Storytelling is a powerful way to process our experiences and find meaning in them. Attend a virtual two-day Stoop Storytelling workshop and learn how to take a pandemic event, or other life occurrence, and turn it into a memorable oral story. No experience is necessary.

The last virtual Stoop Storytelling workshop took place on Tuesday Oct 25th from 7pm-8:30pm. The program was open to all employees as part of the H.O.P.E. (Honoring Our Pandemic Experiences) initiative.

Date and Registration

The event took place on Wednesday, November 9th at 5:30pm in the pre-function area of the Owens auditorium between Cancer Research Building I and Cancer Research Building II. A wine and cheese reception was available following with book signing.

The program was also available by Zoom.

At Johns Hopkins, we know from research that the arts are essential to our health and well-being. Engaging in the arts in any form — drawing, writing, singing, dancing, baking, crafting and more — can help sustain us during these unprecedented times. Creating or beholding art can help address loneliness, boost confidence, and make us feel more engaged and resilient. It can also help alleviate anxiety, depression and stress. Results from over 3,000 studies identified a major role for the arts in promotion of health, the prevention of illness, and management and treatment of illness across the lifespan.

These resources from the International Arts + Mind Lab share the science behind why and how the arts support our collective health and well-being. You'll find simple art ideas to help you and your family discover new and joyful ways to cope and feel better:

COVID-19 NeuroArts Field Guide
PTSD and the Arts: A Path to Healing Our Healers
Can the Arts Help Us Heal Our Grief?

Grab a healthy snack and a H.O.P.E. gift. Carts will be stocked with self-care items for all to enjoy. As part of the H.O.P.E. launch, the International Arts + Mind Lab donated additional art supplies. Contact your hospital’s wellness cart organizer to request a visit.

Winners of the H.O.P.E. Photo Contest were represented from across the health system. Winning photos documented staff, clinicians and students’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eighteen winning photos were selected, including three grand prize winners. View the photo contest gallery for the winning entries.

Live@Lunchtime was a set of free, informal musical performances in the Johns Hopkins Hospital. All Johns Hopkins employees were encouraged to bring their lunch and enjoy short, engaging performances by musicians from JH's Peabody Institute.
 
Stay tuned for details on upcoming Live@Lunchtime events or visit our webpage. 

Live@Lunchtime is a co-production of the Program in Arts, Humanities, & Health and the Peabody Institute’s Arts in Healthcare program. For additional details or questions please contact [email protected]

 

Take a break from your workday to enjoy music that is sure to soothe your soul. A talented group of musicians from Peabody Institute recorded a live concert in support of the Office of Well-Being’s H.O.P.E. initiative. You don’t want to miss it.

Enjoy the H.O.P.E. pandemic playlist, a collection of more than 300 encouraging and empowering songs submitted by Johns Hopkins Medicine employees. The songs are compiled by themes with a tune for every mood, across all genres. View the playlist and get insight into others’ experiences and the songs that sustained them during the pandemic.

Live musical performances are offered in public spaces at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Visitors enjoy informal, live musical performances that are sure to lift spirits and bring hope. In the past, Peabody musicians were also joined by special musical guests. Whether passing through, pausing for a moment, or settling in for the hour, time spent with music provides the opportunity for self-care and hope. View upcoming events in the Office of Well-Being calendar. 

The Peabody Institute is pleased to bring back ‘Guest Week’ in spring and fall for its Music for a While program, serving hospital staff, patients and caregivers through musical performances in the public spaces of Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Staff and students with a musical background from all JHM entities were invited to perform alongside Peabody students at Johns Hopkins Hospital in East Baltimore. This was a special opportunity to showcase musical skills and support the hospital community. View upcoming Music for a While Guest Week events on the Office of Well-Being calendar.

Take a break with a live musician! Visitors could join Peabody musicians for an informal and relaxing musical interlude in the comfort of their own space. The program is currently on pause.

The Racial Justice Concert Series (RJCS), a collaboration among Johns Hopkins students, faculty, and staff, harnesses the power of music to bring awareness to issues of racism in Baltimore, and to support Baltimore organizations that focus on racial justice work. The RJCS features performances by Baltimore musicians and provides a platform for racial justice organizations to educate audiences about their efforts. The RJCS is cooperatively produced and funded by the Johns Hopkins Program in Arts, Humanities, & Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, and Johns Hopkins International Arts + Mind Lab.

Past Concerts

Dan and Claudia Zanes

Enjoy an hour of hopeful music from Baltimore area musicians, Dan and Claudia Zanes, courtesy of the Johns Hopkins Program in Arts, Humanities, & Health and the Creative Alliance Racial Justice Concert Series. Dan and Claudia Zanes performed a creative blend of folk, rock and jazz during a livestreamed free YouTube performance.

Listen to a recording of the concert.

Roses and Rust

Dr. Dorothy Holley (“Drum Dr. Dot”) and her band Roses and Rust brought their infectious mix of soul, roots, and African drumming to the Ministry of Brewing. Dr. Holley and Roses and Rust performed in support of Baltimore-based non-profit Black Arts District, which works to empower Black creatives and revitalize West Baltimore through culture, arts, and entertainment. The performance was produced by Johns Hopkins’ Racial Justice Concert Series. 

Colleagues across JHM gathered for a virtual Service of Remembrance, Gratitude and Blessings on Wednesday, Dec. 14. JHM chaplains and spiritual leaders offered prayers, music and opportunities for participants to share our reflections and remember those lost during the pandemic. Looking back on the event by watching the recording or viewing the associated video.

This program was open to all employees as a part of the Office of Well-Being's H.O.P.E. (Honoring Our Pandemic Experiences) initiative.

Past Events

My Story True: Writing into Healing Through a Storm

Date: January 10, 2023
Time: 1:00 - 2:30
The start of the new year should be a time of reflection as well as moving forward with purpose and renewed hope. In this writing workshop we will explore the narrative you most need or want to write. Whether you want to write a short story, a letter to bring closure to a relationship with a loved one, a memoir or a personal essay we will discuss how and why written narrative is a source of healing, enlargement and joy.

Invisible Mental Health Disabilities — The Need for Everyday Healing

Date: October 19, 2022
Time: 11:00 - 12:30
In this 90-minute workshop author Marita Golden and Dr. Pamela Brewer will discuss techniques for responding to the increasing and intensifying sources of stress in our lives that are adversely impacting our mental health. The aftermath/continuation of a global pandemic, the seemingly inescapable reach of twenty-four- hour news, and social media combined with both normal daily stressors and those that are unexpected, has produced nation-wide unprecedented levels of anxiety among Americans of all races, ages, and economic levels.

Saving Our Children

Date: November 10, 2022
Time: 12:30 - 2:00
American youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. Depression, anxiety and suicide attempts among youth are at an all-time high. The legacy of COVID-19 and the impact of societal responses to the pandemic induced new mental health challenges for young people and an increasing awareness of the need to engage with young people about their emotional health. The mental health crisis for youth in the LGBTQ+ community are further compounded by many states enacting laws prohibiting provision of gender affirming care for transgender youth and discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.

All Johns Hopkins employees are encouraged to join the Healthy at Hopkins team on Mondays for a web-based mindfulness meditation session for the H.O.P.E. initiative. The guided session includes techniques to lower blood pressure and relieve muscle tension. Join us.

All were invited to participate in A Time of Remembrance and Hope, the virtual service to honor lives lost during the pandemic. See recording.

Part 1: A discussion and Q&A about her book "The Strong Black Woman: How a Myth Endangers the Physical and Mental Health of Black Women"

Part 2: Redefining Strength, Power, Health, and Healing

Part 3: Writing into Healing Through a Storm- recording to come

Some people compare a labyrinth to a maze, but they are very different. A maze is designed to cause a person to get lost, to follow false paths and to become confused. A labyrinth has one way in and one way out. The path is clearly marked. Following the path is a form of meditation. Entering the labyrinth and moving to the center is seen as letting go or releasing apprehensions and daily stress. The center is a place to pause, reflect and receive insight. Moving out is a time for action and renewal. The labyrinth is a place to open the mind, listen to the heart and heal the spirit.

Employees had the opportunity to experience the labyrinth’s healing qualities when a portable replica labyrinth toured Johns Hopkins Medicine entities in fall 2022.

Is there an activity that helped you find meaning during the pandemic? The Office of Well-Being’s Honoring Our Pandemic Experiences (H.O.P.E.) initiative is one way JHM supports the well-being of our workforce. Learn more through the inspiring stories of employees who found creative ways to cope and heal. Read the H.O.P.E. Employee Spotlights to learn how employees around the health system found healing. 

Our work is hard. There is help available. Watch a five-minute video to learn how chaplains at Johns Hopkins Medicine support staff, patients and families in times of stress.