An art instructor at Northwestern Medicine Living Well Cancer Resources started teaching neurographic art at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developed by Pavel Piskarev, an architect, in 2014, this meditative art technique transforms stress into works of art using only a piece of paper and a marker. Hunt teaches the technique to help people relieve the stress, fear and anxiety that often accompany a cancer diagnosis. Once learned, it’s an easy technique that can be practiced at home, in the office, in a waiting room — wherever.
"This is a great exercise to let go of the things you can’t control or to help you work through change and fear, but also to call upon what you would like in your life," say the art instructors.

In class, students take 30 seconds, without overthinking, to make organic, flowing lines using a marker, and to round out the intersections of the lines, so that any hard edges are softened. Additional spaces can be filled in with shapes. 

Artists can then fill in the outline with other markers, watercolors or colored pencils. The final piece is often a beautiful surprise to the creator of the artwork. Much of the artwork from classes are displayed on the walls at Living Well Cancer Resource locations in Geneva and Warrenville, Illinois.

Ghadeer Y., a student in Hunt’s art classes, was treated for stage 1 breast cancer. She says neurographic art was a game changer in her cancer journey.

“Once I finished my treatment, emotions started coming up that I didn’t understand,” says Ghadeer. “Everyone kept saying I should move on and be happy because I was cancer-free. I didn’t feel that way. I was still feeling anxious and not sleeping. Once I found neurographic art, I fell in love with it. It calms me down and changed my life.”

Ghadeer, who also went through counseling at Living Well Cancer Resources, says a notebook and permanent black marker are now always ready in her purse. If she’s feeling anxious, she brings out her simple tools and starts to draw, wherever and whenever.

“I have my inner peace back again,” she says. “I am planning a Friendsgiving this year with neurographic art as an activity. Everyone will be doing it with me!”