Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many cancer survivors tell us they are taking advantage of their time at home by exploring new hobbies and breaking out of their comfort zone. Well, actor Val Kilmer is no different, because the 80’s heartthrob announced to fans that he’s sharing his art with the world during these scary times.
Known for his iconic roles as Iceman in Top Gun and Batman in Batman Forever, Kilmer, 60, had to take a break from acting after his throat cancer diagnosis in 2015. He underwent a tracheostomy, which is a surgery that connects the windpipe to a hole in the front of the neck, for treatment. However, during recovery, Kilmer decided to explore other creative outlets such as writing and painting.
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Cancer Patients Embracing Art During Treatment
Embracing art during cancer treatment is a common theme among many patients. Three-time cancer survivor, Marianne Cuozzo, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma in 1994 at age 28 and experienced a reoccurrence in 1997. In 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy for treatment. While battling cancer for nearly a decade, Cuozzo told SurvivorNet that she was able to cope during treatment by embracing her creative side.
“I’d go in the studio, and I had these huge pieces of charcoal,” Cuozzo tells SurvivorNet. “And I would do these really angry charcoal drawings, and I’d roll them up and stuff them under the couch. No one was meant to see them because it was just for me and, my cathartic getting out my anger…My artwork is very reflective of my cancer journey.”
Cancer survivor Marianna Cuozzo talks to SurvivorNet about how art helps her express herself
Painting and drawing aren’t the only artistic outlets cancer patients explore. Take liver and pancreatic cancer survivor Joel Naftelberg as an example. Naftelberg had been a musician prior to his diagnosis, but instead of taking a break from his passion, Naftelberg decided to continue practicing during treatment.
“I have found music and rock and roll to be transformational,” Naftelberg tells SurvivorNet. “Doesn’t necessarily solve anything, but it does let us dance on our problems for at least an hour or two.”
Joel Naftelberg on dancing and grooving during cancer treatment
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