Art Heals All Wounds: Recent Episodes
Pam Uzzell
Ready to unlock your inner artist? Listen as artists share how they creatively engage with the issues we all struggle with. Through their stories, we meet ourselves with compassion and find common ground. How will you live your best creative life?
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What can you learn from having a conversation? A conversation with someone who knows you really well, someone who may not always agree with you, but always has your best interest at heart. When you need to work through a problem you’re having or get a fresh perspective, that’s when you need to find that person that you love and trust and have a thorough conversation. I’m so happy to share with you an episode from the podcast Reframeables, hosted by sisters Rebecca and Natalie Davey.
Rebecca Davey is a multi-hyphenate artist, having worked as a writer-creator-producer-actor for over a decade. Her current brainchild is Ceres Productions, which fills its expanding creative universe with diverse projects big and small. She brings an unstoppable curiosity and joie de vivre to her work. Natalie Davey is a teacher and writer who helps to cast the narrative net of the show a little wider. With a PhD in education and a past life as a prison literacy teacher, she brings a social equity perspective to issues that need thoughtful exploration from diverse angles. These two sisters are passionate about how all the things we struggle with in our lives can be reframed through art.
One thing I know—if conversation is an art? Rebecca and Natalie are masters of it.
Here is a link to the show notes for this episode at the Reframeables website.
Guest Info:
- ReframeablesTwitter
- Reframeables Instagram
- Reframeables Website
Follow Me:
- My Instagram
- My LinkedIn
- My Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Website
- Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
- Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
- Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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To celebrate my birthday, I’m sharing one of my favorite podcast episodes!
How do you translate the sense of touch into an audio experience? This offering from Catherine Monahon and Material Feels does exactly that! This episode is part one of a work titled Conversations with the Material World that was on display at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, DC as a part of Sound Scene. If you’re in the Bay Area, you can catch Conversations with the Material World in San Francisco through the Yerba Buena Art Center on August 21st!
The soundscape I’m sharing today is called Fiber Scroll and is one of four. Catherine will be releasing all of the soundscapes on the Material Feels podcast feed throughout the summer, so check them out!
Catherine also runs ceramics classes in their Oakland studio Waveform Ceramics. If you’re in the Bay Area and want some fun exploring a new art, this is definitely the place to go.
Material Feels info:
- Material Feels Website
- Material Feels Instagram
- Waveform Ceramics
- Catherine’s Website
Follow Me:
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Episode Summary:
As I wrap up season two, I want to take a moment to thank the amazing team that helps bring this podcast to life, and all of you who tune in from around the world. Over the next few weeks, I'll be sharing a couple of episodes from other shows that I've enjoyed, and that I think you'll enjoy too.
I hope you’ll reach out to me at pam@arthealsallwoundspodcast.com and let me know what types of artists you're interested in hearing from next season. I’ll see you back here in September for Season 3 of Art Heals All Wounds.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
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● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by Ceci Najar, a writer living in Los Angeles. She’s in the process of writing her memoir titled Unfuckupabale: A Love Story, which is all about taking control of your life by rewriting your story. She unpacks her experiences as a female Mexican-American writer in Hollywood, feelings of deceit and disappointment from her father, learning to live in integrity, and so much more. Though it’s a love story at its core, Unfuckupabale explores finding your center and living as your authentic self.
Topics Covered:
- The stories that Ceci was lead to believe about her value and safety as a child growing up in Mexico
- Realizing that what you don't know can hurt you
- The clarity that Ceci had around the reality of her 20-year marriage
- What happens when we unplug from perfectionism
- Ceci’s experience writing her memoir so far
Guest Info:
- Ceci’s Instagram
- Ceci's Website
- Unfuckupable: A Love Story Website
Special Offers:
- Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
- My Instagram
- My LinkedIn
- My Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Website
- Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
- Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
- Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by my eldest daughter, Allegra Thelemaque. Allegra is a visual artist and writer. An enormous fan of acting, singing, and other performances, she's also an avid reader and movie watcher. Allegra was born with congenital myotonic dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness. We talk about some of the creative work that she's done to come to terms with the idea of having a disability, including her latest zine, How The World Sees Disability.
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● Where the idea for How The World Sees Disability came from
● How Allegra’s outlook on living with a disability has changed over the years
● What Allegra hopes readers will take away from her zine
● Where Allegra draws inspiration from, including Harry Potter and associated fan-made films
● Allegra’s perspective on ‘happily ever after’ fairy tales
Guest Info:
● Allegra’s Zine:How the World Sees Disability
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● My LinkedIn
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by Seattle-based immigration lawyer, Tahmina Watson. Tahmina describes herself as “a birding immigration lawyer who sketches” and often turns to nature photography as a way to cope with the intense nature of her work. She’s the founder of Watson Immigration Law and The Washington Immigrant Defense Network, an organization that funds and supports legal services for detained low-income immigrants. We discuss Tahmina’s life in the legal sphere, how she incorporates art into her self-care practice, and the ripple effect that bird photography and sketching has had on her life.
Topics Covered:
● What a day in the life of an immigration lawyer looks like
● How Tahmina discovered her interest and passion for birding
● Nature photography and sketching as a form of meditation
● Mindset blocks that come up for Tahmina around painting
● How Tahmina’s art practice positively impacts her career
Guest Info:
● Tahmina's Website
● Tahmina's Instagram
● Tahmina's LinkedIn
● Tahmina's Art Website
● Watson Immigration Law Website
● Tahmina Talks Immigration Podcast
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
choice.crd.co
Follow Me:
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Please Fill Out the Listener Survey!
Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by Chris Watts, aka The Creationist. Chris is a San Francisco-based visual artist and recipient for The SF Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists, a stipend program powered by Yerba Buena Center for the Arts that makes no-strings-attached cash payments to artists who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Chris and I discuss how participating in the program has made a difference in his life and his ability to practice his art. We also touch on the nature of his recent work and how he conveys a sense of peace through his unique hieroglyphs.
Topics Covered:
● Why Chris goes by the name ‘The Creationist’
● How Chris found out about The SF Guaranteed Income Pilot for Artists and went about the application process
● The future of the program, including international iterations
● How having a steady income has helped Chris realize his broader artistic vision
● Background on how Chris created his own hieroglyphic alphabet
Guest Info:
● Chris's Website
● Chris's Instagram
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● My LinkedIn
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Please Fill Out the Listener Survey!
Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by visual and performance artist, educator, and community leader Victor Mavedzenge. Victor describes his feelings of not belonging and some of the ways that that feeling shaped him as a person and an artist. His journey from his home country of Zimbabwe, to London, to Berkeley, CA have led him to embrace an international identity. A natural community builder, Victor shares the story of how the 2nd Friday Art Talk panel discussion started and what it’s grown to today. We also touch on his role as Project Manager at Downtown Streets Team, an organization that works with the unhoused population in Northern and Central California. Transcript
Topics Covered:
● How Victor turns to painting as a way to reset during times of transition
● Victor’s experience in London as a person from a former British colony
● The danger of having a limited identity
● Victor’s vision for the 2nd Friday Art Talk event
● What draws Victor to the role of community builder
Resources:
● Learn more about the 2nd Friday Art Talk hosted by Victor
Guest Info:
● Victor's Website
● Victor's Instagram
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by mixed-media artist Mildred Howard to discuss how her inspiration for public art is shaped by consideration of the community and the history of the location. If you’re familiar with the Bay Area, you’ve probably seen some of Mildred’s work and not even realized it. She describes the story behind one of her recent installations called Frame in Hunter’s Point, as well as three major pieces that she’s currently working on.
Topics Covered:
● Mildred’s early introduction to dance and arts and crafts
● How Mildred works with the community to design a public art installation
● Challenges that arise when creating art for a public space
● Factors that Mildred takes into consideration during the design process
● A brief history and explanation behind the three projects she’s currently working on
● Reflections on the housing crisis in San Francisco
Guest Info:
● Mildred’s Instagram
Film about Mable and Mildred Howard
· Welcome to the Neighborhood
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by Oakland-based documentary filmmaker Spencer Wilkinson to discuss his second feature film called Alice Street. It’s one of the most moving, heartbreaking, and motivational films I saw this past year, especially as a person who has lived in the area for 30 years. The film explores the importance of getting the community's input for a piece of public art, how to create coalitions, gaining the political momentum with those coalitions, and also the heartbreak of letting go of a beautiful creation.
Topics Covered:
- The backstory of how Spencer came about making this film
- Large scale shifts happening in the cultural fabric of downtown Oakland that Spencer witnessed while filming
- A brief history of The Oakland Hotel and Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts
- How the community negotiated with developers around the $20 million Community Benefit Agreement
- Spencer’s vision for the future of this film and his plans to nationally expand the social impact tour
Guest Info:
- Spencer's Instagram
- Alice Street Film Website
- Alice Street Film Instagram
- alicestreetfilm@gmail.com
- videoproject.org/alice-street
- Pancho Pescador's Instagram
- Desi Mundo's Instagram
- Community Rejuvenation Project
Special Offers:
- Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
- My Instagram
- My LinkedIn
- My Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Website
- Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
- Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
- Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
- Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by Fay Darmawi, the Founder and Executive Director of the SF Urban Film Fest. The organization highlights art that addresses different aspects of urban planning and other systems that aren't serving the communities that rely on them. Fay and I discuss the history of cultural districts, specifically in San Francisco, and how the mission behind them has expanded beyond preserving the arts and culture of neighborhoods. Fay also shares where she sees opportunities for change and what she hopes for the future of this city that we both love so much.
Topics Covered:
● What inspired Fay to launch the SF Urban Film Fest
● What culture districts are and why they’re vital to preserving the identity of cities like San Franscico
● How affordable housing issues overlap with the need for cultural districts in San Francisco
● The wake up call that many culture district organizers experienced during the pandemic
● Examples of how we all subconsciously make urban planning decisions daily
Guest Info:
● SF Urban Film Fest Website
● Donate to the SF Urban Film Fest
● SF Urban Film Fest Twitter
● SF Urban Film Fest Instagram
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by artist-healer Candace Roberts. She’s a singer, songwriter, and performer, as well as a Certified Hypnotherapist and Journey Accredited Practitioner. Candace is known throughout the Bay Area for her campy, political cabaret shows, but like so many of us who came of age in San Francisco, Candace has been priced out of the city due to the tech boom. We discuss our complicated grief over the Bay Area and the two tracks that Candace wrote in response to the inequity happening in our communities. Candace also shares the stories behind “Take Back Your Beaver” and “Say I Do”ーboth an ode to self-love and confidence. transcript
Topics Covered:
● Candace’s calling to songwriting and stage performance from a young age
● The battle for more affordable housing in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, and the surrounding communities
● What it’s like for Candace to visit San Francisco now that she’s relocated to Austin
● The inspiration behind some of Candace’s songs and accompanying music videos
● The most important lesson that she learned during her years as a nomadic petsitter
Guest Info:
● Candace's Music Website
● Candace's Healing Practice Website
● Candace's YouTube
Special Offers:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Promoted Podcast
● Subscribe and listen to the Goodniks podcast.
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by photographer, filmmaker, and educator Michael O. Snyder. His work focuses on the intersectionality of environmental and cultural change. Our conversation is centered around his project called The Coming Coast. In this photography project, Michael explores the impact of rising seas and how it will affect the Chesapeake Bay in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The area is important both strategically and infrastructurally, and it is predicted to be one of the places most highly impacted by rising sea levels. We also talk about some of his other work, including a film called Into the Dark, how he brings visibility and awareness to abstract concepts, and his approach for reaching diverse audiences.
Topics Covered:
● The impact on the ecology, infrastructure, and cultures of the communities affected by coastline change
● What the term ‘value-action gap’ means
● The direction and vision for The Coming Coast project, and how that changed when the pandemic hit
● The underlying role that climate change plays in migration
● Transforming the documentary material into other art forms to reach a wider audience
Guest Info:
● Michael's Website
● Michael's Instagram
Resources:
● Raincoast Conservation Foundation
● Third Act
Special Offer:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Promoted Podcast
● Goodniks podcast
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by avant garde and experimental composer and guitarist Ernesto Diaz-Infante. You might remember my conversation with his wife, filmmaker Marjorie Sturm, back in season 1 where we touched on how they are creating a home for their children to also explore the arts. Ernesto and I expand on that a little further and discuss how his childhood shaped how he and Marjorie are raising their family. We also get into how his music has evolved since his days in the Mexican rock band, Cielo Azul. Transcription
Topics Covered:
● What avant-garde music means to Ernesto
● The role that music played in his family growing up
● The story behind how he joined a rock band at the age of thirteen
● What inspired him to take a different path from mainstream music
● His approach to parenthood
Guest Info:
● Ernesto's Instagram
● Ernesto's Bandcamp
● paxrecordings.com
Other Music
· Cielo Azul
· Ketsa
Special Offer:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Kasama Labs
● Sign up for the next Shelter in Pace weekender audio storytelling class labs at shelterinplacepodcast.org/labs.
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by Laura Joyce Davis, the creator and host of the award-winning podcast Shelter in Place. What started as a creative outlet to cope with the stay-at-home order of March 2020 has now turned into almost 200 episodes of narrative nonfiction storytelling about reimagining life through creativity and community. Laura and her husband have since expanded into the podcast education space with the launch of Kasama Collective, an intensive podcast training program for female and non-binary audio storytellers, as well as a self-paced online course. We discuss navigating motherhood and creative ambitions, confronting the role of perfectionism in her life, and what inspires her to continue showing up authentically online. Transcription
Topics Covered:
● How Laura started and scaled Shelter in Place and Kasama Collective
● Balance your needs as a creative person with your parental duties
● Why perfectionism isn’t always a bad thing
● Creating community and fulfilling the desire for connection via podcasting
● Being recognized at the International Women's Podcast Awards
Guest Info:
● Shelter in Place Website
● Kasama Collective Podcast Training
● Kasama Labs Online Course
Featured Podcast:
● Wild Precious Life
Join author, educator, and learner, Annmarie Kelly as she laughs, cries, and kvetches with the writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and wanderers who inspire all of us to reach beyond our divisions and discover what it means to be wild, precious, and brave.
Special Offer:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Today, I’m joined by independent director and producer Alexi Lacey. She has over 20 years of experience in filmmaking, and her most recent project, Fiji Memory Colonial Time, has been on her mind since she was a teenager. The film explores the complexity of identity when it's been formed by privilege due to the exploitation of other people and the intended destruction of their culture. For Alexi, this was an opportunity to profile her mother's courage, share the bitter truths in their family's history, and the legacy of colonialism in Fiji. We discuss what motivated Alexi to pursue this story, how colonialism impacts our identities, and what she hopes viewers take away from this film. We also touch on the work that she does with issues around the housing crisis, displacement, and gentrification happening in San Francisco.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● Why Alexi chose to tell her mother’s story in this way
● How she contextualized the larger legacy of colonialism in Fiji
● Coming to terms with her own identity and how she fits into her family’s history
● How the vision for the film changed over the 13 years of production
● Why she’s so passionate about fighting for housing rights in San Francisco
Guest Info:
- Fiji Memory, Colonial Time website
- Fiji Memory, Colonial Time Twitter
- Fiji Memory Colonial Time Facebook
- Anti-Eviction Mapping Project Website
- Waqa Vuidreketi on Instagram
Featured Podcast:
· Wild Precious Life
Special Offer:
● Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by cinematographer, camera operator, and first assistant camera Rachel Dusa. Rachel and I discuss navigating a male-dominated field, how she formed her professional network in Los Angeles, and the unfortunate realities of working on set for streaming service content. She shares why it’s unsafe for many craftspeople on set, and the loopholes that some companies are cashing in on to pay smaller wages. We touch on what the viewing public can do to support the people who are behind-the-scenes and potential solutions for the exploitative working environment.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● Where her confidence and tenacity come from
● How she launched her career in LA
● Forming best business practices and finding jobs that are the right fit
● The massive increase in demand for content一and fast
● Concerns about the expectations and working conditions on streaming service productions
● Why some unions support ‘French hours’ and others don’t
● What’s next for Rachel
● How content consumers can support change within the film industry
Guest Info:
● Rachel's Instagram
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
Promoted Podcast:
Wild Precious Life
Join author, educator, and learner, Annmarie Kelly as she laughs, cries, and kvetches with the writers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and wanderers who inspire all of us to reach beyond our divisions and discover what it means to be wild, precious, and brave.
Special Offer:
Check out https://newsly.me and use the promo code ARTHEALS for a free one-month premium subscription.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by photographer, filmmaker, and writer, Shantre Pinkney. You might recognize her from Season 1, Bonus Episode 2 where I shared the pilot for her podcast, The R(e)ad Lounge, which Shantre uses as a space for the audio storytelling of her upcoming book, Raw, Black & Blue. On today’s episode, we talk about her introduction to photography, what inspired her to connect photography with written stories, and some of the themes she’s working through in Raw, Black & Blue.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● Shantre’s early childhood memories of art and photography in White Plains, New York
● Elementary school teachers that fostered Shantre’s creative writing
● How living in Bayview–Hunters Point has informed her work
● Background on what Raw, Black & Blue is about
● Utilizing audio storytelling to write and edit her book
● What she’s currently working on
Sponsorship Link to Raw, Black, & Blue
Guest Info:
● Shantre's Website
● Shantre's IMDb
● Shantre's Instagram
● The R(e)ad Lounge podcast
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Today, I am joined by Jim LeBrecht and Sara Bolder, husband and wife creative team. Jim is the co-director with Nicole Newnham of the film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution and Sara is a producer of the film along with Jim and Nicole. We discuss their film, which shares the beauty, insight, and humor of one group of disabled young people at Camp Jened. Jim and Sara share why this project was particularly special for them and highlight the disability advocacy work that they’re doing through the film and other organizations. Join us as we dive into the story behind Crip Camp, the challenges and highlights of the documentary, and what Jim and Sara are up to now.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● The inspiration behind Crip Camp
● Jim’s experience as a camper at Camp Jened
● The magic of the People’s Video Theater archival footage
● Powerful moments and motifs from the documentary
● How Jim and Sara met
● Jim and Sara’s working and romantic relationship
● Jim’s advocacy work in Hollywood and beyond
● What Sara and Jim are currently working on
Guest Info:
● Crip Camp Website
● Jim's Twitter
● FWD-Doc Website
● Jim's IMDb
● Sara's IMDb
● Nicole's IMDb
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
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Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by writer, poet, and educator Preeti Vangani. Preeti’s work covers themes of family, grief, sexual politics, and the body. In our conversation, we discuss her transition from the corporate world to creative writing, where she draws inspiration from, and what she's currently working on. Plus, she reads two of her poems and unpacks the story behind them. Tune in to learn more about Preeti’s journey and how poetry has helped guide her healing.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● The intersectionality between poetry, comedy and performance arts
● The daunting experience of leaving her steady marketing career to follow her artistic passion
● Unlearning what ambition and success means
● Growing up in a conservative and non-confrontational environment
● Major themes in her work
● Why the personal and political cannot be separated
● Where poems usually start for Preeti
Guest Info:
● Preeti's Website
● Mother Tongue Apologize
Follow Me:
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Facebook
● Art Heals All Wounds Newsletter
Music Credit:
● Remus
● Ketsa.
Pre-roll
Word of the Day With Comedians
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Summary
Today I’m joined by Catherine Monahon, host of the podcast Material Feels. We talk about the way that Catherine works with their voice as their creative medium, how they care for their voice, and how they use it to inject the right tone to their podcasts. Catherine believes that creativity is a human right, that no one is “bad at art.” Their podcast is a love letter to the material world, inviting each listener to find their creative medium.
Transcription
Topics Covered
· Using their voice and tone to shift the energy in their podcast
· Sister Practices—how a physical activity such as running can release creative ideas
· Why they do a podcast about artists and their materials
· How we become distanced from our relationship to the material world and creative practices
· The importance of good teachers and mentors
· Their connection of movement and creativity
· Good listening skills help with being a good speaker
· The importance of authenticity as a podcast host
Follow Catherine
·
CXM Productions Website
· Material Feels Website
· Catherine's Instagram
· Catherine’s LinkedIn
Follow Me:
● My Instagram
● My LinkedIn
● My Twitter
● Art Heals All Wounds Website
● Art Heals All Wounds Instagram
● Art Heals All Wounds Twitter
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Episode Summary:
*This episode includes brief mentions of childhood sexual abuse
Today I’m joined by Giiniw-ikwe, also known as Vanessa Willow, a painter in the Woodland Art tradition. Vanessa is Ojibwe, a nurse, mother, grandmother, cancer-survivor, and childhood sexual abuse survivor. After undergoing a double mastectomy, lumpectomy, and radiation treatment, Vanessa received a gift of paints and canvases by her best friend. This gift would change her life. Although she never thought of herself as an artist, she has been painting continuously since that day. Her art practice has been a healing journey for her in terms of accepting her body and accepting herself. Beyond that, Vanessa’s work is being exhibited throughout Canada and used as part of social justice campaigns for missing Indigenous women. Most recently her art is part of the album art for new work from singer-songwriter Shy Ann Hovorka.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
· Vanessa’s experience of getting a cancer diagnosis
· Using painting as a way to express her feelings after surgery and radiation
· Painting as a way to navigate ongoing cancer diagnoses
· The path to accepting her body and herself
· How painting is a sacred practice which connects her to her culture and her ancestors
· How her art is being shared and becoming part of social justice campaigns
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Episode Summary:
I’m joined by musicians Vicki Randle and Barbara Higbie. We discuss how they got their start in music, what they love about the Bay Area music scene and what’s going on at the legendary Berkeley nonprofit community arts organization, Freight & Salvage. They share how the venue has navigated these last two years and how it’s supporting musicians through the pandemic. Listen in to hear more of our conversation about their musical and community connection.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● Vicki and Barbara’s early exposure to music
● How the Bay Area was a salvation from their adolescence in Orange County
● What makes Freight & Salvage more than just a music venue
● The Freight’s new project with Berkeley Public Schools to inspire the next generation of musicians
● The story behind Vicki’s band, Skip the Needle
● Music as an expression of love
● How to get involved and support Freight & Salvage
Resources Mentioned:
- Little Village Foundation
- Barbara’s CD release show
- Skip the Needle
- Skip the Needle/Little Village Show
- Julie Wolf
- Teresa Trull
- Cris Williamson
- Linda Tillery
Follow Freight & Salvage:
Freight & Salvage Website
Follow Vicki:
● Vicki's Website
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● Barbara's Website
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Episode Summary:
In part two of my conversation with documentary filmmaker and professor Julie Wyman, we discuss the broader questions that her documentary raises. Julie talks about the implications that the growth medication Voxzogo has on the future of dwarfism, the complex feelings she has around changing her body, and connection through shared experiences. I also open up about the challenging dilemmas that I’ve faced as a person with a genetic disease that I unknowingly passed on to my daughter.
Transcription
Topics Covered:
● What Julie means when she says the future of dwarfism is ‘uncertain’
● The questions that choosing a treatment plan for your child raises
● Powerful moments and conversations from filming
● Why it matters when people make collective decisions
● Looking at medical conditions through a different lense
● Creating a more flexible and accepting world
Guest Info:
● Julie's Website
● Julie's IMDb page
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Episode Summary:
Today, I’m joined by documentary filmmaker and a professor of filmmaking at UC Davis, Julie Wyman. Julie’s work aims to challenge and expand our culture's narrow range of represented bodies, and her latest project is no different. As an adult, Julie was diagnosed with a form of dwarfism called Hypochondroplasia. Her diagnosis was part of the inspiration behind the documentary she’s currently working on, and on today’s episode, we discuss her vision for the film and some of the highlights and challenges that it’s presenting.
Transcription
Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.
Topics Covered:
● What drew Julie to the art of documentary filmmaking
● Identifying as a little person and person with a disability
● Her feelings about her diagnosis
● Performance and narrative filming elements that she plans to include in her documentary
● Turning the camera around and including herself in her film
● Finding the balance between sharing her story and highlighting a community
Guest Info:
● Julie's Website
● Julie's IMDb page
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Sarah Davis, a learning experience designer, lost her father to cancer in 2016. Her experience of grief left her feeling isolated and unbalanced. She had difficulty sharing this experience, mostly because there were so few examples of how to share and navigate the grieving process. She started the podcastBreathing Wind as a space to share and create community for those grieving the loss of a parent. This podcast normalizes sharing loss and grieving.
In Season 2, Breathing Wind focuses on the healing process. Sarah continues to explore parts of the adult journey, such as caregiving to a parent.
Season 3 of Breathing Wind will be about joy, an essential part of the healing process. You can find Episode 1 from Season 3 here. If you find yourself navigating the journey of grief, you are warmly invited to join the community of Breathing Wind.
Transcription
Referenced in the episode:
· Her interview with Laura Davis about her book The Burning Light of Two Stars, details the challenges of care-giving to an elderly parent with a shared difficult past.
· First episode with Benjamin Gunning.
· Young Women Social Entrepreneurs
Guest Info:
- Breathing Wind Website
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Welcome to Season 2 of Art Heals All Wounds, the podcast where we meet artists transforming lives with their work. In this season, we'll explore some of the themes that came up in Season 1--the body, family, home, community, and self. We’ll be releasing episodes every week. We’ll hear the stories of artists whose work presents a creative approach to these five themes. of body. Through stories we gain empathy for others and we find compassion for ourselves. This podcast is an invitation to find inspiration together.
Featuring audio from Seeason 2 guests Shantre Pinkney, Mildred Howard, Preeti Vangani, Tahmina Watson, Chris Watts, Candace Roberts, Allegra Thelemaque, Ceci Najar, Catherine Monahon, Julie Wyman, and James LeBrecht. Other Season 2 guests are Vanessa Willow, Spencer Wilkinson, Rachel Dusa, Sarah Davis, Laura Joyce Davis, Alexi Lacey, Sara Bolder, Victor Mavedzenge, Jenee Darden, Barbara Higbie, Vicki Randle, Ernesto Diaz Infante, Michael Snyder, and Fay Darmawi.
The infectiously optimistic music from Quincy Griffith and Luqman Frank from Episode 11 of Season 1 is helping me to get through this long January at the beginning of year 3 of the pandemic. If you need some cheer in your life and you like soul music this may be what you need to hear right now. As an added bonus, videos for some of the songs from the album are starting to be released. You can find the video for Gonna Be Alright here and a teaser video for Never here.
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Sit back and relax while you listen to episode 1 of The Re(a)d Lounge from Shantre Pinkney. You'll get a chance to hear excerpts from her upcoming book Raw, Black, & Blue in her podcast. You can find The Re(a)d Lounge wherever you listen to podcasts and you can hear more about her story as a writer, filmmaker, and photojournalist on Season 2 of Art Heals All Wounds.
Besure to sign up for the Art Heals All Wounds newsletter at arthealsallwoundspodcast.com to hear more about the guests on the podcast! Please reach out to pam@arthealsallwoundspodcast.com. Let us know how you're enjoying the show and give your suggestions for artists you'd like to hear interviewed on the podcast.
Some new directions for Season 2 of Art Heals All Wounds. Sign up for the Art Heals All Woundsnewsletter to learn more about upcoming guests as well as insight to art and healing from guest contributors.
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The very special guest on the Season 1 finale of Art Heals All Wounds is opera composer Hector Armienta. Hector is also the Art Director of Opera Cultura, a Latinx Hispanic opera company in San Jose, California. As a Mexican American composer, Armienta composes operas that explore what it means to be between two cultural worlds. His musical inspirations include the works of Puccini, Mexican corridos, and mariachi, to name a few.
What is it like to brave crossing the border in the hopes of finding a better life in America? What about farm workers, people who work in homes, cleaning and caring for children, young people who thought they were finally fulfilling their dream to attend college? What happened when March 2020 brought a pandemic that turned these dreams upside down? Hector Armienta interviewed Latinx immigrants in San Jose and Santa Clara Valley and gave their stories voice, a beautiful, operatic voice, in his operas Cuentos and Mi Camino.
Hector’s compositions are beautiful. But it’s his vision that is really exciting. He pushes the preconceived boundaries of opera and theatrical performance with his work. During the pandemic, when live performances weren’t possible, he created an animation for the opera Mi Camino. His plans are to take opera beyond the restrictions of borders, pandemics, and cultural and political boundaries, into virtual reality, augmented reality and extended reality. If the metaverse is coming, having Hector’s music there will make it a much more human space.
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April Harris performs to heal. Her journey as a performer began when she was still serving as Captain in the United States Army. She had survived several sexual assaults during her service, but she realized that surviving wasn’t enough. For herself and for her two sons, she needed to thrive. To do that, she first needed to heal. Finding her way to a personal storytelling workshop was the beginning of April’s healing journey. Every time she took to the stage, she dropped more and more of her shame--as a victim of sexual assault, as a parent, and the shame she felt for neglecting herself for so long. Now she leads classes and workshops at The Theatre Lab in Washington, DC. She completed their Life Stories Institute, then began teaching her class Finding Your Voice. People from all walks of life attend this class—some who need to heal, some who are in transition, all of them seeking to connect deeply with their own stories. As the teacher and facilitator of the class, April doesn’t project what she thinks the participants need. Her role is to hold the space with love and respect so that each person can dig deeply to find their own voice.
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Have you ever had a difficult relationship with someone that you absolutely adore? How would you handle your grief if that person unexpectedly dies before you've worked through your issues together? This was exactly the dilemma faced by Michelle Kennedy when her father was tragically killed in a car accident. As a writer, on-camera reporter, and news anchor, Michelle was at the top of her field. She left her career in TV news to travel around the world, having an amazing time with her best friend. However, she soon found that wherever she went, the ghosts of her unresolved issues with her father followed her. The result was her book Don't Pee in the Wetsuit-- part travelogue and part a navigation through grief--and always full of humor and love; both for her father, who she knows did his best, and for herself as she tackles the doubts and insecurities their relationship left behind. Now, with her knowledge and know-how, she's coaching others who need to be their best on camera. And she has the empathy to help anyone work through their own doubts and fears so that they can share their gifts with the world.
Filmmaker Ken Paul Rosenthal first met Berkeley street poet Julia Vinograd thirty years ago. Struck by her work and her presence, he asked if he could make a film about her poems. Although she agreed, Rosenthal felt that he didn’t yet have the experience as an artist to do her work justice. In 2018, Julia Vinograd passed away. Now Rosenthal has taken on the mission of bringing this iconic poet to life on screen by conveying the power of her work that both observed and shaped the politics and culture of the sometimes volatile, never dull, Telegraph Ave. Rosenthal creates images of poetic beauty that show the transcendent spirit of Vinograd’s life and work, while grounding it in the gritty stones of the neighborhood that Vinograd loved and championed.
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They say you can never go home again. When Denise Zmekhol, daughter of the late Roger Zmekhol, a prolific and masterful architect in Brazil, decides to make a documentary film about his most famous building in Sao Paulo, she hopes that by telling the story of the building she will also be able to deepen her connection with her father. Known as the Skin of Glass (Pele de Vidro), this building symbolized the emergence of Brazil on the world stage when it was designed in 1961. After surviving a military coup and dictatorship, the building is unable to survive the decades of neglect and the occupancy of the houseless people who rely on it for shelter. As Denise comes to terms with the loss of this tangible reminder of her father, she shares the story of a housing movement whose members long for a place to call home.
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Do you need a positive mantra to get you through the ups and downs that these times keep throwing our way? How about a mantra set to amazing music? I know the perfect thing for you, a new single, Gonna Be Alright, from Luqman Frank and Quincy Griffin. It's from their upcoming album, composed and recorded during the pandemic, with messages of positivity, unity, and love as a response to the cultural and political division that have marked the last few years. All set to the sounds of classic soul!
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When the poet Maw Shein Win was faced with the wearisome task of moving, it got her thinking about her relationship with her things. She found a storage unit for the objects she didn't part with and she realized that, while the storage unit contained her things, her things, in turn, were containers as well--of memory, emotions, and attachments. At the same time, she had been researching nat spirits, something she was familiar with from her upbringing as a Buddhist. Her parents, Burmese immigrants, didn't worship nats, but she knew it was a common practice among many Buddhists in Myanmar. These preoccupations led to her latest volume of poetry, Storage Unit for the Spirit House. Her work in this book has been called "marvelous, timely, and resilient," (D.A. Powell). Maw Shein Win is described as a "mistress of the acute, quietly searing detail..." (Amy Gerstler). The poems, written in 2019, were prescient of a year in which everyone would find themselves contained at home, perhaps with nats of their own making mischief?
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Printmaker and sculptor Angelica Trimble Yanu talks about how her work brought her from existing “in-between” to grounding her in her Oglála Lakȟóta heritage. At the same time, it connects her to a larger community of Indigenous artists. Her bold prints of landscape and short films join the growing chorus of Indigenous voices in saying, “We are here. We are real. And we are resilient.” (Angelica Trimble Yanu, episode 9 of Art Heals All Wounds)
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How can the power of storytelling help us make sense of things as seemingly disparate as the Covid-19 pandemic, the healing potential of psychedelic drugs, and the navigation of life's largest crises? In this episode, documentary filmmaker Marjorie Sturm shares her work on PSAs for Decriminalize Nature San Francisco, an organization which advocates for the decriminalization of the cultivation, possession, and sharing of many plants, including some with psychedelic properties, such as psilocybin mushrooms. Her background as a social worker in mental health and drug addiction, combined with her storytelling skills have resulted in several short 2-4 minute films. These short films feature local practitioners and mental health workers who work with some of these healing plants. The use of psychedelic drugs for their healing properties overlaps with her latest film, a personal documentary that explores finding clarity in some of life's most challenging experiences, those events with the power to wake us up and propel us in new directions.
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Orlando Williams, aka DJOACES, helped form a budding core group of DJ's in 1980's Berkeley, California. Known as the Mixologist DJ's, this group would help build the tradition of house parties in the city, as well as influence other DJ's in the wider world of Hip Hop. After the death of his mother, Orlando turned to his life-long passion of spinning music as a way to travel beyond his grief. In the process, he discovered that his gift of music and dance was also the key to building community in his hometown.
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Do you like drag kings? Of course you do! In this episode, we meet psychotherapist Cassandra Falby and learn about her performance as drag king Brock Cocker. What made her decide to begin performing as a drag king and what are some of the benefits of creating an alter-ego like this? We talk about what it means to perform masculinity and femininity as a drag performer. Why are drag queens better known in our culture than drag kings? Cassandra shares how creating the character of fun-loving Brock Cocker has increased her joy and helped her find flexibility in her own expression of gender.
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In this episode, documentary filmmaker and cinematographer Morgan Schmidt-Feng and I talk about his new film Anton:Circling Home about the New York-based artist Anton van Dalen. We explore the theme of home in Schmidt-Feng's other works and what effect the San Francisco Bay Area housing crisis has had on his life, as well as how it has drained the Bay Area of artistic talent over the past few decades. And we talk a lot about pigeons--because they are really good at finding their way home!
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Tiffany Golden, author of the Midnight Story Series, describes her pivot from filmmaking to writing when lupus and rheumatoid arthritis forced her to find a creative outlet that was kinder to her body. As part of her journey to self-kindness, she also wrote Loving Myself with Lupus. Her children's books, geared towards children and families of African descent, offer stories of healing for readers of all ages.
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When my cousin, Tiffany Braden, a.k.a. Halloween the Dancer, first started pole dancing twelve years ago, my first response was “Oh my!” Considering that my cousin is one of the smartest people I know, I knew that I had to learn more about it. I've watched her grow to be an incredible artist, with choreography that is moving and expressive and makes my heart ache. I finally got to hear her story in-depth when she joined me on the show as my guest.
If you already know and love the art of pole dancing, I hope you’ll listen. If you don’t know anything about pole dancing or have a negative impression of it, I hope you’ll listen and become a believer.
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Ajuan Mance, visual artist and illustrator, uses her art as a lens through which to understand both the world and herself, with work that represents too-often overlooked subjects.
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In this episode of Art Heals All Wounds, we meet Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro, co-directors of The Theatre Lab in Washington, DC. We'll hear about their Life Stories Institute in which non-actors write and act in plays about their lives. Everyone from senior citizens, people in recovery, and veterans have been able to take control of their own narratives in this innovative and healing program.
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