Resilience Through Creativity: Reflecting on the power of small acts
Faculty members of the UTHealth Houston community gathered virtually for “Resilience Through Creativity,” a reflective writing session, on Oct. 15.
Resilience Through Creativity was hosted by Nahid Rianon, MD, DrPH, associate dean for Faculty Affairs and Memorial Hermann Chair at McGovern Medical School, and led by Renee Flores, MD, EdD, MHSA, associate professor in the Joan and Stanford Alexander Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine and the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics. The program is supported by Nathan Carlin, PhD, director of the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics, as well as the medical school’s John P. McGovern, MD, Chair in Medical Humanities and Samuel E. Karff, DHL, Chair in the John P. McGovern, MD, Center for Humanities and Ethics. The program is also supported by co-chairs of the UTHealth Houston Wellness council Robin Dickey, PhD, and Simbo Chiadika, MD. Pritha Bhattacharyya, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow from the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics, was present as a supporting member.
This thoughtful session invited UTHealth Houston faculty to pause, write, and reconnect with the human side of their professional journeys. The theme was guided by Danusha Laméris’ poem “Small Kindnesses,” and participants reflected on the prompt: “Describe a small act of care you witnessed or offered at work — something that never made the chart, but stayed with you.”
What followed was a meaningful exchange of stories that illuminated how simple moments of compassion often leave lasting impressions on both caregivers and those they serve.
The discussion offered a gentle reminder that resilience grows not just from endurance, but from connection and community. Through writing, participants found space to rediscover gratitude, meaning, and self-awareness amid the pace of patient care, teaching, and research.
As one attendee beautifully shared, “Sometimes, the smallest kindness can remind us why we chose this path in the first place.”
By turning to creativity, the UTHealth Houston community continues to nurture a culture of reflection, empathy, and belonging — one story, one shared moment at a time.