living with cancer_ six-word stories writing and art project - socialworker
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Living With Cancer: Six-Word Stories Writing and Art Project
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Vocational Social Work: Every Client Deserves a Résumé and a Voice The Right Balance Poetry
by Irene MonticelliEditor's Note: Please click through the slideshow above to see a closeup of some of the sixwordstories. Kindled by Hemingway's famous six-word tale, "For sale: baby shoes, never worn,” the "sixword story" has acted as a writer's prompt for years. My supervisor Jill Winter, LMSW, and I use this writing exercise in our "Living with Cancer"writing group that meets once a month to facilitate our members’ (both patients and caretakers)inner dialog, expression, and themed group conversation. Jill had conveyed a wish to do a project with the powerful stories that come out of this group. Ihave a degree in graphic design. I am an artist and photojournalist, as well. I took up the projectbecause I felt that a display of six-word cancer stories was an amazing way to give a public voice toour group. I was given an empty case for my art installation space. Jill had been gathering stories before I started at my MSW internship, and I asked foradditional current prose from the current groups we facilitated. They truly gave me so manypowerful stories that it was hard for Jill and me to choose. I compiled the chosen and then used a
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diverse color pallet and singular font for each “story” ormember's voice. I printed them on a heavy gloss cardstockto give each individual cancer story weight, and so that Icould give a nice print back to our patients after we took itdown. I decided to suspend them on a thin wire, so thatthey could float 3D and independently above a field of gold,casting their own shadows. I feel this adds power to thepiece, like the authors hung them up themselves. I kept asnow theme on the bottom because of the winter andbecause each poem is like a snowflake - individual. We have had a great response from our cancer patients,caretakers, and medical staff. One of our nurses said as shestood in front of it and read each story that it was like ameditative experience for her. Each six-word story isdifferent, and each person reads the stories differently andin their own diverse cultural context. It is a great way toshare with the staff the patients’ thoughts. I feel that a project that can touch the hearts and mindsof those who see it is one of the most gratifying things I cando as a social worker. Social work is so diverse, and thereare many ways to make a shared impact and bridgecommunity groups.Irene Monticelli has a graphic arts design degree andbachelor's degree in social work and has more than 10years of peer experience as a Lymphoma cancer survivorherself, as a caretaker, and as a patient navigator. She isearning a Master of Social Work at Arizona StateUniversity in direct practice and gerontology. She is anintern at UMC Banner Arizona Cancer Care Center inTucson, Arizona.
6-Word Stories Art Project
Irene Monticelli
The New Social WorkerMagazine
"To work with clients, from both astrengths based perspective and in adiagnostically and socioeconomicallyprecise way, we must listen beyondwhat we have the capacity to hear."Dr. Danna Bodenheimer, author ofReal World Clinical Social Work: FindYour Voice and Find Your Way.
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Obscured Paths TowardWellnessFor every client, clearly, treatment goalsand paths toward wellness or relief…
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