DURHAM, N.C. — You or someone you know may be one of more than 48 million Americans who are caregivers. A 2023 AARP report shows the unpaid care given by the 1.28 million family caregivers in North Carolina is valued at $16.5 billion.

What You Need To Know

  • More than 48 million Americans are caregivers

  • A 2023 AARP report shows the unpaid care given by the 1.28 million family caregivers in North Carolina is valued at $16.5 billion

  • Nourishing the Caregiver’s Soul is a new program to help caregivers

  • During the program, they use a technique called art journaling to express themselves

Family caregivers play an essential role in providing day-to-day support and services for adults with chronic, disabling or serious health conditions.

Danelle McDonald, who lives in Durham, takes care of her mom who has dementia. McDonald said one of the biggest struggles for her as a caregiver is watching her mom battle this disease and learning how to help her navigate it. But, through all the obstacles of caring for her mother, she’s learned to find joy in her journey.

McDonald has gotten into art, and she started art journaling.

“This was really my light at the end of the tunnel because I did not see a light in the beginning, in addition to providing me a whole different, a really nice artist network,” McDonald said.

She was introduced to art journaling by Maria Geary, an artist who works at a shared art space called The 1703 Collective in Durham.

“I started art journaling; it was actually when I became an artist this was one of the first things that I discovered,” Geary. “It was through me wanting to attempt to keep writing but not having the fear of someone reading what I wanted to write, what I wrote actually.”

Geary said whatever comes to mind, you let go on a piece of paper. You can then use different paint and tools to go over your words.

“There’s something to be said about a pencil or a pen in your hand and doing this,” Geary said.

Geary introduced a new program this year called Nourishing the Caregiver’s Soul. She’s teaching art journaling for caregivers to help them with self-care. She will do this until March 31 at The 1703 Collective.

“With caregivers this is a time they need to take for themselves, the fact that they may not have a lot of art supplies or time for that matter,” Geary said.

McDonald said art journaling has allowed her to express herself in a new way and find happiness in what’s going on in the moment.

It’s something she’s encouraging others like her to do.

“As caregivers, there’s a lot of times you don’t get the opportunity to leave your loved one for a period of time to do the different things that you need to do,” McDonald said. “So, I think it’s very important to use what you have in your house to find joy in your journey to find something that you can take and do; it may just be reading, meditating, yoga, but you definitely need to find joy in your journey, something that keeps you going.”