JH&H: How did you develop an interest in art?
Zoe: My family was keen on bringing my sister and I to art galleries as kids, and I started to obsess over artists like Salvador Dali and Rene Magritte who I felt really brought a unique perspective to the world. In high school, I started exploring art as a way to express my own personal viewpoint, and that interest continued into college. Working through my fine arts minor allowed me to explore various mediums and solidify this passion for creating.
What mediums do you prefer to work in? Why?
In college, I focused on oil painting. However, over the past few years, I've started to make a lot of digital works on my iPad using the Procreate application. It was a huge learning curve for me to transition my artistic style to the digital space, but I think the easy set up and the endless possibilities within the app have helped push my creativity.
Are there any ways in which your art practice intersects with your medical education?
For sure. For one, I think being an artist enhances your observation skills, which is crucial in examining and building a differential for a patient. I've also been lucky enough to head The Story Initiative, a student organization on campus that creates personalized children's books for kids in partnering orphanages. Creating stories for these kids has been so wonderful and has challenged me to think more about the importance of diverse representation in children's storytelling.
Do you have a tip (or tips) for your classmates about how to nurture a creative practice while also being a student?
I know some people who have used their art background to create study materials for anatomy or create useful graphics for presentations. Personally, I like to set aside some free time on the weekends to work on an ongoing piece or to just create small sketches about things I've experienced that week as a form of reflection.
