Heart Work: Conversations About Art to Heal the Heart

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Eve Goldberg. Eve is a songwriter, a song interpreter, a guitar and ukulele player. In the world of community and folk music, Eve is a teacher, facilitator and performer. Community music has been part of her life since her youth. You can find out more about Eve, her music and her workshop offerings here:  https://evegoldberg.com/ Eve performs as pa...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Nathalie Kleinschmit. When Nathalie traded in her business suit for a pair of jeans to work as an artist manager, she never imagined how their creativity would fuel her own, leading her on a path of songwriting, drama and writing.  You can follow Nat on Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/nathaliekleinschmit/ and subscribe to her account on...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Dan Blomme. Dan is a registered psychotherapist and a college instructor who performs original music as singer-songwriter Daniel Raymond. You can learn more about Dan and listen to his music https://danielraymondmusic.com/music You can follow Dan on Instagram here:  https://www.instagram.com/danielraymondmusic/ Dan and Maureen met at Old School Cam...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Catherine Cheeseman. A Post Neo Expressionist, Catherine's work translates into emotional graffiti rooted in the subconscious.  ***Content Note*** This episode of Heart Work discusses mental health matters, including pregnancy loss, medical termination, and suicide. If you’re in distress, you can call or text 988 from anywhere in Canada for support...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Dennis Gebhardt and Tom Harris, who are multifaceted artists enjoying life together for 46 years and counting. In the midst of their many individual artistic pursuits, and in addition to their service to the Bridge Hospice and other community organizations, together they created the School House Gardens, which were open to the public for many years...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Gail Bury and her son Jake Bury. Gail is a recovering accountant and lifelong creator who trusts the act of creating and making art for grounding her in daily life. She’s also a former prison mom and an advocate for change. Jake works full time as an audio technician. As a formerly incarcerated person, he volunteers with the Pros and Cons Prison Ar...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Justine Dembo, MD, FRCPC, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and DJ who is an enthusiastic explorer of the relationship between embodiment, healing and thriving. You can learn more about ecstatic dance and the community Justine is building here:  https://www.ecstaticdancecobourg.com/ You can find Justine on Instagram at  https://www.instagram.com/dj_j...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Giselle Lech, a paramedic who makes art as an extension of her worldview and in connection with her lived experience. With half her life spent as a paramedic, Giselle has always seen the world through a creative lens — blending quick thinking with wild imagination. She channels her energy into raw, intuitive art inspired by the wild intelligence of...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Jodi Timgren. A retired Registered Nurse and Social Service Worker, Jodi has a passion for using music to share the lessons she's learned about hope and healing. You can stream Jodi's music in the usual places and you'll find her album on Bandcamp here:  https://joditimgren.bandcamp.com/album/weigh-the-needle-down If you're interested in a CD, you...

Troy Huizinga is a singer, songwriter, producer, and music educator from Ottawa, Ontario, known for his work with Satellite Birdhouse , The Escape Society , and Everything Is Angles. His music blends experimental textures with emotionally direct storytelling, often exploring themes of resilience and personal growth. Troy and Maureen met at the first Songwriter Summer Camp held by the Toronto Songw...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Hugh Christopher Brown. A musician and producer, Chris is the founder of the Pros and Cons Prison Arts Program . Operating for fourteen years now, the Pros and You’ll find more about the work of the Pros and Cons program here: https://prosandconsprogram.com/ and you can also access the music created through this program in conjunction with Wolfe Is...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Matty McKechnie. A singer-songwriter who releases music and performs under the artist name Graven, Matty is also the host of Graventown, a positivity podcast with a focus on mental health and music-based magic. You can learn more about Graven’s music here: https://www.graven.ca/ You can find his podcast, Graventown, wherever you stream your podcast...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Ron Hawkins . A singer-songwriter who has fronted several bands, including the legendary Lowest of the Low, Ron is also a talented visual artist with bold vision. Ron shares his song Saskia Begins, written for friends whose baby was born very prematurely, to help sustain them during that tense time. He also shares the story of the piece of art titl...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Dima Dupéré. Dima is a registered social worker who has been creating various artwork for as long as she can remember. She introduces therapeutic writing to clients and teaches other professionals how to use it personally and professionally. She's used crocheting as a strategy for coping with chronic illness. Dima shares the song she wrote using th...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Sarah Stapleton. A singer-songwriter, a PhD candidate studying community music, and the owner of an accessible psychotherapy practice, Sarah believes in the power of music. Sarah shares Fallaby a personal song written about her journey through infertility and IVF, which has offered her the opportunity to process her feelings and share her experienc...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Shannon Linton. A singer-songwriter, a music educator and a mom, Shannon enjoys building community through music. Shannon shares her song Afraid, written as she absorbed the information that she had a type of genetic hearing loss evident in one ear that was likely to eventually occur in the second ear, and what that might mean in her life. You can...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Michelle Hurtubise. A writer, a mom, a coach and an activist, Michelle's been journaling since she was 10 as she's just trying to figure out how to live in this world. Michelle reads an excerpt from the memoir she's working on with her daughter Rowan, telling their story of moving from surviving to thriving as they learned together to navigate Rowa...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Brian Tremblay. A singer-songwriter who came to writing music in his senior years, he's also the host of the Lonesome Cowboy Podcast where he shines a light on independent musicians putting their hearts out there. Brian shares his song There's a Hole Where You Used to Be, a touching tribute written as he was grieving the death of his sister, who se...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Melissa Mikel. A lifelong writer, Melissa recently completed her PhD in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has been able to return to more creative writing and journaling. She reads an excerpt from her dissertation, which is in part a study on the powerful process of telling one's story as she examines the impact of holocaust education.  Visit Meli...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Steve Shikaze. A semi-retired environmental engineer, Steve’s been playing guitar and singing throughout adulthood, and recently begun a songwriting journey. He performs his song Times Like These. Written from a visual prompt in a songwriting group, this song offered Steve an opportunity to reflect on the loss of his father in April 2025. Steve als...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews David Joyce. You'll find him performing meaningful music with his band, the Doomsday Poets. In addition to being an artist with a long history of writing, performing, and producing music as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings, David is the owner of Treblecock Studios. David shares his song Iron Girl, a song about the connection and intima...

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Matt Kowalyk. In addition to being an actor and director, Matt’s an artist with a long history of writing, playing, and producing music as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings. Matt shares his song Only of You, a song that helped him break through a period of writer’s block that settled over him as his family moved through his partner’s di...

This trailer introduces the Heart Work podcast, where conversations focus on the healing power of art. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com