The Foundation for Art & Healing

We’re honored to be working with schools like UCLA to help students connect through art! In November, Foundation for Art & Healing team members Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH and Jessica Liu, PhD, MPH traveled to Los Angeles to support UCLA in further addressing student loneliness. At UCLA, they gave an overview of the loneliness crisis and our Campus Colors & Connection workshop, which blends moments of mindfulness with creative making and group sharing to foster feelings of belonging. Thanks to Daniel Eisenberg and Ashley Johnston from the Healthy Minds Network for collecting and reporting such valuable insights on college student loneliness and to Unlikely Collaborators for helping us bring Campus Colors & Connection to colleges and universities in the greater Los Angeles area. We’re excited to keep expanding the program to more campuses! If you’re a student, faculty member, or administrator at a college or university, you can bring the social benefits of creative expression to your community! Learn more about Campus Colors & Connection and sign up for a facilitator training: https://lnkd.in/eVY4pvAn 📸 Photo credit: Hannah Yip and Christian Doucette

Just in time for the holidays, our founder and president Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH was featured in USA TODAY! 🎉 Check out Dr. Nobel’s insights and guidance in the original article below! Let’s be UnLonely together this holiday season and in the year to come by embracing the power of authentic, creative expression to enrich our lives. 💙 #UnLonely #HappyHolidays

“In the glare of the holidays, my pain turned me inside out.” Journalist Vanessa McGrady blends compelling personal storytelling with insights from loneliness experts, including our founder and president Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, in a recent article for Salon. The article illuminates why coping mechanisms like impulse shopping can show up around the holidays, plus how mindful activities like journaling, caring for pets, texting friends, and going on nature walks can counteract those lonely tendencies. Check out the article today! https://lnkd.in/eVE7bwnp If you or someone you know is experiencing loneliness this holiday season, try these creative activities to feel more connected to yourself and others:  https://lnkd.in/eri8rCpg 📸 Photo by Valeria Boltneva

Gathering with relatives this holiday season? This #FilmFriday, we’re excited to share a short film by Alex Nesic that captures the joys and challenges of spending time with extended family. Set in 1990s Melbourne, “Unsaid” tells the heartwarming story of a little boy who struggles to find connection with his multicultural family when relatives from Serbia move into his crowded home. Watch “Unsaid” today: https://lnkd.in/eVa9SEVe We have over 125 more short films on loneliness and connection on our website. Find one you love and share it! https://lnkd.in/e8BBvU4e #FilmFriday #unlonely

Did you know that social connection can help you live longer? According to a recent article from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, five factors can improve health and longevity: 1. Social connection 2. Prosocial behavior 3. Spiritual practices 4. Optimism 5. A healthy workplace The article features insights from notable experts, including Laura Kubzansky, PhD, MPH, Tyler J. VanderWeele, PhD, and our founder and president Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, who teaches a course on loneliness and public health in the Harvard Chan School's Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. In the article, Dr. Nobel shares how art-making can help us make the social connections we need to thrive: “Creativity, imagination, and self-expression can help people feel better connected to themselves, other people, and the bigger human experience. The arts rewire our lonely brains, changing how we make sense of the social world around us, seeing opportunities where we once saw threats.” Read the article: https://lnkd.in/eFqBM8_s Learn more about how the arts open our brains to social connection: https://lnkd.in/eATDSTmN

“We’ve effectively removed humanity from daily interactions, creating the perfect conditions for isolation to spread.” Bradley Schurman shares this insight and more in a recent article called “The Art of Unloneliness.” In the article, Bradley sheds light on our modern crisis of disconnection, highlighting the work of our founder and president Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH. In the article, he calls attention to a few crucial topics: ➡️ The surprisingly high rates of loneliness among young adults ➡️ The psychological, social, and existential dimensions of loneliness ➡️ The ways loneliness impacts physical and mental health He also highlights Dr. Nobel’s suggested pathways out of our crisis of disconnection, from building personal habits of creative expression to running science-backed arts and health programs in schools, libraries, museums, health facilities, and community centers. Check out the article! https://lnkd.in/ejqx26jp For more information about Project UnLonely, our nationwide initiative to reduce loneliness stigma and foster connection, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/eBQfKU8U

🦋 Get ready to transform your perspective on the aging process! CBS Sunday Morning recently featured a must-see video on graceful aging starring Jane Fonda. In just four minutes, the video presents an upbeat, tongue-in-cheek, and informative reimagination of aging that debunks harmful stereotypes once and for all. Here are some key takeaways: 💡People with positive beliefs about aging live 7.5 years longer than their peers 💡Research shows people are happiest at the beginnings and ends of their lives 💡Art-making is a science-backed way for older adults to boost health and wellbeing Watch now: https://lnkd.in/em823mdH You can bring the benefits of art-making to older adults in your life! If you are a direct service provider with older adult clients, explore our group arts-based programs for older adults by visiting https://lnkd.in/errM4GFw #aging #OlderAdults Brian Bannon Vicki Shepard Tivity Health Kathryn Haslanger E.A. Michelson Philanthropy

Join us online this Friday, December 13th to ring in the holiday season! Together we’ll reflect on a fun prompt, write haikus, and connect with each other. The only supplies you’ll need are a piece of paper and something to write with. No experience required! We already have over 100 registrants, but the more the merrier — we’re holding a space for you! Learn more, save your spot, and invite your family and friends: https://lnkd.in/eGTDTSKm

Loneliness affects us all — but it impacts two populations the most: Older adults (age 55 and up) and young adults (age 18-28). For both groups, intergenerational programs can be a win-win, counteracting isolation and fostering deeper levels of connection and belonging. One great example of intergenerational programming in action was a recent event held by our friends at The University of Vermont! In November, The University of Vermont’s Center on Aging hosted a mix of 30 college students, faculty, and older adults from the community for a fun viewing and discussion session. The purpose of the event was to encourage learning across generations through a shared creative experience. One participant shared, “It was such a meaningful activity, and I loved hearing everyone’s thoughts and reflections.” The Center has already scheduled a similar event for January 26th! You can host an intergenerational screening in your community, too! Learn more about how the UVM Center on Aging ran their event, plus tips for organizing your own! https://lnkd.in/eG7GB2pJ

📣 Calling all arts and health enthusiasts in higher education! Want to bring the healing power of creative expression to your college or university campus? Join us online for a free Campus Colors & Connection training on Monday, December 9 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm ET! In this training session, you will learn to facilitate Campus Colors & Connection, a fun 60-minute workshop that blends mindfulness, art-making, and sharing to help students feel more connected to themselves and others. Schools like UCLA, Pace University, and Bowdoin College have successfully used this program to help students connect. You can, too! Whether you’re a student, faculty member, or administrator, we welcome you to participate in the training! No prior experience is necessary. All you need is a piece of unlined paper and a few markers, pastels, or crayons to draw with. Register now or share with a friend who might be interested: https://lnkd.in/eKkF2wnh We look forward to seeing you there! 🎨