This program is available at no cost to participants through a grant
from Horizon Therapeutics and Viridian Therapeutics.

PREVENT BLINDNESS OFFERS TED ART THERAPY
For People with Thyroid Eye Disease and their Care Partners

• Partake in eight weekly 2-hour virtual sessions to create art using a variety of artistic media.
• Explore art therapy as a way to cope with feelings of isolation, anxiety and depression.
• Discover an opportunity to build community and connections with other people who are affected by TED and express thoughts and feelings through art.
• Interact with registered art therapists who will tailor the program topics, themes and materials for people affected by TED.

TED ART for EVERYONE

Join us the 3rd Saturday of each month, on Zoom, for TED ART. Originally intended for those who have participated in the Prevent Blindness TED Art Therapy class (graduates!), the monthly TED ART get-togethers are now open to anyone who has been affected by thyroid eye disease.

TED ART is a free service provided by the TED Community Organization. No art experience required. Must furnish own art supplies.

The once a month TED ART get-togethers provide many benefits for the artist in each of us.

• Inspiration and Creativity: When artists come together, they can inspire each other and share creative ideas. By sharing different techniques and styles, artists can encourage each other to experiment with new approaches and expand their creative horizons.
• New Insights: Peer art get-togethers provide a supportive environment where artists can give and receive feedback on their work. This feedback can help artists gain new perspectives on their art and their journey with TED.
• Community Building: TED can be a lonely experience, and peer art get-togethers can provide a sense of community and belonging for artists. Sharing experiences and challenges with like-minded individuals can foster a sense of camaraderie and support.

For more information about TED ART please contact: art@tedcommunity.org

Color Revealed! ~ created by Jacque

Making Peace with Thyroid Eye Disease by Nancy Patterson
Nancy is showing memos she has written through the years to thyroid eye disease (TED). At first, doing battle. And now, making peace. As she points out, it has been a long and difficult journey.

This is Embracing ~ created by Layla
The first one is the first piece I curated and it made me feel more alone putting boundaries around myself and keeping people at arm’s length. The second piece is how I felt when I let people in and embraced help, brought down my boundaries and it made me feel more empowered.

Affirmations ~ created by Joann
The TED ART directive was to use lines as a way to express one’s experience with TED. And how those lines might provide connection with others.

MY WHY ~ created by Layla
. I started in the center and drew red lines, within those lines I just started going outward, then developed initials of my family. Nora, David, Lucas, my two kids and the center my husband. They are the center of my “why” now. I try to focus on not having too much overwhelming them. The bottom half is how I am trying to keep us organized and on the right path. The top is me, I am finding ways and intersecting with different areas of my life. This is the first piece that didn’t revolve around my eyes but about community. All the colors represent people, places and daily things in my life. The purple lines between the initials is my disease but it no longer feels “weighted” since I found this community and self discovered that my choices are mine. I get to choose my life, and I get to create what my future looks like with my actions. I stuck with straight lines because I have a clear vision of where I want to be even though external factors may affect my how. When you know your why, things get easier.