Art Heals All Wounds

Happy to be back for the sixth season of 'Art Heals All Wounds', where we’ll talk about 'Connection'! Exploring the transformative power of collaboration, cultural exchange and human bonds through artists and their stories, how does connection alter narratives and inspire growth? For this season, the podcast episodes will be released bi-weekly instead of weekly for the sake of...

In this episode of "Art Heals All Wounds," I talk about how this turn of the calendar from 2023 to 2024 reminds me of sliding down a wooded hill on snowy days with my friends—right into a street! I also share a voicemail from Joe Field, creator of the Legends Universe. Joe discusses how his work has affected individuals, from helping a young boy overcome a video game addiction to providi...

On this episode of Art Heals All Wounds , I share a voicemail from Joey Held, who talks about the impact of music on building a sense of belonging and the ability of art to heal. Joey hosts a podcast called Good People, Cool Things but he’s also a member of the band Burning Years . Joey talks about the way he sees music bringing people together during the band’s shows. He also shares an incredible...

In this episode of Art Heals All Wounds, I interview longtime friend Gwen Whittle, a supervising sound editor and three-time Academy Award nominee for the films Avatar , Tron Legacy , and Avatar, The Way of Water . We discuss Gwen's journey from New York to San Francisco, her experiences in the sound editing industry, and the importance of sound in storytelling . We both share stories of belo...

In this episode, I interview my daughter, Allegra Thelemaque, illustrator and writer, about the idea of feeling like you belong in your body. We also discuss how finding one's own sense of style can help redefine the concept of beauty. Allegra and I both have myotonic dystrophy, a multi-system disease that can affect muscle strength, muscle stiffness, eyes, digestive system, brain, heart, and...

This week I interview artists Dazié Rustin Grego-Sykes and Derrick Miller-Handley. They discuss the creation and impact of their performance piece, 'The Changer and the Changed', a performed memoir of Dazié’s lived experience, exploring issues of child sex abuse, addiction, and the experience of being Black, Queer, and HIV positive. Through this deeply personal piece, performed in a comm...

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! Buy Me a Coffee! Connect with Miguel Angel Vazquez...

In this episode of Art Heals All Wounds, I speak with multidisciplinary artist Almudena Rocca about her book 'The Intuitive Drawing Journal: A Guided Journal for Processing Feelings and Emotions'. The journal employs the technique of continuous line drawing to help individuals explore and express their emotions without judgement. Almudena shares her personal journey with mental health, t...

In this episode of Art Heals All Wounds, I share a heartfelt voicemail from Paige Friend, host of ‘The Beach Speaks’ podcast, discussing her deaf mother’s journey of self-realization and acceptance facilitated by art. Ginny, developed her lip-reading skills, giving Paige a delightful way of communicating with her mother across a room. Unable to work, Ginny turned to painting and silk-screen printi...

In this episode of 'Art Heals All Wounds', I speak with filmmaker Christina YR Lim about 'B-Side for Taylor', a film that explores adoption, identity, and family secrets. As a contribution to National Adoption Awareness Month, the discussion centers around the film's storyline, which follows a Korean American adoptee's journey to learn more about her origins as well a...

Animal advocate Carlyn Montes De Oca embarked on a journey of self-discovery when she took a commercial DNA test in 2019. Expecting to uncover her Jewish heritage within her Hispanic bloodline, Carlyn was stunned to learn that she had been adopted at birth. This revelation shattered her sense of identity, as she discovered that her entire extended family, including 63 first cousins, were aware of...

Dr. Tasha Golden is an international speaker and consultant, a career singer/songwriter, and a public health scientist. In this episode, Tasha shares with us her work on the Arts On Prescription Field Guide , a resource that seeks to integrate arts, culture, and nature into medical care to promote overall well-being and not just the absence of disease. Tasha's extensive research and personal...

Standup comedian and podcaster, Rabiah Coon, shares a story of belonging on a voicemail to the show! Listen to how Rabiah found a sense of belonging performing standup. If you want to share your story of belonging on Art Heals All Wounds, you can send me a voicemail at https://www.arthealsallwoundspodcast.com/ and I'll share it on a future episode! Check out Rabiah's work! Stay in Touch...

Description: In this episode, I sit down with the talented comedian and author Sadia Azmat. We delve into the world of stand-up comedy, exploring how Sadia has used humor to navigate complex themes of identity, culture, and relationships. From her unique perspective as a hijabi comedian, Sadia shares her journey of self-discovery and how she's challenged cultural norms with her humor. Key Top...

Lalin St. Juste has been a staple in the Bay Area music scene for a decade with her genre-bending band The Seshen. In this episode, Lalin takes us on a transformative journey of healing and reclamation of her Haitian heritage through her solo music. As a Haitian American, Lalin has felt a deep connection to her roots, but also struggled with issues of identity and the negative stereotypes associat...

Are you comfortable with the parts of you that are feminine? Are you comfortable in a feminine space? Explore the world of street art and its transformative power in public spaces with Amilli Onair. Discover how her murals challenge perceptions of feminine energy and create safe spaces for all. Amilli's street art beautifully embraces and celebrates the feminine. She believes that by adding f...

We continue our season focusing on belonging by talking about places and spaces. What kinds of stories do you tell about the places of your past that made you who you are? How do you tell that story when that place has been destroyed by the effects of climate change?  dream hampton is an independent filmmaker who recently released a nine-minute short film called Freshwater . Prior to this project,...

Who do you look up to? Do you have heroes? Fashion photographer Umberto N. Nicoletti has created a new coffee table book full of photographs of some of his heroes—LQBTQIA+ asylum seekers. Inspired by his friend Diego Puccio, a volunteer for Arcigay , an Italian organization that helps refugees obtain asylum, Umberto became passionate about fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights. He was shocked to learn that...

Today's episode is all about belonging. In Season 5 we delve into the stories of artists and individuals who have experienced feeling like they don't fit in and have discovered creative ways to connect and heal. Today, I'll be sharing my own personal story of adoption, a journey that made me question where I truly belonged. I also want to invite all listeners to become a part of thi...

AI--how are you feeling about it? Excited about its potential? Concerned that it's not quite ready for prime time? I feel both of these things. I've already heard some amazing ideas for its use in Arts and Health. And I've used ChatGPT, with mixed results. So my ears perked up while listening to this episode from Jae Bloom and James Bilsbrough on their show Crossed Wires. Jae and Ja...

Do you remember getting "The Sex Talk"? The ones I experienced left a lot to be desired! Which is why I love this conversation between the hosts of Reframeables, Rebecca and Natalie Davey, and sex-positive communicator, Emily Roach. If you find yourself facing "The Talk" with a young person in your life, I think you'll find some good ideas from this conversation! From Refr...

Time to share some amazing conversations! I love sharing feed drops of my favorite shows during this break between seasons! These are all conversations that moved me and taught me a thing or two.  Today I’m sharing an episode from the brilliant podcast Wild Precious Life, hosted by Annmarie Kelly. Her guest on this episode is Ashley C. Ford. Ashley C. Ford is the author of The New York Times Bests...

How do we creatively increase empathy? What about increasing compassion for ourselves? Last year I experienced chronic pain for 8 months, which made me think a lot about empathy for those in pain of any kind—physical, emotional, or mental. Are our societies built for those who suffer from chronic pain? Can we increase empathy through art? Reading the book Your Brain on Art and talking with its co-...

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...

Today, I’m joined by Rigo 23, a painter, muralist, and activist who has undertaken collaborative art projects with some of America's political prisoners. In our conversation, Rigo expands on the inspiration and process behind two of his works: His recent February 31st Exhibit that includes work with, and inspired by, the Angola 3 and a large-scale statue of Leonard Peltier based on one of Pel...