Are you drawn to the patient stories we see and hear in healthcare and medicine? Looking for ways to interact with patients and learn more about their stories?
Portraits of Humanity is recruiting writers, artists, researchers, graphic designers, and website designers!
Portraits of Humanity (PoH) is a student-run project launched by the University of Washington and students within the Seattle area (undergraduate and graduate students alike!) that aims to capture the lived experiences of those living with chronic illness. One of our beliefs is that everyone’s story matters. Too often in healthcare, people are minimized to a diagnosis–a disease. We want our project to remind one another of the humanity behind the illness, to emphasize the value of listening for future providers, and to provide participants with a space of reflection to tell their story.
Our project pairs up students with volunteer participants living with chronic illness in 3 sets of 1-1 interviews, with the goal of creating a ‘portrait’ of the participant’s life story through the development of a written narrative and an accompanying art piece.
We have previously worked with and are currently working with the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Seattle Metropolitan Sickle Cell Task Force, the Center for Chronic Illness, and Northwest Parkinson’s Foundation.
Learn more about us and view past projects at https://portraitsofhumanity.org/!
How can you get involved?
We are looking for writers, pre-health students, artists, and designers with a passion for health, stories, and communication. Typically, these are students interested in the healthcare experience who have skills in writing, interviewing, and/or art, and working in a team. Please see the attached pamphlet for more information, as well as this Roles and Responsibilities Document describing each of the available positions in more depth.
No prior experience is required—just a passion for storytelling, healthcare, and human connection.
Apply here to join us for our upcoming project cycle
Feel free to reach out to us at portraitsofhumanity.poh@gmail.com for more information or if you have any questions!
