2024-04-25 14:00
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Carefree Artist Blog
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The Carefree Artist is about the artistic endeavors and creative projects of award-winning illustrator Mark A. Hicks
2024-04-22 14:30
Having been born and raised in Arizona, I took for granted that the
solitude and wide-open vistas I experienced growing up would always be there. But
the wilderness that I loved so much -- w… Read More
2024-04-16 14:30
As a hereditary cancer widower and a parent of a BRCA2 previvor, this is my grassroots effort to help prevent other families from losing a loved one to a cancer that could have been prevente… Read More
2024-04-11 17:51
2024-04-09 14:30
It's fitting that genealogy should begin with “gene,” because it is genes that truly connect families. Distant genetic relatives may have more in common with you than just… Read More
2024-04-04 14:30
With Earth Day (4/22) and DNA Day (4/25) both being in April, I thought I
would have a little fun illustrating some natural science for grown-ups like I
did professionally for children&rsquo&hell…Read More
2024-04-02 14:30
Of course, it’s far more complicated – there are differences in hox genes, proteins, etc., etc., and etc. But all life is connected, every living thing shares some DN… Read More
2024-04-01 17:15
aware·ness (ə-ˈwer-nəs) noun “Conscious knowledge.” Preventing hereditary cancer starts with awareness. Here is my second graphic in what will be a se… Read More
2024-03-18 17:47
I believe very strongly in the Duty to Warn when there is any danger to
the life of another person. And that includes sharing information about genetic
mutations and potential cancer risks… Read More
2024-03-11 20:53
ConnectMyVariant.org is an educational health-focused nonprofit organization that supports individuals and families with inherited disease, such as hereditary cancer, with early detection an… Read More
2024-03-05 14:30
This is something many people struggle with. Granted, it can be confusing, but it is something very important to know when it comes to hereditary diseases, hereditary cancer, and sharing gen… Read More
2024-02-27 14:30
This is a whimsical take on a very serious subject that, unfortunately, many grown-ups do not grasp. As a hereditary cancer advocate, I have found that many adults don’t really u… Read More
2024-02-21 21:35
As National Cancer Prevention Month winds down, I wanted to share one more thought on how far we still have to go in the quest to prevent cancer.As a former cancer caregiver, now widow… Read More
2024-02-13 14:30
Broken genes should not lead to broken hearts.Learn how family communication can help prevent hereditary cancer.www.connectmyvariant.org(I created this graphic as a volunteer artist an… Read More
2024-02-02 20:02
A friend with a family history of cancer asked their doctor about genetic testing. The doctor’s response? “You don’t want to go down that rabbit hole.” What?! WHAT?!G… Read More
2024-01-31 16:38
February is National Cancer Prevention Month. But preventing cancer isn’t just a one-month effort.One of the goals of Connect My Variant, a nonprofit organization, is to campaign for i… Read More
2024-01-19 20:27
Do you know who your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-degree relatives are?Degrees of separation in the family tree can be confusing. And when that family tree includes individuals that need to be genetica… Read More
2024-01-14 14:00
Having the EXACT SAME PATHOGENIC GENETIC MUTATION passed down over multiple generations -- sometimes centuries -- is obviously a familial issue, NOT an individual one. But changing med… Read More
2024-01-11 17:18
If genetic testing reveals that you carry a genetic mutation that increases the risk of hereditary cancer, communicating this fact to relatives who might also share the same variant is… Read More
2023-12-29 17:13
Once upon a time, there was a whimsical illustrator who had enjoyed a
decades-long career making art for storybooks, magazines, greeting cards, and
so much more for kids and grown-ups.
Th… Read More
2023-12-28 17:58
It seems like an appropriate time of year to share this as part of my advocacy to raise hereditary cancer awareness and save lives. Available at Genetionary, a glossary of inherited gen… Read More
2023-12-27 23:07
It seems like an appropriate time of year to post this as
part of my advocacy to raise hereditary cancer awareness and save lives. A PDF
download is available in both English and the new Spa… Read More
2023-12-24 18:26
2023-12-19 14:00
Charles Dickens' novella A Christmas Carol was first published in London on December 19, 1843, 180 years ago. My illustration is 35 years old. Dickens' message is timeless Read More
2023-12-15 01:26
Not many people have a high GQ. Few are aware
that we all have BReast CAncer genes in every cell of our bodies and what exactly those genes do. Not to mention the countless other important g… Read More
2023-12-06 15:14
I created this art activity page as a gift to the readers and fellow contributors at the cancer care website Cure Today last year. Along with it, I authored a story about creating it. My wis… Read More
2023-11-27 15:56
It’s always nice to see one of the books I illustrated read in a video, and this one is appropriate for the season. But, as with every book, there are usually backstories that no on… Read More
2023-11-21 14:00
Even though I have conflicting feelings about my ancestors of the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, given that it is Thanksgiving week, I thought I’d
share a couple turkey cards I created a fe… Read More
2023-11-16 14:00
This coming Thanksgiving Day is also National Family Health History Day. As you sit down at the Thanksgiving table this year, think of all of your blood relatives -- grandparents, parents, s… Read More
2023-11-07 14:00
For those who may not know it, November is National Family Caregiver Month. It is easily missed. It doesn’t have the hype of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There are no walks or gala… Read More
2023-11-04 21:52
I’m being asked to climb up on my
"hereditary cancer awareness and prevention soapbox" and advocate for
cancer screening legislation again...My story at CURE about a
hereditary canc… Read More
2023-10-25 14:00
Not many people know it, but October is also National Arts and Humanities Month. And today is Pablo Picasso’s birthday, National Fine Art Appreciation Day, and International Artist Day… Read More
2023-10-10 14:30
Ever since I created my germline mutation infographic (see this post), I have been asked to create something about somatic mutations.Okay, sure, no problem; that’s an easy task.Not rea… Read More
2023-10-02 15:00
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month last year, I wrote an article and created a cartoon for Cure Today. The response to it really surprised me.Titled, “Thoughts on Breast Cancer Aware… Read More
2023-09-27 15:53
Today is National Previvor Day. My daughter is a previvor. My late wife should have been one. For more information about hereditary cancer awareness and prevention, I have posted… Read More
2023-09-22 14:16
For more information about hereditary cancer go to : www.markix.net/hereditary Read More
2023-09-19 22:39
"Since every cancer is different, the terms used to describe it and the
available treatments almost requires a professional interpreter to help
make sense of it all. And hereditary cancer… Read More
2023-09-06 14:00
Since hereditary cancer encompasses so many different
cancers, there really isn’t a ribbon or universal symbol for it. So I created
my own and made this poster for Hereditary Cancer… Read More
2023-09-01 16:01
"I was cleaning up old bookmarks on my web browser last week and I came across a link to an article about research linking suppressed anger to certain cancers, including breast cancer."Here'… Read More
2023-08-29 23:15
I thought I’d create a visual to help put the statistics in perspective.You can download a PDF of this graphic at www.MARKiX.net/genesFor more info about genetic mutations and he… Read More
2023-08-02 15:00
"I had always assumed that this type of potentially life-saving information would be openly shared within the family. And that the individual’s doctors would alert other family m… Read More
2023-07-07 17:08
Is there a history of cancer in your family? (Grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, or cousins?)Cascade Testing is one of the most important tools for breaking the… Read More
2023-06-27 20:57
I don’t have to imagine this; I
lived this nightmare. My wife died a horrible death from hereditary cancer.
But her cancer and her untimely death could have been prevented. &hellip…Read More
2023-06-08 03:46
Because I advocate about the importance of knowing and sharing family health history, I felt I needed to be fully tested for the 84 known genes associated with hereditary cancers. This is my… Read More
2023-06-02 18:52
If you know of any cancer patients or caregivers who might benefit from taking a creative break, I have created some coloring pages for them.It’s a personal project of mine that I&rsqu&hell…Read More
2023-05-30 21:30
This is the last of the
infographics I created about germline mutations. This is the part that
is often missed when trying to "connect the dots" in hereditary cancer.Sadly,
this lack of k… Read More
2023-05-25 19:46
I created this infographic for My Faulty Gene, a nonprofit organization. My Faulty Gene "provides information and assistance to underserved, uninsured, and underinsured individuals whose fam… Read More
2023-05-22 16:21
Because rendering a
piece of artwork is easier for me as a professional illustrator than
trying to explain over and over verbally about my previvor adult child's
and late wife’s BRC… Read More
2023-05-03 15:47
When I talk or write about hereditary cancer as an advocate, I often mention "germline" when referring to mutations that can cause cancer. But I’ve come to realize that many people don… Read More
2023-04-30 20:12
2023-04-25 03:32
Talking openly about
health history with your family is important. Documenting that
information, especially if there is a family history of cancer, can be
life-saving.There have bee… Read More
2023-04-22 13:00
Yesterday I put aside the grief work and hereditary cancer advocacy and practiced a little self-care. I picked up a pencil and some paint brushes and did a little nature art for art’s… Read More
2023-04-07 14:43
---Because my adult child is a previvor and because my late
wife should also be one, I often use the word "previvor" in my articles about
hereditary cancer at Cure Today and other pl… Read More
2023-04-02 20:09
The cartoon is only to get your attention and get you thinking. There’s nothing really humorous about it actually. My person, my muse, my soul mate died because detailed information ab… Read More
2023-03-30 17:00
2023-03-30 03:21
2023-03-26 13:30
A quick sketch of the first cottontail kit of the spring season to visit my yard. A small reminder of the beauty and wonder as well as the precariousness and fragility of life Read More
2023-03-20 17:22
More healthcare professionals need to be aware of the importance of communicating a genetic risk for cancer to all who may be at risk.There are many hereditary cancers that are preventable o… Read More
2023-03-18 17:10
Being a hereditary cancer awareness and prevention advocate sure presents challenges. #cancerchangedeverything #BRCA2 #TNBC #hereditarycancer Read More
2023-03-17 21:07
A quick study of a Gila woodpecker in my desert yard.Once upon a time, I was not a hereditary cancer advocate, I was a nature advocate, NPS volunteer artist, and an admirer of the magic and… Read More
2023-03-14 17:58
Cancer is awful. Everything about it.I cannot pretend to know the awfulness of being treated for cancer. But I do know the awfulness of being a cancer caregiver. Of the almost unbearable tra… Read More
2023-03-11 18:54
Almost two years ago my wife, soul mate, adventure companion, co-creator and muse died of hereditary cancer. It was preventable. Tragically, crucial genetic information was not shared by fam… Read More
2023-02-27 21:21
Always nice to see artwork I created years ago still being used.Originally inspired by my late wife's need for images for her classroom and parent newsletters and handouts, my portfolio of e… Read More
2023-02-25 20:35
On February 6th, a hereditary cancer screening bill was introduced in the Arizona House of Representatives. HB 2783 attempts to address the need for better screening for hereditary cancers.H… Read More
2023-02-14 16:48
It's an odd name for a website about preventing cancer, but love, brains, and courage is what it takes to prevent a hereditary cancer. If there's a family history of cancer someone has… Read More
2023-02-03 21:58
Since the readers at CURE are already acutely aware of cancer, I created another coloring page to hopefully distract them from the fact that World Cancer Day was coming up. Please shar… Read More
2023-01-05 01:13
Sometimes, between my work for the cancer community (and my grief work), I still get assignments to do other artwork. This is from the January 2023 issue of ASK magazine for kids Read More
2022-12-21 02:10
Losing my wife to a hereditary cancer that was very preventable was unbearably heartbreaking. And the heartache is never more keenly felt by my daughter and me than during the holidays.As pa… Read More
2022-12-01 18:21
Sometimes just sharing information about cancer can be a major gift of kindness. Please read my most recent article at Cure Today:https://www.curetoday.com/view/cancer-education-and-kindness… Read More
2022-11-01 16:40
I recently did another drawing activity for CUREtoday.com, this one on how to draw a fun little monster. In the article accompanying it I tried to explain that I was just “trying to gi… Read More
2022-10-26 17:20
Con el día de Los Muertos acercándose, pensé que era una buena oportunidad para compartir información sobre la versión en español de un libro para n… Read More
2022-10-24 23:48
Are you aware October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month? Probably. It's hard to miss all the "pinkness." Well, here's a link to my brutely honest rant blog post and cartoon about one aspect… Read More
2022-10-22 03:21
I actually created this several years back but never posted it because other priorities in my life pushed it to the bottom of my art pile. I recently came across it while looking for anothe… Read More
2022-10-13 16:36
This is the first in an ongoing series on drawing lesson videos at CUREToday.com. As I have often pointed out here on this blog and other places, I hate cancer. With all my heart. I wish I c… Read More
2022-10-09 23:33
In October 2017, I suddenly found myself in the role of cancer caregiver and “BRCA2 mutation-adjacent” advocate in the hereditary cancer community after my late wife was diagnos… Read More
2022-09-24 16:54
National Hereditary Cancer Week 2022 isSeptember 25 – October 1, & National Previvor Day is September 28 My daughter is a previvor. My wife should be one.My latest blog at C… Read More
2022-08-25 20:32
Cancer is incredibly evil and I expand on that in my latest blog on Cure Today. I also demonstrate how cancer patients and/or cancer caregivers can take a creative, hopefully therapeutic, br… Read More
2022-08-14 15:34
Snapshot courtesy of John Henry BeyerBelow is a link to a great op-ed science piece written by John Henry Beyer, Ph.D. It was recently published in the Sierra Sun Newspaper of Truckee, Calif… Read More
2022-08-12 18:08
In my latest blog post on Cure Today, I share a short story titled Cancer, Bears, and Fierce Compassion. It includes another easy drawing lesson for cancer patients and/or caregivers. Read More
2022-07-27 22:37
Today is International Kindness Project Day according to Dr. Joanne Cacciatore, author of Bearing the Unbearable. Dr. Jo started The Kindness Project and the idea is to perform random acts o… Read More
2022-07-16 17:03
A book I helped to create with Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is now available. It is a FREE resource for grieving children and you can download it here: https://www.centerforlossandtrauma.com/team-3… Read More
2022-07-08 16:12
This short post is a personal effort to promote the importance of breast cancer education, research, early detection, and prevention -- not only during October, which is Breast Cancer Awaren… Read More
2022-07-01 21:22
Today marks the 37th anniversary of the day I officially began my full-time freelance career. But I’m not celebrating today. Last June my wife, Donna, died after a nearly 4-year b… Read More
2022-06-28 19:23
Before the pandemic, and before my wife died of hereditary cancer and broke my heart, we were avid kayakers, and on one outing I saw a need for an easy-to-use vessel to stow supplies and equ… Read More
2022-06-23 05:15
I hate this "journey" I'm on. I should be drawing silly cartoons, painting landscapes, or just sculpting something for the sake of it. But here I am again, in a dark place. Something brought… Read More
2022-06-18 19:11
Here's a link to my Father's Day blog article for CureToday.com.Story about FORCE (FacingOurRisk.org) and the origin of the the word "previvor." Read More
2022-05-20 00:16
Cancer Centers Need a Room for RageMy latest blog post at CURE® Read More
2022-05-08 19:07
A Mother’s Day blog post of mine on CURE Read More
2022-05-07 17:42
I gave my broken heart a little rest and took a break from writing about my soul mate's death and hereditary cancer prevention on CURE and The Mighty to do a quick sketch of a House Finch bu… Read More
2022-04-08 01:36
The Wizard of Oz said, "Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable." I will be taking a long break from the drawing board and sketchbook because my heart has been ripped… Read More
2022-03-27 21:00
Late the other night I stepped out into the desert night, stared up and took a deep breath as tears ran down my face. I looked into the darkness and tried to think about the last time my wif… Read More
2022-03-18 22:57
Hearts and brains -- in the game of life it takes both of them to make humans, well, human. Unfortunately, I have found along my path in life that there are people who, sadly, either lost a… Read More
2022-03-15 23:12
February is National Cancer Prevention Month. Here in the US, 1 in 2 women and 1 in 3 men will develop cancer in their lifetime. Think about that. How many members are in your family? How ma… Read More
2022-03-12 16:13
In January, a Breast Cancer Gene Screening bill I initiated -- HB 2529 – was introduced into the Arizona House. Basically, it would obligate primary care doctors to properly screen for… Read More
2022-03-11 23:59
On June 26, 2021, I lost my beloved wife, Donna, to hereditary cancer. When you lose your soulmate of 40 years, you lose more than just their physical presence, you suffer so many secondary… Read More
2022-03-05 17:43
2020 was the Year of the Rat, but as it turned out, it was really just one big stinking rat's arse of a year. I sincerely hope 2021, which according to the ancient Chinese zodiac is th… Read More
2022-03-05 17:42
From my grief sketchbook & journal:Grief Should be BottledWhen you have those moments of entitlement, when you feel superior, when your compassion for others wanes, when you have n… Read More
2022-03-03 22:07
While sitting outside staring at a cloudless azure sky, feeling hopelessly blue while thinking of my beloved late wife and what could have been on a day such as today, a ladybug alighted on… Read More
2022-02-22 00:04
National Hereditary Cancer Week is a yearly event that begins of the last Sunday in September and ends the first Saturday in October. National Previvor Day occurs on the Wednesday of that we… Read More
2022-02-21 20:27
This year I'm not creating or sending out holiday cards for the first time in 40 years. When my beautiful and beloved wife Donna died in my arms from hereditary cancer in June after a courag… Read More
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