Volume 26

July - 2021

Cover: Desert Orange

White sands national park in New Mexico is a different world. Definitely one to add to the bucket list. Photography has helped me prevent burnout by being an escape. I can be transported back to these places I once visited and it helps remind me that there’s more to the world than the struggles I and others deal with everyday at work.

Taken with a Nikon d5200 and edited with Adobe Lightroom

Letter from the Editors:

Welcome to another wonderful volume of AoEM. We personally are excited by the photography and artwork that are included in this volume, but we wanted to start by speaking about a wellness topic that has been on our mind and what we have been focusing on lately: Sleep.

Sleep is crucial in our careers, especially with the multiple night shifts and long hours we work (not to mention the extracurriculars many physicians, nurses, and others participate in). Lack of sleep can cause short term memory loss, increased risk for metabolic syndrome and diabetes, and finally an overall lack of energy and apathy that permeates our moments awake.

So how can one combat this? Here are a few strategies we like to follow:

Make sleep a priority - Schedule yourself time to sleep and keep yourself to the schedule. Be honest about it with yourself and take yourself away from electronics and bright screens at least an hour before you’re planning to fall asleep. Once you’re in bed, don’t read and don’t watch tv.

Set the mood - Dark, cool areas are the prime setting to maximize sleep and comfort. Since emergency professionals may work at all hours of the day, that may mean sleeping during the day. Make sure there’s a way to block the light (blackout curtains or sleep mask) and get a fan or portable AC to control the temperature for optimum comfort if you are able.

Focus on your schedule (if you can) - Like we’ve said previously, we work at all hours of the day and our schedule may often bounce around between days and nights. If you’re able to, work yourself to a circadian rhythm with progressions from days to evening to night shifts, which allows for a more natural progression for the body. You may also consider sleep schedules to help with adjusting a circadian rhythm.

Make lists - Relieve your mind of the stress and thinking about everything that you need to get done. Before going to sleep, make yourself a to-do or task list that you can revisit in the morning. Get your thoughts out on paper and leave them there until you wake up in the morning.

Focus on your other aspects of health: Diet and exercise - Healthy foods and a routine exercise program can help the body feel energized while it is awake and also provide the physical stimulation necessary to exhaust the body and allow it to enter into sleep more rapidly.

Do you have tips and tricks that you love? Reach out to us, we would always love to hear them.

Sad Girl

This digital illustration was inspired by both the psych patients I interact with and my own experiences with depression. It's a fairly obvious piece that illustrates the pain, isolation, and general darkness one feels when struggling with this illness. A straight-forward color palette was chosen, comprised of cool blues and black, as those colors are the most relatable when thinking of a depressed mood. The harsh, angry black marks around the hands serve as a reminder that depression isn't just about being sad, it can be a chaotic storm of negative emotions; frustration, anger, bitterness. The black background was designed to make it seem like it was taking over the subject, closing her in and isolating her from an imaginary light source beyond the canvas.

Digital Illustration; Adobe CS, Wacom Tablet.

Cape Town, campos bay

The sun, mountains, ocean, and city all came out to play that day.

Red River Gorge Series 2021

I don't care where you practice - none of us have ever been tried with anything in our line of work like the COVID-19 pandemic. We've all had to face it - we have all had to adapt to the unique sets of challenges it has presented us with and test ourselves. It has been, to say the least, great for my artwork - as I use painting as a therapeutic outlet. I've done more work and progressed as an artist than ever before.

Milky way vibes

Do you want to see your art shared with the community? Don’t forget to submit today!

Finally, don’t forget to share Art of Emergency Medicine with your colleagues, friends, and family on Twitter or Instagram and like us on Facebook for all the latest news!

This Months Featured Artists:

Benjamin Gibbons

I’m an EMT in the emergency room and about to start internship to become a paramedic. I first started dabbling with photography about 6 years ago and have fallen in love with nature/landscape photos. My biggest hobby is camping and hiking 14ers. See more of his work on instagram.

Jared Sun, MD, PhD

A Southern California native, is now an EM physician and doing healthcare development work in South Africa after finishing med school and residency in the US. Has no artistic skill or experience, but often finds himself in places too beautiful not to share.

Jon Gaddis

My name is Jon. Prior to EKU's Emergency Medical Care program, I'd always taken an interest in fine arts. I currently work as a paramedic in the Emergency Department (I'm also a current student), and my sense of peace has always been tied to outdoor pursuits; those interests led me to volunteer as a Wilderness Paramedic for RedSTAR in Kentucky's Red River Gorge - which had been a source of inspiration for some of my more recent artwork. The experiences I've had over the years in emergency medicine and the lessons I take from it compliment all areas of my being; I am always learning and growing from them. My art (primarily traditional acrylic on canvas) and my interests across the many disciplines might capture some of the moments on my journey, or reflect upon them. I have found great joy in painting and it has translated positively in all areas of my own life - and hope you can find joy in your own art. See more of his work on instagram.

Jonathan Warren, MD

A PGY-1 at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and founder of Art of Emergency Medicine. His hobbies include photography, hiking, Netflix, and dogs. He’s always on the lookout for the next adventure. Find more of his photography on Instagram.

Sara Bowen

I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art degree and worked as a Graphic Designer, doing mostly corporate branding and some mixed-media work. Then I decided to do something more substantial, so I went into EMS. I'm an AEMT and I also work at a local hospital. I do a little bit of everything now, from digital painting to sculpture work.

You can learn more about the artists featured in this and other volumes at our contributors page!