Dr John Diamond M.D.
The person behind our logo image, and behind the philosophy that inspired Cordialis, is Australian medical philosopher and creativity and health pioneer Dr John Diamond.
Anything can be
Treatment or therapy.
It's not the modality,
But the attitude.
John Diamond, M.D., Facets of a Diamond (2002), 45
John Diamond MD (1934 - 2021), developed an approach to health based around his concept of Life Energy, the healing power within each person that can be activated most powerfully through creativity. His work was expansive, encompassing painting, photography, music, philosophy, medicine, psychiatry, language, drama, dance, history, and more.
His legacy includes a vast collection of tens of thousands of paintings, of which our logo image is one. This simple but powerful painting style he referred to as a 'Stillpoint', inspired by haiku poetry and painted as a form of active meditation. Diamond developed Stillpoint painting with the goal of actuating the viewer’s Life Energy: the innate healing power within every person that allows each of us not only to heal but to also reach out to others with love.
Diamond hoped that his paintings would inspire the viewer to create their own Stillpoints, again with the intention of helping others. It is this aspect of Diamond’s philosophy that is central to the Cordialis approach - encouraging each person to activate their innate creativity through their innate ability to help others.
Susan Burghardt Diamond, singer and longtime collaborator and wife of Dr Diamond, generously gifted the painting that we now use for our logo. The Cordialis Board of Directors thanks Susan for her continued support, engagement, advocacy, and enthusiasm for their work in activating her husband’s legacy.
Cordialis Co-Founders Dr Susan West and Dr Georgia Pike-Rowney learned from and worked with Dr Diamond over many decades. They hope to honour his legacy through the many thousands of people helped by Cordialis to engage in creativity for their own wellbeing, and, most importantly, for the wellbeing of others, as was his intention.
