What do your favorite songs, Pinterest board, collection of screenshots and reels, and a half-finished journal or art project have in common?
Think about the last time something caught your attention. Maybe it was a lyric that perfectly captured a feeling you couldn’t quite put into words, an illustration you saved because you loved the colors, or a clever idea that made you wish you’d thought of it first. We collect inspiration all the time, often without realizing it. Our camera rolls fill up with memories, our playlists become personal lyrics and poems, and our bookshelves hold stories that have shaped how we see the world. Somewhere among them are the edges of new ideas we haven’t explored yet.
Artist and author Austin Kleon explores this concept in his book Steal Like an Artist, encouraging readers to pay attention to what inspires them, borrow ideas from different places, and experiment with making those influences their own. It’s a wonderfully freeing approach, particularly if you’ve ever stared at a blank page waiting for an original idea to magically appear. Creativity becomes something we can practice through curiosity, observation, experimentation, and the occasional happy accident.
Making Room for Creativity When Life Gets Complicated
For young adults navigating cancer, finding opportunities to explore personal interests can come with unique challenges. Between appointments, treatment schedules, changing energy levels, and the everyday adult responsibilities that don’t disappear after a diagnosis, hobbies and creative pursuits can become difficult to prioritize. Even activities that once felt familiar might look different now. Someone who loved painting may struggle with the physical demands of holding a brush, while someone who enjoyed writing might find themselves staring at a page, unsure what they want to say and feeling a little lost.
Our relationship with creativity can change over time, too. You might find yourself making playlists instead of paintings, collecting photographs instead of writing stories, or discovering an interest in something you’ve never tried before. These small acts of creative exploration offer opportunities to make choices, follow curiosity, and engage with parts of ourselves that extend beyond our medical experiences. This is part of the magic of our Cactus Cancer Society Zoom rooms. Sometimes making something ridiculous, experimenting with a new technique, or sharing an idea with a friend is enjoyable simply because it’s fun. Or sometimes it’s the first opportunity someone has had in weeks to laugh, make a choice, express themselves, or connect with another young adult with cancer.
One of the most interesting things about creativity is how much we can learn from one another. Give ten people the same prompt, and you’ll likely get ten completely different responses, each shaped by their interests, experiences, humor, and perspective. Seeing how someone else approaches an idea can introduce possibilities we might never have considered on our own. That exchange becomes especially meaningful in a community where people share an understanding of cancer while bringing their own distinct personalities into the room.
A Book Club for the Creatively Curious
This fall, Cactus Cancer Society is bringing that spirit of curiosity and creative exchange to Ideas Worth Stealing: AML, ALL & Glioma Creative Arts Book Club, a free, four-week virtual experience for young adults ages 18–45 diagnosed with glioma, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
We’ll be exploring The Steal Like an Artist Journal by Austin Kleon, an interactive collection of creative exercises that encourage us to collect inspiration, experiment with ideas, and discover new approaches to making things. Across four weekly gatherings, participants will explore activities like creating mixtapes, filling comic-book speech bubbles, building personal swipe files, and reflecting on what energizes or drains their creativity. Some prompts might spark thoughtful conversations, while others might lead to something wonderfully weird. Part of the fun is seeing where an idea goes once everyone gets their hands on it.
We’ll mail participants their own journal and creative supplies, making it easy to participate from home. Each gathering offers time to create, connect, and share ideas with other young adults who understand the realities of navigating cancer. Whether you’ve been making art for years, are returning to a hobby after treatment, or haven’t picked up a creative project since elementary school, there’s room to experiment at your own pace.
Your Experiences Are Worth Sharing, Too
Alongside our creative activities, this book club creates an opportunity for young adults to share their perspectives on navigating cancer. During the final 30 minutes of each gathering, we’ll host a paid focus group exploring participants’ experiences on topics such as mental health, relationships, AI, and sexual health. These conversations offer an opportunity to discuss what has worked, what has been difficult, and what healthcare providers and support organizations could better understand about the young adult cancer experience.
Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card for each focus group attended, plus an additional $10 for attending all four sessions, for a total of up to $50.
Come Collect a Few Ideas With Us!
Ideas Worth Stealing: AML, ALL & Glioma Creative Arts Book Club meets virtually on Thursdays, October 29 through November 19, 2026, from 4–6 PM PT / 5–7 PM MT / 6–8 PM CT / 7–9 PM ET. Participation is free, and we’ll mail your journal and creative supplies directly to you.
While you’re waiting for your supplies to arrive, or if you can’t make it this time — we’ve got an idea for you to steal. Little creative challenge: start a swipe file in your mobile photo app! Save five things that catch your attention this week, whether they’re photographs, screenshots of quotes, colors, songs, or illustrations. At the end of the week, look back at your collection and see what you notice. You might discover a recurring theme, an unexpected combination, or the beginning of an idea you’d like to explore.
This program is made possible through the generous support of Servier. Thank you for uplifting the voices of young adult cancer patients, survivors, and thrivers.
