Making Care Cards

Guests gather at the first Care Shower at the Art Lit Lab in Madison, WI to create their own Care Cards.

Artist Nirmal Raja contemplates her Care Card creation at the first Care Shower at the Arts Lit Lab in Madison, WI.

As an exercise at the first Care Shower, Co-host Jessica Meuninck-Ganger covered each table in craft paper and offered an array of card making supplies including blank cards, markers, stamps, and inkpads. Jessica and Co-host Anne Basting also gathered baby shower, wedding shower, and other all occasion cards for guests to “hack” — using tape and markers to adapt the sentiments appropriate for a Care Card. After about 10 minutes of working on the Care Cards, Anne and Jessica asked people to share what they had made.

The wishes and messages on the Care Cards were quite moving. They powerfully illustrated the need and promise for a whole new section on card racks - one between “Get Well” and “Sympathy.”

Care Cards are meant to open a space between “Get Well” and “Sympathy,” a space/time that can last years.