Milford, Connecticut, nurse practitioner Payal Emery has been using art as an outlet to cope with many different moments in life. Because of her experiences, she now wants to use art to help others
After noticing how much art helped her and her autistic son — and knowing stories of how art has helped others — Emery created the Artistic Nurse. Emery’s online gallery donates a portion of all sales to fund important causes supporting mental health, animal conservation, environmental conservation, human rights, education, and autism advocacy.
Daily Nurse is proud to honor Emery as our Nurse of the Week for using art to bring awareness to important causes to help others.
“Painting helped me through those really hard times,” says Emery. “But it’s always something I’ve been drawn to. I need to do it. It has helped me through so many things.”
Emery went to New York University to study pre-med and decided to become a nurse practitioner after graduating with her degree.
While at NYU, Emery didn’t create much art, but she recalled her roommate bringing a couple of canvases to their dorm room, which revived her love of art that began in elementary school.
“We started to express ourselves, and I had forgotten what this was like, which helped me rekindle it,” she says.
But working as a nurse practitioner, she didn’t have much time for art.
“Then, when I got pregnant with my son and a little while after I got pregnant with my other son, I started doing art more because I couldn’t move around or do much,” she says.
In between her pregnancies, Emery tore her ACL and couldn’t pick up her son. She didn’t think she would be able to paint and told her husband she couldn’t go to her art room or put up her easel.
“But he told me, ‘You can paint while you’re sitting,’” she says. “That helped me need less pain medication and feel less anxious.”
Emery started to paint more during the pandemic.
“During the pandemic, my youngest son was diagnosed with autism. It was tough. I couldn’t work, and my husband was working all day, and I didn’t know what to do because everything was virtual,” she says. “For the first three months, I was in denial because, as a nurse practitioner, I know what it means to have a kid with autism and the challenges it brings. So I painted a lot during those months.”
Emery noted art didn’t just help her. It has helped her son express himself as well.
“My son, he couldn’t talk,” she says. “His way of painting was tiny little circles for the longest time, so art helped him be more expressive and loose. I always tried to be perfect and tight with my paintings, but I got looser and freer. I learned from my son.”
It was then that Emery created the Artistic Nurse.
“As a nurse practitioner, I know art can help someone physically and mentally. I’m trying to figure out how to help others as a nurse with my art experience. That’s my next step.”
Emery took art classes to improve her skill, which also helped her market her talents better.
“Some people who go through these online programs never painted before, and they were able to paint. I think they have to have the desire,” she says. “But for me, it’s a need. I have to paint. It helps me feel better.”
Besides art, Emery is passionate about different causes and has done several paintings illustrating those causes.
“I’ve always been drawn to using art to bring awareness,” she says. “Like if I want to paint sea turtles, I’ll start researching about them and ways we could help them or educate people as best as I can.”
Earlier this year, Emery had three paintings on display at the Milford Arts Council Firehouse Gallery of people who have been advocates for different causes: Jane Goodall, Greta Thunberg, and Malala Yousafzai.
“I read Malala Yousafzai’s novel, I read her children’s book and got inspired by art in there, and her story is just very moving,” she says. “That’s why I painted her along with a roaring lion. She spoke up and gave a voice to the voiceless.”
If anyone wants to be an artist, they can, Emery says.
“There are no mistakes in art,” she says. “Art and creativity can free your voice, and I encourage people to do it even if it’s just for fun.”
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