Art Heals All Wounds

Today, I’m joined by dancer, choreographer, and cultural leader Alleluia Panis. In our conversation, Alleluia expands on the vision behind her captivating performances, many of which are inspired by her lived experience as a Filipina immigrant.    Alleluia describes how many of the indigenous Filipino traditions have been forgotten due to the dark history of colonialism in the country. As the Arti...

Show notes from Chris Angel Murphy and Allyship is a Verb Put yourself in the other person's shoes. This week, Kathy Houston (she/her) talks about Club LILLES and what it means for her to be a late in life lesbian. In this episode, you will learn 1. How lesbian TikTok has been a wonderful, informative resource. 2. Why her first girlfriend gave her “homework.” 3. What it feels like to live in...

Show Notes for this Episode from Paige Friend and The Beach Speaks A  friend of mine from “up North” asked me what’s it like to be in a hurricane? That got me thinking about my past 22 years living in Florida. How many hurricanes had I been in?  I grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The only “natural disasters” I ever experienced were blizzards - which were fairly common and not all that dis...

In today’s episode, I’m joined by body-based artists and activists Kai Hazelwood and Sarah Ashkin. Kai and Sarah are co-founders of Practice Progress, an anti-racist facilitation practice that addresses structural, professional, and interpersonal white supremacy through embodied learning. In our conversation, Kai and Sarah describe what body-based learning is, particularly through the lens of thei...

Today, I’m joined by Brittany Delany, a dancer, choreographer, and co-director of the dance and social justice collective GROUND SERIES. We discuss the latest project from GROUND SERIES called “Free the Body,” an interactive art installation at The Coachella Valley Art Center that explores what it means to free the body within personal, cultural, social, and political settings. In our conversation...

Today, I’m joined by Shavonne Allen, Joel Yates, and Dazié Rustin Grego-Sykes, three members of Skywatchers, a performance ensemble based in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco. Skywatchers is an interdisciplinary, intergenerational, mixed-ability, and multicultural performance group that aims to amplify the voices of Tenderloin residents. Their mix of movement, music, visual art, and spo...

Today, I’m joined by filmmakers Shweta Ghosh and Priyanka Pal to discuss their work together on We Make Film , a feature documentary about filmmaking by people with disabilities in India. Through a series of ‘interview workshops,’ the film highlights the creative ways that filmmakers with disabilities articulate their perspective and artistic vision, despite the accessibility challenges they face....

Today, I’m joined by the members of Crying Uncle Bluegrass, a California-based bluegrass band. Fiddle player Miles Quale teamed up with his brother Teo, a mandolin player, bassist Andrew Osborn, and guitarist John Gooding to jam together almost five years ago when they were all in their early-to-mid teens. Together they represent the next generation of the community-driven bluegrass genre.  In our...

Today, I’m joined by Jason Wyman, an artist, creative coach, and co-founder of Queerly Complex, a creative hub and community platform. In our conversation, Jason shares what led them to creating a gathering space for making sense of the world and helping other creatives find their place in it. In a society that demands simplicity and easy-to-consume ideas, Jason likes that they’re willing to sit w...

Today, I’m joined by Mathew Gabriel Gonzales (aka Philthy Dronez), musician and music producer, to explore the roots behind his signature West Coast Cumbia sound. As an Eastside San Jose native, Mathew draws inspiration from the hip hop, funk, and cumbia rhythms he grew up around in his vibrant neighborhood.  In Mathew’s words, music doesn’t have borders, which is why he celebrates the multicultur...

Today, I’m joined by Roy Miles, aka Ghetto Geppetto, a filmmaker, motion graphics artist, puppet maker and puppeteer, toymaker, and animation artist. On top of his impressive resume, Roy is also a former student of mine who stands out as one of the most creative people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with.  Roy has an animated universe called “Hoodland'' that's somewhat of a W...

Today, I’m joined by Cecilia Cassandra Peña-Govea, aka La Doña, to discuss the inspiration and meaning behind her “Femmeton” music.  As a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and educator from The Mission in San Francisco, CA, La Doña’s music draws on many of the social-political issues of her neighborhood. From women's empowerment and trans-inclusivity to gentrification and climate anx...

Today, I’m joined by legendary film and sound editor Vivien Hillgrove to discuss her upcoming documentary, Vivien’s Wild Ride .  After being diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration, an eye disease that blurs central vision, life as Vivien knew it completely shifted. Her experience losing her eyesight transported her back to the confusion and isolation she felt as a pregnant teen who was pe...

Today, I’m joined by award-winning artist, playwright, and librettist Catherine Filloux to discuss how she explores the intersection of social justice and theater in her work. In our conversation, Catherine expands on the stories that have captured her heart and informed her career, including the survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia and the Dirty War in Argentina. Where Elephants Weep  ...

Today, I’m joined by writer Aimée Baker and filmmakers Vanessa Cicarelli and Jason Greer. Aimée is the author of Doe , an award-winning poetry collection in which she commemorates the lives of missing and unidentified girls and women in the United States. She is Vanessa and Jason’s full-length documentary about Aimée and her eye-opening work.  With true crime podcasts and series topping the charts...

Today, I’m joined by writer Ausma Zehanat Khan to discuss how she explores the scope and horror of nationalism, Islamophobia, and racism in page-turner detective novels. As a Muslim woman and former immigration and human rights lawyer, Ausma draws on her professional and personal experiences to craft enticing storylines around topics like criminal justice reform and race relations.  In our convers...

Today, I’m joined by Ajuan Mance, a visual artist and educator who recently published an illustrated encyclopedia titled, Living While Black: Portraits of Everyday Resistance . The book features around forty illustrations of activities that are perfectly legal, but for which African Americans have been arrested, harassed, or even killed. In our conversation, Ajuan provides some context for why she...

Today, I’m joined by Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmaker Vivian Kleiman. In her latest film, No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics , Vivian offers an intimate look at five pioneers of queer comics: Alison Bechdel, Rupert Kinnard, Howard Cruse, Jen Camper, and Mary Wings. The film also introduces a new generation of LGBTQ+ artists creating comics.  In our conversation, Vivian and I di...

Today, I’m joined by award-winning comedian, author, and podcaster Rosie Wilby to discuss her latest book, The Breakup Monologues: The Unexpected Joy of Heartbreak . Rosie has a generous and open-minded way of talking about breakups, heartbreak, and all the messiness in-between.  In our conversation, Rosie shares what it was like to rehash old relationships when researching this book. We especiall...

Whether it’s in your garage, basement, storage unit, or the back of a closet, I think most of us are holding on to a box or two of miscellaneous objects from our childhood. I had all but forgotten that I was storing a box of musical figurines in my garage until I discovered it soaked through on the flooded floor.  Unpacking the box and assessing the damage brought up a complicated mix of emotions....

If you got the chance to interview the host of one of your favorite podcasts, what questions would you ask them? On this past Season, Season 3, I got that chance. Kimi Culp, the host of the podcast All the Wiser , was a guest on my show. On All the Wiser, Kimi interviews people with remarkable stories. Stories about the darkest moments of their life.  What brought them there? How did they get thro...

Many times on this show, I’ve talked with guests who were keeping secrets. Not secrets entrusted to them by others—but secrets about themselves. These secrets might be past actions or experiences that they felt shame around. It might be a difference, a unique quality about themselves that they kept hidden, for fear of rejection or of judgement from others.  We’re in-between seasons at Art Heals Al...

Here we are, again. We have reached the end of another season of Art Heals All Wounds . I want to say how much I appreciate all of you for listening. The podcast has been growing and it's all thanks to you. I'll be back with a new season in February 2023. Until then, please keep in touch via any of the links below and if you have a favorite episode, please share it with a friend. Your su...

This week, I’m joined by Mexican American filmmaker Iliana Sosa to discuss her first feature documentary, What We Leave Behind . It’s a deeply moving portrait of her grandfather, Julian Moreno, the patriarch of her family, and serves as a beautiful tribute to his legacy. During World War II, Julian Moreno came to the US as a seasonal agricultural worker as part of the Bracero Program, later return...

 Marcus Thompson is a long-time Golden State Warriors beat reporter and Bay Area News Group sports columnist and currently writes for The Athletic . Growing up, he was fascinated by two things: words and Bay Area sports teams. In our conversation, he highlights teachers and other adults in his life that encouraged him to lean into writing, including sportswriter Michael Silver.  From 1971 to 2019,...