We recently connected with Claudette Gamache and have shared our conversation below.

Claudette, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you share an anecdote or story from your schooling/training that you feel illustrates what the overall experience was like?

Leslie University Cambridge MA.
Expressive therapies /Holistic Studies masters program. Poetry, Movement, Writing, Painting, Shamanism.
University of Hartford, Ct BFA Painting/ Drawing
St Anne’s Nursing School Fall River, MA
Registered Nurse

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started to paint from age 9 when my aunt gave me colored pencils and art paper. I have been painting ever since. I was also supported by my Elementary and High School art teachers.
I was a Candy Stripper at the local Hospital in High School. Although my HS Art teacher asked my father to send me to Art School he supported me to go to the local Nursing School.
As I look back, both were important for how my life journey brought me to Art as Healing which I also incorporate when I teach painting.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I worked as a Hospice RN in the ‘80’s at a large Home Health Care Agency where I learned all about how Hospice works when it first started where I lived. A few years later I was sent to be Manager of Hodpice at a Satellite agency in the nearby town. The heads of that agency did not want change and placed me in a small room in their basement. I had many thank you notes from many families where I helped and had a good reputation. I then went with cards to Human Resources at primary office. I was then placed in an adjacent building on first floor. I brought in a Hospice team. We worked slowly to educate and eventually Integrated the Hospice team into the satellite office. It took a while.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Besides being in the health field, I am also an artist who is now Eminent artist with the International Association of Pastel Societies and Signature member of Pastel Society of America.
I was one of the beginning artists to start the Pastel Society of Maine, was president for four years, brought in famous Master Pastel Artists to do workshops in our area, entered many high level shows, took many workshops with master artists. Received awards.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Claudette Gamache
• Facebook: Claudette Gamache