Creative Practices Lab

Working for over 20 years in the inspiring field of arts and health, Mary is an international presenter and leading advocate for engagement in the arts and creative process to effect positive change in the quality of life and sense of wellbeing for individuals and communities. Mary recently served as the arts for wellness coach for cancer survivors with the Ottawa Cancer Foundation at Maplesoft Center and is the Founder and former Director of Artswell, an arts and healthcare charity organization.

For many years, Mary designed and implemented innovative arts programs and projects for all ages using the arts as a healing agent for self-expression, empowerment, insight, recovery, rehabilitation, respite and prevention.

In 2014, under the auspices of the University of Ottawa Humanities and Medicine program, Mary launched an exciting visual arts based project Creativity: The Essential Prescription. As the faculty Artist in Residence, Mary worked within the medical school to facilitate artistic and creative expression in others. She is currently collaborating with lab members on a SSHRC funded project exploring a good life via visual arts for women who have had cancer.

Tricia Morrison has been an occupational therapist for more than 25 years (McGill, 1993).  During this time, she has furthered her education at uOttawa with a Master in Education (2003), a Doctorate in Philosophy (2012), and a Postdoctoral Fellowship (2012-2014).  

Tricia has served several roles within the Occupational Therapy program at uOttawa and is currently a part time professor holding Adjunct Professor status with the Faculty of Health Sciences.  Tricia continues to practice as an occupational therapist and certified life care planner in her private practice and routinely volunteers with the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and with its clients.  

Tricia maintains research interest in the area of return to work, cancer and other chronic condition survivorship, and rehabilitation.

Paul Graham is a graduate of Dalhousie University’s Master of Library & Information Studies program and holds a Master of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of New Brunswick. Paul spent 6 years working at the University of Saskatchewan as a Research Associate, managing and supporting a variety of projects, such as youth gambling, physician mentorship, arm lymphedema, as well as publishing on issues such as knowledge transfer, mental health statistics and research methods.

This included providing training sessions to students on several topics, such as using Nvivo Qualitative software, using bibliographic software for research management, and doing literature reviews. Currently, he is the University Librarian for Yorkville University (2010-present) as well as a current student of the Toronto Film School’s writing program. His recent work includes a co-authored paper on Food Safety in China.

His current interests include bibliometric & research impact measures, phenomenological research methods, and Hegelian philosophy. (See online profile at Academia.Edu).