The very first Dietitian As Artist show was held in my front garden and living room. I got the idea from a sign I saw in town about a show by municipal employees entitled, “I Am More Than My Day Job”. I thought of dietitians I knew who created things of beauty or who performed as expressions of self, and that sharing our work would create conditions for us to get to know each other in different ways.

With the success of that show, Dietitian As Artist events were held at Dietitians of Canada and World Critical Dietetics conferences. Dietitians planning to attend conferences responded enthusiastically to the invitation to share their work! One person flew to the conference with her hand painted Ukrainian Easter Eggs on her lap! The exhibits served as backdrops to nourish thoughtful conversation, to share ideas about creativity generally, about creativity in dietetic practice to address issues affecting the profession, about the importance of creative outlets as ways to cope with the emotionally challenging nature of our work.