Olga Tsoudis, writer | Karin Luner, editor
Olga Tsoudis taught Sociology at the college level since 1993, when she started teaching as a graduate student. Even though Olga taught Sociology, she always attempted to include art in the classroom through various projects. Olga considers herself a full-time social activist with a huge passion for art. She retired in 2021 so that she could focus more on sharing her art and messages through art. When she can, she teaches art expression workshops at the Cancer Support Community in Flagstaff in Arizona. Photographing water is a big part of her art making process.
Water is soothing. Water is peaceful. Water is meditative. Water feeds us. We find it everywhere. We like to hear the sound of water. We like to touch water. We like to immerse ourselves in it. Olga has found great comfort in water since her ovarian cancer diagnosis in January 2024.
Follow Olga on Instagram @olgilady
Follow Olga’s health journey visit her journal page on CaringBridge.
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Art can be an incredible and powerful tool for healing. You can look at art, create art, or teach an art expressive class to help yourself heal. My mother and brother both passed away from stomach cancer after a few weeks of each diagnosis. My brother passed away in 2018 at the age of 48 and my mother in 2023 at the age of 82. For both deaths, I looked to art for healing. When my brother passed away, I was in the middle of an academic sabbatical which focused on incorporating art across the curriculum. I created several pieces about our broken relationship that existed when he was still alive. These art pieces included some of his personal items such as fabric pieces of his shirts and ties. I also focused on the cancer experience where I mailed postcards to myself each day from the hospital with my insights and then placed them on canvas in a mixed media piece.
When my mother passed away, I first created three pieces with the theme of “portals” with the Northern California Women’s Caucus for the Arts which has the art tags. One was accepted for the exhibition at the ARC Gallery in San Francisco through the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art. For the three art pieces, I used items which I refer to as personal artifacts or found objects. The one art piece was created as mixed media with balls of yarn that I kept when I cleaned out my parents’ home after they both passed away.
When my mother passed away, I first created three pieces with the theme of “portals” with the Northern California Women’s Caucus for the Arts which has the art tags. One was accepted for the exhibition at the ARC gallery in San Francisco through the Northern California Women’s Caucus for Art. For the three art pieces, I used items which I refer to as personal artifacts or found objects. The one art piece was created as mixed media with balls of yarn that I kept when I cleaned out my parents’ home after they both passed away.
I also created an art piece of the fibroid that saved me. A little fibroid bled and led me to get medical tests. My ovarian cancer was silent with no symptoms. My friends named her Fifi and I created an art piece and stickers of Fifi. This was a meaningful way for me to take what was happening to me and place it on a canvas which resulted in fun and laughter for my friends and myself.
I also love to photograph water as healing. Water is such a meditative part of my life and photographing it is healing. In trying to share my healing with others, I apply to art exhibits as I see fit. I have come to realize that you must try to be successful. It is so magical to get an art piece accepted for others to see especially when it is part of your healing journey.
As a cancer patient, I have found that cancer organizations which include art expressive courses and opportunities for their patients provide an incredible healing process for the patient to share their emotions, frustrations, and celebrations through art. There are several organizations out there that do include art as part of healing. I hope these programs continue to be supported for healing. Or perhaps someone wants to volunteer their art talents and can teach a class for patients.
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