Could the key to healing and recovery be as simple and profound as rediscovering the power of play and creativity? Join us for a heartwarming conversation with Richard Wilmore from Heart Needs Art and Vocab, a poet and singer, as we explore the transformative role of playful activities, like painting and playing the ukulele, in dealing with stress, pain, and burnout.
Drawing from the impactful work of Heart Needs Art in hospitals, Richard and Vocab share inspiring stories of how this non-profit has grown from one hospital floor to ten hospitals since its inception in 2016. Delve into the world of miniature car races, hand-made crochet hearts, and ukulele lessons that offer much-needed breathers to patients and healthcare staff alike. Listen in on the remarkable story of a teenager, Jeff Hansen, whose art creation while battling a brain tumor, generated millions of dollars for charity.
Finally, we explore how Heart Needs Art facilitates moments of joy, connection, and self-expression through art and play. Richard and Vocab give us a glimpse into how they use the power of play to help adults, their family members, and healthcare staff, turning donations into lifelines of hope and transformation. Join us for an episode that promises to inspire, move, and perhaps, even redefine your understanding of healing and recovery.
LINKS:
https://www.heartsneedart.org/
https://andreavocabsanderson.com/
https://jeffhansonart.com/
(0:00:19) – Play’s Healing and Art Power (11 Minutes)
We explore the power of play with Richard from Hearts Needs Art. She has a song called “Are We There Yet?” which is about rediscovering the power of play and leaning into it by permitting yourself to play. We share a joke of the week, discussing the importance of play and how to bring health and healing to people in need. Richard also shares how playing and being creative can help us reconnect with ourselves and not take things too seriously.
(0:11:44) – Art Therapy’s Impact in Hospitals (7 Minutes)
Hearts Need Art, a nonprofit founded in 2016 by a childhood leukemia survivor, has had an incredible impact. Richard Wilmore shares how this organization has grown from one hospital floor to 10 hospitals, and Vocab speaks of the transformative power of play, art, and connection with patients. We hear stories of patients enjoying a game of racing miniature cars, as well as the positive effects of these activities on patient compliance. We also hear of Jeff Hansen, a teenager with a brain tumor who found solace in creating art that would generate millions of dollars for charity. Finally, Vocab reflects on the emotional rewards of connecting with patients and offering the gift of a hand-made crochet heart.
(0:18:48) – Playful Activities and Overcoming Creative Blocks (11 Minutes)
We discuss the different ways art and play can be used to help people in different situations. Richard shares about the organization Hearts Need Art and the different activities they offer, like painting windows, ukulele lessons, and writing. We explore how art and play can help those in pain, stress, or burnout, and how it can create a resonance or frequency that changes the energy of a situation. We hear about our hosts’ favorite ways to play and how they use them to find clarity and inspiration.
(0:29:38) – HeartsNeedArt.org (1 Minutes)
Vocab and Richard Wilmore from Hearts Need Art share how their organization provides moments of joy, connection, and self-expression through art and play. Donations are used to pay artists who work with adults, their family members, and healthcare staff. The power of play is highlighted and how it can be used to help people in different situations.
