From Patient to Artist: Reauthoring Identity and Human Protection in Parkinson’s Disease through Artistic Agency

Purpose: This study explores how artistic engagement empowers individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) to reframe their identities, enhance social connections, and reclaim their dignity. It proposes a conceptual model of “Artistic Protection,” advocating for a paradigm shift from viewing people with PD solely as clinical subjects to recognizing them as creative agents. Method: A narrative review was conducted, synthesizing interdisciplinary literature on art-based interven-tions–including visual art, clay therapy, group singing, and mind-body practices such as Tai Chi, Qigong, and Argentine Tango–alongside neurobiological and psychosocial theories of vulnerability. Results: The medical gaze often reduces PD to a cluster of pathological deficits, exacerbating the erosion of self-worth and social isolation. In contrast, artistic engagement provides a potential space that mediates be-tween biological reality and subjective experience. Biological insights into selective neuronal vulnerability and the psychosocial vulnerable self are reframed through art as sources of authentic expression rather than func-tional failure. Specifically, rhythmic interventions like Tai Chi and tango demonstrate superior efficacy in improv-ing postural stability and motor scores by re-contextualizing clinical symptoms into aesthetic choices within a shared social interstice. This shift redefines protection as a relational act of mutual recognition and safe exposure through aesthetic distance. Conclusion: Reframing individuals with PD as artists facilitates a transformative pathway toward identity re-construction and existential resilience. By integrating artistic expression as a vital component of positive protec-tion, this paradigm moves beyond symptom management toward a holistic framework of care. Ultimately, it affirms the radical freedom of individuals to be seen as whole human beings, fostering a more inclusive and compassionate community for those living with chronic neurodegeneration.