Peter Liman, 82, is passionate about life. His goal has always been to live life to the fullest. But nine years ago, just as he embraced his early 70s, Peter received a diagnosis that turned his life upside down. He was told he has malignant pleural mesothelioma, an aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lung. Peter, an accomplished artist, decided at that moment that his art would be his coping mechanism and his hope was that as he helped himself he could also inspire others.
As a boy growing up in New York and New Jersey, Peter was introduced to art by his sculptress mother. He watched her spend hours working on her craft, while she, in turn, encouraged him to follow his own passion for painting.
“She saved my “masterpieces” throughout the years, most of which I felt she should have discarded long ago,” Peter said.
As Peter matured professionally, his studies at the University of North Carolina and Harvard would lead him on a path of world travel. Working in marketing, he visited many countries where he was introduced to new artists and galleries.
However, it wasn’t until retirement and his mesothelioma diagnosis that he figured out his talent for painting could be inspirational.
“Anywhere I can try to give hope to people, I try to do that,” he said.
Like hospital halls, for example.
Over the years, Peter spent many hours walking hospital halls in New York and New Jersey. Before he even knew he had mesothelioma, he frequently sought medical help to drain the mysterious fluid that was regularly building up in his chest and was making it difficult to breathe. At the time, doctors told him it was pleurisy, but after switching medical providers, Peter underwent a biopsy which revealed the mesothelioma diagnosis. Then, after his diagnosis, he found himself once again pacing up and down hospital halls as he underwent treatment through a major surgery, then several rounds of radiation, and countless rounds of chemotherapy. In those halls he felt many emotions, but anxiety seemed to rise above them all.
“People don’t realize that because they look at you and you’re talking and walking and nothing seems wrong, but it’s not always the physical part of it, but the mental part of it,” Peter said.
To counter that, Peter has at this point shown around 60 paintings at various hospitals in New Jersey. Painting and making art became his lifeline – a way to disconnect from the stark reality and find peace. Now, his hope is that his creations can do the same for others and hopefully can alleviate at least some of the anxiety and fear patients endure wandering hospital halls.
This year, Peter has completed a new project. As a legacy to his wife, daughter, and grandchildren, he compiled into a book his impressionistic art, along with pictures of his family, two of the things Peter loves most. It’s called “The Monet of the Mountain Top.”
“I hope I will be a survivor to see [my family] achieve their dreams,” Peter said.
He feels optimistic thanks to doctors, the prescribed treatment, and the support of other mesothelioma survivors. If he had one piece of advice in return for the optimism this community has given him, it’s to find a passion and pursue it.
“Whatever it takes to lead a normal life, do it,” Peter said.
To find a copy of Peter Liman’s book click here.
