The Creative Heart: Answering the Challenge of Cancer through Imagination, Spirituality, and the Arts

The Creative Heart explores how imagination, spirituality, and artistic expression serve as powerful resources in cancer care. This innovative series expands traditional concepts of spirituality beyond religious frameworks, introducing artistic engagement as an accessible pathway for meaning-making, connection, and wellbeing. Through interactive experiences and thoughtful dialogue, participants will discover practical ways to incorporate creative practices into both patient care and professional self-care.

This inaugural event at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) will feature Will Schwalbe, author of the bestseller, The End of Your Life Book Club, and award-winning Chef JJ Johnson, who will demonstrate how creative approaches address the holistic needs of patients while sustaining healthcare providers. Event highlights include:

Community Connection Breakfast — Start your day with a nourishing breakfast while connecting with patients, family members, and colleagues from across the MSK community.

Interactive Creative Workshop — Engage in a guided session of artistic expression led by our featured guests, with opportunities for hands-on participation.

Moderated Conversation & Reflection — Engage in thoughtful dialogue with Will Schwalbe and Chef JJ Johnson as they explore how creative practices enhance healing and spiritual wellbeing for both patients and healthcare providers and discover practical approaches for incorporating arts into patient care and professional self-care.

Please note that this program will be held in-person only (no virtual option will be available).

This series is intended for patients with cancer, their family caregivers, and multidisciplinary healthcare professionals practicing in oncology settings, including but not limited to: medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists; palliative care specialists; advanced practice providers (NPs, PAs); registered nurses and nursing assistants; oncology social workers; chaplains; rehabilitation specialists; psychooncology practitioners; and allied healthcare personnel involved in both curative and supportive/palliative cancer care delivery.

The Creative Heart series is dedicated to the memory of former MSK Chaplain, Carlos D. Cuartas (1957-2020), whose life and work demonstrated the profound healing power that emerges when creativity and spirituality meet in the face of cancer.

1. Explore the relationships between creative processes and spiritual well being for patients, families and healthcare professionals coping with cancer.
2. Identify at least two ways to incorporate creative practices into daily professional or personal life.
3. Describe spirituality beyond religiosity incorporating concepts such as meaning, connection, existential, creativity and imagination.
4. Articulate how creative approaches to spirituality can enhance both patient care and provider wellbeing in oncology settings.

This series is complimentary for all to attend. Please select the Register tab above to complete registration (registration is required in order to attend).

This program will be held in-person only (no virtual option will be available). Please contact [email protected] at least one week prior to the event if you have any special dietary requests or require any specific accommodations. Detailed participation instructions for visiting us onsite will be emailed to you prior to the start of the program.

"Industry professionals" are welcome to attend Continuing Medical Education events at MSK for their own educational purposes. View our Registration Policy for Industry Professionals for more information.

For details on our cancellation terms, please review our Cancellation Policy.

The following continuing education credits will be offered:

• AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

• New York State Psychology Contact Hours

• New York State Social Work Contact Hours (pending application approval)

• ANCC Nursing Contact Hours (pending application approval)

Cover Artwork Credit: Atsede Elegba, Mdiv

"I’m interested in exploring the ancient, organic, symbiotic relationship between the arts, spirituality and suffering/healing—both transcendent and ordinary. The multimedia (watercolor, graphite, pastel, photography) illustration reflects my interpretation of the collective idea/sense, from several MSK chaplains of what image/s might come to mind when considering the title of the series. I created the components separately and then combined them digitally. The heart, wounded on its side, edges singed by fire, gently held by imperfect human hands, backgrounded by light through clouds. A heart filled with flowers reminiscent of those that brighten hospital rooms. These are Madagascar Periwinkles, photographed in the BAIC garden. Madagascar Periwinkles contain anticancer properties that have contributed to chemotherapy. There are cancer cells in the center of the petals falling out of the heart."

We look forward to welcoming you to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

If you’ll be traveling to New York City from out of town, we recommend that you plan your overnight stays as soon as possible. To make the planning a little easier, MSK has negotiated special rates and amenities at select hotels in Manhattan. Click here to view the list of select hotels and additional details on each.

For details on planning your visit to MSK, including travel and parking information, click here. Please note that parking validation is not available for attendees.

If you require any specific accommodations to attend this event in person, please contact [email protected] at least one week in advance.

Series Director
Natasha Dachos, LMSW, MAPCC, BCC

Series Co-Director 
Molly O'Neil Frank, MDiv, MA

Series Planning Committee
Sanjay Chawla, MD, FCCP, FACP, FCCM
Atsede Elegba, Mdiv
Minjeong Kim, RN
Erika Mallin, MA (Patient Planner)
James O'Connor, BS
Kelley Qualters, MSN
Christine Wilkins, PhD
Paul Yoon, MDiv, Chaplain

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education. 
In accordance with the ACCME's Standards, identification, mitigation and/or disclosure of financial relationships is not needed for non-clinical accredited education. 

The content of this activity is non-clinical.