As a child, Natalie Brillhart had a microscope on her desk alongside rows of art supplies. From a young age, she has been a scientist, an observer and an artist, drawing inspiration from nature around her. As a second-year medical student at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, her day-to-day work centers on education. On the weekends, she retreats to her home art studio for a few hours to paint and explore the intersection of human anatomy and the beauty of landscapes and flourishing plants.
To this day, art and science remain dual priorities in her life. They both provide her a way to take a break from the demands of medical student life and her personal medical journey, providing ways to recenter.
“Creating art helps remind me of my own humanity and keeps me in touch with the side of me that has been touched by the caring hands of others,” Brillhart says.
“It helps me heal from my personal surgeries, and I would encourage others who may be managing medical conditions to find their own way of doing the same.”
Art show provides venue for expression
Brillhart is currently working on a piece she’s named Metamorphosis of My Thyroid, Metamorphosis of Myself, that she’s submitting to the annual Ohio State University Health Sciences Art Show.
“I created this piece to show how the scars of surgery patients are reminders not only of our changing flesh,” Brillhart says, “but also of our spirits that are forever marked by the change.”
Ohio State College of Medicine student Natalie Brillhart works on an oil painting, Metamorphosis of My Thyroid, Metamorphosis of Myself.
Students, faculty, staff and alumni from all seven Ohio State health sciences colleges and The Ohio State University Wexner Medicine Center are invited each year to submit their pieces to the art show. Spoken word, music and audio/video pieces are eligible for the online show. A reception kicks off the exhibit, which runs for one week.
The science behind art
Sheryl Pfeil, MD, clinical professor of Internal Medicine and director of the Humanism and the Arts in Medicine program at the Ohio State College of Medicine, says creating and sharing art builds community and connection in ways that differ from our usual day-to-day experiences. She says that current research and collected data show that art impacts all of us at the physiological level. And it helps us cope with daily stressors.
The 2025 Health Sciences Art Show held at the Hamilton Hall Forum at The Ohio State College of Medicine.
“Burnout is a big issue in the medical field and in life,” Dr. Pfeil says. “When we make time for art, it offers ways to relate and grow personally and with others.”
“The ability to express your experiences and emotions through art brings peace and renewal in the midst of what are sometimes hard journeys,” Dr. Pfeil says.
Dr. Pfeil encourages everyone with every level of creative expertise to muster the courage to share their unique artistic creations.
Art as a vehicle of self-discovery
For Brillhart, stories and relationships that are formed through art are a huge motivation for her. She believes they have led her to be able to sell some of her work displayed in previous shows. One employee purchased her painting of an anatomical heart for her husband who was previously treated at Ohio State after a heart attack.
Brillhart recently noticed a shift in how she studies, incorporating more visual and creative learning styles into grasping a large amount of medical knowledge. One platform she uses to enhance her learning uses medical “cartoons” on microbiology and pharmacology.
“It’s helped reinforce tough concepts and retain information in memorable ways,” Brillhart says.
Kelli Trinoskey is a senior writer at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
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