"Scarred for Life:" Re-framing Traumatic Medical Experiences through the Creative Process

Ted Meyer began creating artwork about his illness as a child, while spending weeks at a time in the hospital. For decades, his art reflected his experiences living with disease—until new treatments gave him an almost normal life. At that point, his focus shifted to telling the stories of others.

Now recognized as an “Artistic Patient Advocate,” Meyer explores how other patient-artists depict their rare diseases and permanent disabilities. His presentation examines how health challenges shape every aspect of life—including work, relationships, and future planning—and how those plans often change in unforeseen ways.

The lecture begins with a definition of Gaucher’s disease, followed by a personal narrative of Meyer’s own experiences:

• Childhood: frequent pain and hospitalizations
• Youth: limited life expectancy, relationship struggles, and curtailed career planning
• 30s: hip replacements and the introduction of enzyme therapy
• Current life: multiple drug therapies and ongoing struggles with insurance

To illustrate these stages, Meyer presents slides of his artwork, showing how his creative practice evolved alongside advances in medical treatment. For contrast, he shares the stories of his two brothers—one with a different form of Gaucher’s disease, and another who was disease-free.

Meyer then traces the history of his acclaimed Scarred for Life art series, highlighting unique and powerful stories of patients who became his subjects. The presentation concludes with an overview of his curatorial work, including exhibitions at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and galleries throughout Los Angeles.

This presentation is available in both long and short formats and can be paired with interactive storytelling workshops for patients and medical providers, as well as hands-on “Print Your Scar” art workshops.

"Better by Illness -Chronic illness as an Artistic Movement"

Art about illness isn’t always easy to look at—but that’s exactly why it matters. It asks us to face the uncomfortable, rethink what we know about disease, and see the humanity in people living and struggling with ill health.

In this image-filled talk, Meyer shares why he believes art made by those with chronic illness is one of the best ways to understand what life is really like when living with pain, mobility loss, or dealing with long-term medical conditions.

Meyer highlights powerful works from patient-artists. His talk finishes with surprising examples of artworks made before and after illness began—showing why he believes this kind of creativity captures the true purpose of art itself.

Why Every Medical School Should Have an Artist in Residence

For more than a decade, Ted Meyer—an “Artistic Patient Advocate”—has used art as a bridge between patients and future physicians. Beginning at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine and now serving as Artist in Residence at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Meyer has curated more than 50 illness-specific exhibitions that align with medical school curricula. These exhibits, featuring artists living with conditions such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, Parkinson’s, and heart disease, place patient voices at the center of medical training and give students a deeper, more human perspective on the realities of illness.

In this lecture, Meyer reflects on how his own early medical experiences shaped his belief in the need for good communication between doctors and patients. He explores how art can serve as a powerful tool for cultivating empathy, fostering dialogue, and challenging medical students to see patients as more than diagnoses.

Meyer also highlights his innovative lecture series that pairs patient-artists with medical specialists, creating a dynamic forum for conversations about medical care and the lived experience of illness. This visually rich presentation showcases artwork by some of Meyer’s favorite patient-artists and reveals the surprising, transformative outcomes that emerge when art and medicine intersect.