business incubator hub in McHenry and a maker space in Accident.  It just makes economic and geographic sense to have an Arts Center in Grantsville.

In July 2015, Grantsville became the site of the first Arts and Entertainment District in Garrett County.  My work with the students of the local school, hosting #Cinderblocks2 here and creating pieces of neighborhood art, helped ensure this designation. 

3. You can’t build an international movement without wifi.

If you are familiar with Grantsville, you will know it is very accessible.  Our town is right off Interstate 68 and is intersected by the National Pike/Route 40. The community is bookended by Route 669 and Route 219 and bisected by Route 495

The town is also wired for high-speed internet through Comcast cables.  Now for many of my readers who live in big cities that may not seem very important, but in this mostly rural area it is a very big deal indeed.  Many of our geographically close neighbors have to deal with the frequent outages of satellite internet.  We can provide the community a space that is so very needed in this day and age. 

This space can also be the command center as we plan #Cinderblocks3The Partnership with Patients Continues. (You can register here!)  #Cinderblocks3 will bring 170 people to Grantsville in late May of 2016. We hope to make it an annual tradition, a sort of Burning Man meets Healthcare. 

2. Some of us need a safe place to go. 

For many years I suffered abuse as a child.  I would not often talk about it, but I wrote about it and I drew about it. I hoped my teachers would act, but they never did in an obvious way.  That was another time and another place.  Today we are supposed help those who are in abusive situations.  Sometimes you can even prevent some abuse through better use of space and free time.  It is very hard for a family to be stuck in a small space in a long winter.  It helps if there is a safe place that you can go and play.

In addition, throughout this past year many patients and artists have reached me. They have asked for help.  They need a place to stay; they need a place to heal.  They need the mentorship of a strong advocate and the embrace of a loving community. That place can be this center.

1.  I am rooted here.

I have lived in so many places in my long and winding life.  We always rented; we always moved.  The Uhaul truck became a familiar friend.  In 2009, my husband Fred died and was buried here in Grantsville. Our children place toys upon his grave.  He lies two blocks from our home, three blocks from our Church and four blocks from his parent’s house.  He walks with us in spirit. 

People ask me, “Why  create a home for the Walking Gallery in Grantsville, Maryland?" I say because this place is quiet, kind and peaceful.  This town can help others as visitors can help Grantsville continue to thrive. But most of all because I founded The Walking Gallery of Healthcare.  The Gallery must grow, must walk; but I am its roots, and I am rooted here.

Thank you all and God bless.

The Walking Gallery Center for Arts and Healing

When I was a young girl I struggled to read.  In fourth grade I had a teacher that helped me beyond measure.  She taught me how to read well.  She cast me in the play Oklahoma.  She encouraged me to write and draw.  By 5^th grade I was reading chapter books all by myself.   My favorite books were all of the Little House books, A Little Princess, Pollyanna and Heidi.

The pint-sized heroines inspired me with their ability to overcome adversity.  I loved the idea of imagining and then creating a beautiful world within a cold dark attic.  I could envision a rainbow of color hidden in chandelier glass and play the game of always thinking of something to be glad about.  I could understand the allure of returning to healthy mountain air over the coal dust vapors of a Victorian city.

I have never forgotten these lessons of my youth.  I know the power of hope and friendship can heal so many wounds of the spirit.  Now I am an adult with a responsibility to spread goodness in a world that is often filled with sorrow.

I live in a small town teaming with young children and adults yearning to create. They want to draw and dance and paint, but in the winter opportunities to do such things are few and far between.

I work with patient advocates and medical providers from around the nation who cry out to me.  They tell me their sorrow and I paint it on their back; but sometimes they need more.  Sometimes they need a place to rest and reignite their fiery passion.  

I created a movement called The Walking Gallery and I need others who will paint with me and help to spread the patient voice. We need the space and time to turn hundreds of jackets into thousands.

So I ask you to help me build a vision into a reality.

In the healthy mountain air of Grantsville, Maryland I want to create The Walking Gallery Center for Arts and Healing.  There are rooms that will be galleries and rooms that will fill with laughter and dance.  There are bedrooms that will refresh the weary patient and inspire the striving artist.

All this will come to be if we work together and turn a vision into reality.  

We have 40 days to raise enough money to begin the process of securing this building.  I think we can do it, but not without your help.  Cancer 101 has agreed once again to act as our grant partner in this crowdfund, so all donations will be tax deductible. 

To quote the words of Pollyanna, “It’ll be just lovely for you to play…It’ll be so hard.  And there’s so much more fun when it is hard.”  

Thank You,

Regina Holliday

What I learned on the road to the Shorty’s

January 26^th was my son Isaac’s 7^th birthday. Our small apartment filled with laughter as we crammed 7 children and 12 adults into our living room.  It was a great day and I always enjoy such moments because they unite every aspect of our lives.  Friends from Isaac’s old pre-school were there, as well elementary school friends, friends from the toy store Child’s Play, my husband Fred’s co-worker from years ago, patient advocates, neighbors and family.

During this crazy fun-filled day I got a tweet from LisaFields. 

She suggested voting for me in the #activism category of the shorty awards.  (The Shorty Awards are like the Oscars in Social Media.) Now, what Lisa did not know was I was working on a really huge painting for Alex Drane. I was painting my interpretation of the spirit of the Eliza Corporation.  So, for the next 10 days I somewhat ignored her nomination. 

I finally (mostly) finished the Eliza painting and received a request from The Hilgos Foundation focused on the arts within patient populations coping with dementia.  They were competing in the #charity category of the Shorty Awards.  I love their program, so I voted for them immediately.  Then I guiltily remembered Lisa’s nomination. 

So, I filled out my profile page and began the incredibly hard steps of a twitter campaign.

I have learned so much from experiences like this one.  My friend Ted Eytan has suggested I stretch my wings and try my hand at challenges several times.  He suggested I compete in the Sunlight Foundation Community Health Data Initiative in the spring of 2010.  I entered a painting focused on comparing hospitals into a competition filled with apps or website design. I lost; well I got an honorable mention… but in the traditional sense I lost.

But what did I win?  I learned a great deal about HospitalCompare.gov before it existed. I learned about HCAHPS scores before folks we even talking about Value Based Purchasing. Roni Zeiger wore an “Art Jacket” on stage before there was a gallery.

I think that is a win!

In the fall of 2010, Ted also introduced me to the Ashoka Changemaker Competition and I entered 73 Cents and the concept of painting about data and patient rights on walls.  Once again I lost.  But what did I learn?  I learned about so many amazing activists around the world and the great projects they were working on.  I supported others on their journey. 

I think that is a win!

Next Ted told me to enter “Body Shock the Future” from the Institute for the Future.  I entered a painting focused on the unhygienic use of the patient bedside tray table as both a changing table and feeding tray.  It is also one of my favorite paintings because I captured my late husband’s expression perfectly.  Once again I lost.  But I learned how to campaign more effectively this time.  The painting did get shown to a wider audience and a couple of years later  I would meet the designer Michael Graves at TedMed; I talked with him about it.

I think that is a win!

So last fall when I decided to crowd-fund the Partnershipwith Patients Summit in Kansas City, I had plenty of practice doing an online campaign.  We would need to raise 20k to barely break even.  If I failed at this campaign, I would let down so many patients, not to mention my friends at Cerner who put trust in me.  I would do two different campaigns simultaneously one at Medstartr and one at Healthtechhatch.

This time we won.  We made our goal!  Partnership with Patients happened.

I think that is a win!

Lisa Fields nominated me on January 26 for the Shorty Award in #activism.  I have been campaigning diligently on twitter since February 5^th.  I currently have 378 votes and need about 100 more to finish in the top 6.  Those in the top six will be judged to decide the winner.  Based on the high level of difficulty getting just 378 votes in 11 days, I think it improbable that I will finish in the top six.

I probably will fail in my attempt in the #activism category for the Shorty Awards.

But what did I win? 

I was on twitter often enough that I engaged in far more chats than I normally do.  So I was there to support Lisa Fields when she hosted the @TedMed chat #GreatChallenges on end of life. I joined the conversation and mentioned the concept that Hallmark needed to create hospice cards.  I have been suggesting this idea for almost a year on my blog and to Hallmark directly through customer service.  I think it would help normalize conversations with those who are dying.  But the #greatchallenges conversation was so inspiring; I built a petition on change.org immediately.  Members of the tweet chat began signing it, and now I had two campaigns underway!

Now, some folks would think twice about taking on another campaign in the midst a current one.  Some folks would wonder, “How will this make me look?  Will people think I am doing this for added exposure?”  I admit I paused for a couple minutes with precisely that worry.  And I was not wrong, as I was accused on twitter days later of exactly that motive.

So I want to make something very clear. 

Everything I do is to improve the patient experience.

The Walking Gallery, conference painting, speaking, live-tweeting, blogging, entering competitions like this one, all these things I do so we can spread our vision of truly participatory medicine in which patients will not have to suffer.  In so doing I have met amazing people who would do just the same, like Ted and Lisa.  When I am offered an opportunity that could grow our network of friends, I say yes.  I call these moments “God moments.”   Sometimes when opportunity or providence knocks it does so in the guise of a tweet.

As these dual campaigns continued the web of friends spread, until Miriam Cutelis a fellow parent posted a notice about our work in advocacy in my son’s elementary school online forum.  She encouraged parents to sign the petition for Hallmark to createHospice Cards, take the Partnership With Patients Survey and to vote for me for the Shorty Award.  Soon I was greeting local parents on my twitter feed.  I love it when worlds collide!

In November, I delivered a speech with Ted.  It was entitled Bouncing a ball alone: Grokking Failure. We presented it at TEDx Detroit.  It was a very unorthodox speech.

We literally bounced a ball onstage :) and spoke of things often not spoken of.

Ted was willing to stand on stage with me, fail or win in the name of better communication for all.

We were embracing failure.

I want to thank everyone who voted for me in The Shorty Award competition for Activism.   I know it might have been a bit uncomfortable logging in and voting.  I appreciate all you have done.

(Oh, in case you wondered it is bowtie shaped on purpose, because bowties are cool.)

Even if I fail, we win.  Go Patients!!!

###############################UPDATE##########################################

In the final hours Ted Eytan suggested tweeting nominations in a new way:

'I nominate @ReginaHolliday for a Shorty Award in #art #activismcategory because her work creates a healthier, more caring society."

And the race is on...