A collection of creative arts resources curated to learn, teach and maintain the art of medicine. 

Art helps us access and express parts of ourselves that are often unavailable to other forms of human interaction. Art flies below the radar, delivering nourishment for our soul and returning with stories from the unconscious. A world without art is an inhuman world. Making and consuming art lifts our spirits and keeps us sane. Art, like science and religion, helps us make meaning from our lives, and to make meaning is to make us feel better. 
- Grayson Perry

Using art and creativity in medicine

Our arts resources help clinicians learn new skills, appreciate otherness, develop personal insight and become socially accountable. We also provide information about the role of art and creativity in health and wellbeing to improve patient health outcomes and help clinicians to flourish at work.

Learning to use art and creativity in medical practice can feel a little daunting to begin with, let us help to build your confidence.

Art and Creativity in
Medical Education

Art and Creativity for
Health & Wellbeing

Collections of resources

Our resources are curated as collections in two themes, designed to be used as a tutorial, in a seminar or for personal study.

The collections contain a wide range of contemporary and historical genres of art that have been created by professional artists, clinicians and patients. Collections are dynamic and will continue to expand over time.

Medical Themes

32 collections about being human, working as a clinician and experiencing illness

view resources

Medical Conditions

An antidote to the traditional medical textbook offering insight about common problems

view resources

Meet the curator

Hello, I’m Nicola and I curate The Art of Medicine Website. I have 20 years of experience of working as a GP but I now work purely in medical education. 

When I started my career in medical education, I struggled to find good resources to teach the human dimension of health care, that was until I remembered that I learnt many of these skills from reading novels and looking at art. Reading Zola taught me about suffering, reading hardy about uncertainty and standing in the shadow of Luke Fildes painting, The Doctor, at The Tate Gallery I learnt about compassion.

Seminar feedback

  • Wow wow wow! What a fabulous opportunity to remember why I became a trainer and what keeps me doing it. Lovely surroundings and being treated like a valued member of a training community was just like taking a deep breath and resetting my training energy.

    GP Trainer Seminar • Yorkshire Sculpture Park

  • I thought it was going to be nonsense, but was surprised about how engaging and powerful it can be to reflect using art.

    GP Registrar Session • Health Equity on the Big Screen

  • It helps you feel human. You realise that you’re treating people, and you need to connect with them.

    Gateway to Medicine Year HYMS • Perspective of Illness

  • I LOVED it! Never have I thought about poetry in a positive light, I have never understood it, and would NEVER have thought about attending a poetry evening. It was so enlightening. I felt so relieved to hear how everyone interprets and feels differently about certain poems.

    Seminar • Prescribing for Living

  • A brilliant evening full of thought-provoking readings and discussion. Helped to reignite my passion for general practice.

    Seminar • The Power of Stories

  • Welcoming, interesting, joyful, thought provoking, creative, friendly and very intimate.

    Seminar • The Art of the Breath

  • Wow wow wow! What a fabulous opportunity to remember why I became a trainer and what keeps me doing it. Lovely surroundings and being treated like a valued member of a training community was just like taking a deep breath and resetting my training energy.

    • GP Trainer Seminar •
    Yorkshire Sculpture Park

  • I thought it was going to be nonsense, but was surprised about how engaging and powerful it can be to reflect using art.

    • GP Registrar Session •
    Health Equity on the Big Screen

  • It helps you feel human. You realise that you’re treating people, and you need to connect with them.

    • Gateway to Medicine Year HYMS • Perspective of Illness

  • I LOVED it! Never have I thought about poetry in a positive light, I have never understood it, and would NEVER have thought about attending a poetry evening. It was so enlightening. I felt so relieved to hear how everyone interprets and feels differently about certain poems.

    • Seminar •
    Prescribing for Living

  • A brilliant evening full of thought-provoking readings and discussion. Helped to reignite my passion for general practice.

    • Seminar •
    The Power of Stories

  • Welcoming, interesting, joyful, thought provoking, creative, friendly and very intimate.

    • Seminar •
    The Art of the Breath