Susan Magsamen:Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us

Art Heals All Wounds

Today, I’m joined by Susan Magsamen, Founder and Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Applied Neuroscience. She’s also the co-author of Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, which explores how aesthetic experiences impact the human brain and body. In our conversation, Susan shares where her fascination for the intersection of art, science, and education stems from. She describes the research and writing process for Your Brain on Art, and goes into detail about some of the standout sections of the book, including the role art can play in community building and physical healing.

So much of Susan’s work is centered around the extraordinary ways art measurably changes the brain, body, and behavior. By breaking down the silos between scientists and artists, this knowledge can be translated into specific practices that advance individual and communal wellbeing. Your Brain on Art is an approachable starting point for understanding how humans are wired for the arts and ways we continue to evolve through creative expression. Susan is also the Co-Director of the NeuroArts Blueprint. We dive into the five-year global initiative she and her team are building in the field of neural arts. Their goal is to ensure art becomes a part of mainstream medicine and public health conversation.

Listen, rate, and review to Art Heals All Wounds on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Castbox, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Topics Covered:

● How Susan and co-writer Ivy Ross brought Your Brain on Art to life

● Key terms and concepts related to the neuroscience of art

● Examples of the physiological, psychological, and sociological impacts of art

● What gives Susan hope about how art can support communities in addressing certain social issues

● Insights from research that shows how art can impact the progression of certain diseases and disorders

Guest Info:

● NeuroArts Blueprint Website

● Arts + Mind Lab Website

● Your Brain on Art Website
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