Read Time: 5 minutes
Takeaways:
- Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 Artist-in-Residence leads healing art workshops inspired by her own experience with cancer.
- Healing through creativity is part of the holistic approach at the Wellness and Integrative Health Center.
Impact: Huntsman Cancer Institute's comprehensive approach to care supports healing and quality of life.
A Diagnosis That Changed Everything
In 2017, Traci O鈥橵ery Covey鈥檚 world shifted on its axis. A diagnosis of bladder cancer had spread to her kidneys and forced her into a new and terrifying reality. She underwent chemotherapy and surgery to remove a kidney, only to learn six months later that the cancer had metastasized to her lungs.
She was treated at Huntsman Cancer Institute under the care of oncologist Sumati Gupta, MD, and urologist Brock O鈥橬eil, MD, both of whom played key roles in guiding her through her care.
The news came with painful d茅j脿 vu. Just nine months earlier, Traci鈥檚 brother had been diagnosed with the same disease. He did not survive.
鈥淚 was in a state of shock,鈥 Traci remembers. 鈥淚鈥檓 someone who looks for causes, wondering how did this happen? But I had to surrender to randomness. I didn鈥檛 want anxiety and stress to take over every day. So, I chose to relax into the unknown.鈥
Healing Beyond the Medicine
At Huntsman Cancer Institute, Traci found more than treatment. She found holistic care for both her body and spirit. She participated in clinical trials and became a regular at the Linda B. and Robert B. Wiggins Wellness and Integrative Health Center, enjoying music therapy sessions, acupuncture, massage, Qigong, and the POWER program.
鈥淓veryone helped me feel like I still had some control,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hey weren鈥檛 just treating the illness; they were treating the person.鈥
Creating art, which had always been at the center of her life, faded into the background during this time. 鈥淚 had to be in a joyful or serene place to make art, and I just wasn鈥檛 there yet,鈥 she says. Instead, she turned to journaling and visiting Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 Writer-in-Residence. 鈥淚t helped me stay connected to creativity in some way.鈥
Grief Upon Grief
As Traci slowly began to recover, life delivered another devastating blow. Her husband, Mikel, developed a rare blood disease that progressed to myelofibrosis. He passed away in the summer of 2019.
鈥淭he grief was layered,鈥 she says. 鈥淔acing my own mortality, losing Mikel and then my brother was a lot. But I was intentional about how I lived. I got support from social workers, therapy, family, and friends who showed up even when I didn鈥檛 know I needed them.鈥
A Return to Color and Purpose
Art eventually reemerged, not just as an outlet, but as a way back to herself. One of the first large art projects was for the South Salt Lake Mural Fest which tested her stamina but also reaffirmed her strength. 鈥淚 was nervous about whether I could do it. I wasn鈥檛 as strong as before treatment. But friends came to help. It brought me joy again.鈥
A major project after Mikel鈥檚 passing was a huge public mural commissioned for the Salt Lake City International Airport. 鈥淚 was thrilled. It gave me something wonderful to focus on,鈥 Traci says. 鈥淚 painted through COVID. It reminded me how resilient I could be.鈥
She has continued to enjoy doing many private and public commissions since then.
Coming Full Circle: Artist-in-Residence
When a friend told her about the Artist-in-Residence role at Huntsman Cancer Institute鈥檚 Wellness and Integrative Health Center, it felt like something clicked.
鈥淎s an artist, you鈥檙e usually working alone in your studio, but this was a chance to be around people and connect through creativity. And I already loved everything about Huntsman Cancer Institute. It felt perfect.鈥
She smiles when she remembers what it felt like to be a patient there. 鈥淲e would joke that it was the healing hotel. You鈥檇 see people playing piano, there was valet parking, and the people were so kind,鈥 she says. 鈥淵ou felt nurtured and that people were honestly trying to help you. I didn鈥檛 have any negative feelings, just gratitude.鈥
Now, Traci leads art workshops for patients, caregivers, and anyone in need of a creative break. In a bright, peaceful studio space, she offers materials like watercolor, acrylics, and collage supplies. One of her recent favorites was a session on whimsical pet portraits. 鈥淧eople could reflect on a happy memory with their pet, and it just made them feel good.鈥
She emphasizes that it鈥檚 not about making a masterpiece. 鈥淭he process is more important than the product,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about being present, about finding some peace and joyfulness in the moment.鈥
Why Art Matters in Healing
Traci believes deeply in the power of art to help people heal.
鈥淎rt feeds the soul,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t shouldn鈥檛 be taken for granted. Art, in our everyday life鈥攎usic, writing鈥攈as a purpose. Everything was designed. Someone designed your chair or table. It doesn鈥檛 necessarily have to be a painting or sculpture.鈥
She hopes her workshops create a sense of calm, camaraderie, and community. 鈥淚t鈥檚 comforting to be around someone who understands what you鈥檙e dealing with. And it鈥檚 meaningful to make something, to say, 鈥業 created this.鈥 Even in the hardest moments, that matters.鈥
鈥淎rt can help you heal,鈥 she adds. 鈥淕etting lost in your imagination and into the flow of creating can really help the process.鈥
The Language of Color
Traci鈥檚 deep connection to color is more than aesthetic. It鈥檚 emotional, spiritual, and rooted in the natural world.
鈥淕reen is my favorite color because of how prevalent it is in nature,鈥 she says. 鈥淏eing in nature, hiking through the canyons, and having flowers around鈥攊t鈥檚 so inspiring.鈥
鈥淎rt can help you heal. Getting lost in your imagination and into the flow of creating can really help the process.鈥
Traci O鈥橵ery Covey, Artist-in-Residence
As a painter, she finds joy in the subtleties. 鈥淚 love how colors play against one another. Deciding which colors go next to each other. Mixing colors to make the right hue. A lot of decisions go into painting.鈥
A Life Reimagined
Traci didn鈥檛 expect to be here. Not as a patient. Not as a caregiver. And certainly not back at Huntsman Cancer Institute, helping others through the very place that helped her survive.
鈥淏ut it showed up at the right time,鈥 she says. 鈥淎nd I was in the right state of mind to say this is the place I鈥檇 love to be.鈥
In every collage, every brushstroke, every burst of color, Traci offers more than art. She offers hope. And in doing so, she continues to paint light into places touched by pain.