Joel Thomas Hall ( JT Hall), joelthomashall.com, is an artist who lives in Fort Worth, Texas. Art has been his passion since he was a child. He recalls, “My wonderfully talented Mom would take me to art lessons and allow me to participate with her as a student.” He and his mother continued to attend art lessons together, competing in local competitions and winning awards. He graduated from The University of North Texas (UNT) in 1986 and acquired a combined degree with Graphic Arts Technology and Fine Arts. He has won state and national art competitions, and acquired gallery representation. JT Hall’s art has been on display in many medical facilities around the U.S. including: Kendall Regional Medical Center, Miami, FL; Doctor’s Hospital – Largest Burn Center in USA, Augusta, GA; Burn Foundation of America, Augusta, GA; and Merit Health Central Hospital, Jackson, MS; among others. He is also the author of a medical journal article titled “Burn Survivor Artist Changes Artistic Approach by Sharing How Other Survivors of Traumatic Events Can Use Art to Heal Themselves by Helping Others Heal”, published in the March 2020 edition of The Annals of Plastic Surgery. When we learned about JT Hall’s artwork and how he is selflessly helping other burn victims heal through art, we invited him to share his story and include him in our “Artists As World Changers” series. We are honored to share his story here and appreciate his contribution to bringing positive change to the world.
Life-Changing Event Led to Creating Meaningful Art
By Joel Thomas Hall
In late 2015, I was in an eye opening accident that ultimately changed my approach to creating art. As a result, I have been dedicating many paintings to hospitals and burn centers to display. These specially created artwork incorporates engraved plates with encouraging messages to hopefully encourage others that are suffering injuries.
After using art to help me heal from a severe life changing accident, I have changed most everything on how I approach and create art. I once created art for self-gratification typically creating paintings from photos, but I now create art out of inspiration painting the images I see in my mind. My art is now brighter and has sharp contrasts using only high-quality materials with enhanced depth and range in subject matter. I prefer using oils, acrylics and oil pastels often incorporating wood and clay modeling on canvas and wood panels for 3-D artworks.
To fully understand my artistic approach, I’ll take you back to 2016 when a large gas canister exploded in my hand spraying fuel on my legs causing deep burns from my knees down including my feet. During my lengthy stay in the hospital, my youngest daughter would color fish shapes cut out of paper and tape them to the wall. She told me that she had heard aquariums are relaxing and was making me one on the wall of my hospital room. Without even realizing it, my artwork began to take on more meaning. This one simple and kind act on her part started a series of changes to my artistic approach.
Magnetic Art Boards for Hospitalized Children
Using her hospital room aquarium idea, I designed and produced a magnetic art board with a copy of an underwater painting on framed sheet metal with flat fish shaped magnets. This art packet specifically made for hospitalized children includes the framed metal board with underwater scene and flat fish shaped magnets with crayons/markers all inside a small backpack. This introduced art as a healing aspect to children, but I also wanted to reach adults that are suffering. As a result, I have created location specific landscape paintings with engraved plates displaying encouraging messages on each framed artwork.
The agreement between myself and hospitals is that the paintings are to be displayed where their patients regularly pass-through or wait. With my artwork playing such an integral part of my healing process, I cannot help but dream that other survivors could find the same peace I have found through art. For example, the engraved plate on an Aspen Tree painting says, “All aspen trees have scars, but yet they are still beautiful. Go and be beautiful.”
My artistic approach goes far beyond just the art studio. In fact, the world can find peace through art because sometimes beauty can be found in the darkest corners of minds, if we look for it. To share the healing power of art globally, I identified the people who regularly interact with those suffering the most. These people are medical professionals worldwide. Through personal experience, I know that those suffering are needing something beyond just medicine to help them heal.
Spreading the Message About The Healing Power of Art
I had to get the message out in the world and was given a platform so that I could speak and write to medical professionals globally addressing the healing power of art. This began with an article I wrote on the healing power of art in a medical journal called “The Annals of Plastic Surgery” in early 2020. During the editing process of my article, I was asked to speak at their annual symposium in early March 2020 and that broadened the platform to reach beyond the doctors and nurses to communities of interested professionals. Few artists receive an opportunity like this, so I made the most of it to help thousands of surgeons, nurses, hospital administrators and business professionals understand that they need to spread the word to those suffering that there is healing in the arts with the deepest healing coming from helping others.
I have personally seen that deep healing occurs within myself, and can also occur within yourself, by performing the simple act of healing yourself by helping others heal. As I use my art to help others, I can dive deeper into my art to create unique and different artworks that I hope can make an impact in the world.
I strive to create art that “gives back”. For example, I sometimes make paintings with high levels of texture so that visually impaired individuals can feel the artwork and tell what it is. In these cases, I make Braille on those paintings stating what the painting is.
Once others globally understand the emotional aspects tied through art as a healing agent and using it to help others, we could all thrive beyond just surviving. Art is much bigger than anything I can create. Art is in the mind, the heart and the soul of all of us and can bring healing beyond what medical science can perform especially to those suffering most.
Visit JT Hall’s website joelthomashall.com
Read more inspirational articles like this one in our “Artists As World Changers” series.
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