art and healing

In this enlightening episode of the Healthy Project Podcast, host Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Jill Wells, an artist, advocate, and pioneer in combining art with advocacy to create social change. Jill shares her journey from being a substance use counselor to embracing her true calling as a full-time artist and mentor. Discover how she leverages her unique blend of artistry and advocacy to address intersectional social issues, empower the youth, and promote art as a viable career path. Dive into an inspiring conversation that explores the profound connection between art, mental health, and community engagement, and how Jill's work is creating ripples of change across society.

Show Notes:

• [00:01] Introduction to the episode and guest, Jill Wells.
• [00:42] Jill's background: From Indianola, Iowa, to a classically trained artist.
• [01:32] Jill's impactful visit to Ireland and her work at the United Nations.
• [02:02] Transition from a substance use counselor to a full-time artist.
• [03:13] The shift to telehealth services during COVID and its impact.
• [04:26] Exploring the relationship between art, advocacy, and material selection.
• [07:50] How Jill's counseling experience influences her advocacy work.
• [08:44] Addressing intersectional social issues through art.
• [11:37] The story of microaggressions and finding identity.
• [16:13] The correlation between art and mental health.
• [20:21] Jill's Freedom of Expression project: Empowering artists with disabilities.
• [25:56] The importance of inclusivity in art and community.
• [29:57] The role of image descriptions and accessibility in digital art presentation.
• [34:55] Closing thoughts and where to find Jill Wells online.

Key Quotes:

• "I started looking at my mortality differently and assessing regret... I thought I will really regret not pursuing what I went to school for." - Jill Wells
• "Advocacy work actually comes from listening." - Jill Wells
• "Art does provide that [a safe space] for a lot of people." - Jill Wells

Resources:

• Jill Wells' Website: jillwellsart.com
• Instagram & Facebook: @JillWellsArt
• Visit Jill's Studio: Mainframe, fourth floor, 4-47

In this episode, I feature a thought-provoking reflection on belonging in a voicemail from Miguel Angel Vazquez. Discover the different dimensions of belonging, how it can shift with experiences, and the essential ways we know that we belong.

Don't forget to go to my website and leave me YOUR story of belonging to feature on a future episode!

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Today, I’m joined by Susan Magsamen, Founder and Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Applied Neuroscience. She’s also the co-author of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, which explores how aesthetic experiences impact the human brain and body.  In our conversation, Susan shares where her fascination for the intersection of art, science, and education stems from. She describes the research and writing process for Your Brain on Art, and goes into detail about some of the standout sections of the book, including the role art can play in community building and physical healing. 

So much of Susan’s work is centered around the extraordinary ways art measurably changes the brain, body, and behavior. By breaking down the silos between scientists and artists, this knowledge can be translated into specific practices that advance individual and communal wellbeing. Your Brain on Art is an approachable starting point for understanding how humans are wired for the arts and ways we continue to evolve through creative expression.  Susan is also the Co-Director of the NeuroArts Blueprint. We dive into the five-year global initiative she and her team are building in the field of neural arts. Their goal is to ensure art becomes a part of mainstream medicine and public health conversation. 

Listen, rate, and review to Art Heals All Wounds on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

●      How Susan and co-writer Ivy Ross brought Your Brain on Art to life 

●      Key terms and concepts related to the neuroscience of art 

●      Examples of the physiological, psychological, and sociological impacts of art 

●      What gives Susan hope about how art can support communities in addressing certain social issues

●      Insights from research that shows how art can impact the progression of certain diseases and disorders

Guest Info:

●      NeuroArts Blueprint Website 

●      Arts + Mind Lab Website

●      Your Brain on Art Website

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Lisa and Lauren, Co-founding Directors of Art is Moving, chat with Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen about their new book, "Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us." A great deal is covered in the conversation including how the education system fails students when it comes to taking an art break, why fear plays a huge role in understanding the positive impact of art, and much more. Watch the conversation or listen to it on most podcast platforms.

We all have a sense that the arts are “good for us.” Now, we have a deeply researched and engaging new book that explains why.
Arts and aesthetic experiences rewire the brain—with significant implications for addressing the global health and wellbeing crisis. The arts are also a catalyst for helping us to flourish, build strong communities and learn better—even doctors are prescribing museum visits!

In Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us (March 21, 2023; Random House), co-authors Susan Magsamen, Founder and Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Ivy Ross, Vice President of Design for the hardware product area at Google, explain the emerging field of neuroaesthetics and what it means for our lives.

Neuroarts is the study of how arts and aesthetic experiences change the brain, body, and behavior and how this knowledge can be translated to advance health and wellbeing for billions of people. Pouring over the data, Magsamen and Ross found that just 20 minutes of art a day makes a huge difference as either the maker or the beholder.

Think: Singing in the shower. Microdosing coloring books. Dipping into a sound bath between meetings. Forest bathing over lunch.

Through the power of these aesthetic experiences, circuits and neuropathways in your brain are activated, altering a cascade of physical and mental changes including anxiety and stress. Short bursts of art—no talent required—will enhance your life, whether you are eight or 80 years old. In fact, one or more art experiences a month can extend your life by ten years.

Packed with dozens of studies and interviews with leading scientists and artists including David Byrne, Your Brain on Art shows how to take advantage of everyday art and aesthetic experiences, including:

Sound: how vibration and frequencies are being used to optimize creativity and cognition

Architecture: why the built environment affects how we think, feel and perform

Visual Arts: how painting and mask making can alleviate PTSD and trauma 

Nature: how access to the natural world relieves stress and anxiety

Dancing: why people with Parkinson’s Disease and stroke have improved movement

Music: how what we hear has a profound effect on your memory

Thanks to Your Brain on Art, we are now proving that the arts are not just nice to have—they are essential to our very survival. We’ll be in touch soon to discuss coverage possibilities with you.

More at https://www.yourbrainonart.com/

Learn more about the Take an Art Break Movement on the Art is Moving website here.

Art is Moving chats with John Brandon Sills about how he personally moves through fear to make his art and how you can do it too. For more from John, visit: http://johnbrandonsillsfineart.com/

Learn more about the Take an Art Break Movement on the Art is Moving website here.

Lisa and Lauren revisit Season 2 of the Take an Art Break Podcast to discuss the evolution of their ongoing and organic conversation. From a viral art performance to intentional journaling, Art is Moving talked about art breaks from many angles. Check out Season 2 for inspiration when you're not feeling the art break, to get tips on what you can do to spark your creativity, to learn how art can make your work day better, to find out what happens when you start making art part of your daily basis and so much more.

What should we talk about this year? Do you have an art question you'd like to chat with us about or just want us to dive deep into sometime this year? Great! Email us at takeanartbreak@artismoving.org and tell us!

Learn more about the Take an Art Break Movement on the Art is Moving website here.