Loneliness and the power of art to heal and (re)connect us.

I crossed paths with Dr Jeremy Nobel in 2016 when we were advising a startup focused on matching requests and offers from family/friends when someone was diagnosed with cancer. Immediately we found we were kindred spirits given our passion for caregivers and how lonely caregiving truly is. Years later Jeremy and I reconnected and he asked me to join the Board of the Foundation for Art & Healing (FAH) and I was delighted to join their quest.?

In 2016, FAH launched Project UnLonely, its signature national initiative, to address the growing public health concern of social isolation and chronic loneliness. Being lonely is different from depression (my last post) and different from seeking solitude. Jeremy’s definition of loneliness resonated with me immediately - the gap between the connections we would like to have with other people and what we actually have. Loneliness is experienced as “something missing”. It is a completely subjective feeling and only you can say you’re lonely. If you feel lonely, you’re lonely.

I’ve felt lonely. You’d think since I’m an only child that I would be lonely, but not really as I had my imaginary friend (yes, it’s true :) and was pretty good at entertaining myself (think Legos and Monopoly for one). One of my loneliest times was when I knew I was gay and hadn’t told anyone, it was very lonely. In this moment, I turned to art and read Dante’s Inferno and also visited Rodin’s sculptures at Stanford, quite often. These artists provided a medium for me to connect to myself and others, and find a way through.

What to know about loneliness and why interventions are urgently needed

• Young adults ages 18-24 are the loneliest group and study after study shows that young people are struggling like never before with anxiety, depression, and self-harm
• Among older adults 65+ loneliness increases the risk for dementia by 40% and the risk of heart disease and stroke, or death from either by 30%
• Loneliness is receiving urgent attention globally and nationally from the World Health Organization Social Isolation and Loneliness, US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy Our Epidemic of Loneliness, the UK has a Minister of Loneliness and New York State recently named the first Honorary Ambassador to Loneliness

How does art help with loneliness? The arts are transformational and engage our hearts, our minds, and our souls. They elevate empathy, compassion, and connection on an individual level. Physiologically, making art has powerful effects on our bodies: reducing blood pressure, bolstering our immune system, improving brain cognition, and fighting inflammation. Art naturally serves as a catalyst for self-expression, and with years of research and experience, we’ve seen first-hand that art can build self-confidence, foster community belonging, and support pro-health health behaviors/ improved well-being. Art is uniquely positioned to produce short-term and long-term benefits for people because art engages, inspires, empowers, and connects.

Artist was not a label or skill usually associated with me, in fact, my parents still have a middle school sculpture I created that made my own kids want to disown me ;). So my biggest ah-hah moment over the years has been that art comes in little moments throughout the day - perhaps it’s a picture I took that is especially captivating that I share, the way I created dinner (more diner than Top Chef ;), drawing in my journal, a creative golf shot, doodling, a new dance move I made up in the kitchen, etc… The key for me was turning off my judging mind and just letting my art evolve and flow, and then sharing it and being curious when others share theirs.

This is why FAH’s model resonates with me, because?

art is the medium and social connection is the experience.

FAH’s programs have a measurable impact with so many groups

• Campus UnLonely through 80 workshops, across 32 campuses has reached over 1500 college students?
• Project UnLonely Films includes 35 short films and a film screening toolkit to support the hosting, viewing, and sharing experience
• Aging Outside the Lines in partnership with the Maine Council on Aging is expanding to three states
• FAH’s message has reached over 5 million viewers via NPR, USA Today, Boston Globe, Harvard’s Center for Health & Happiness, The Connection, and the Urban Libraries Council.

My trusted network, here are my invitations

• Join in Project UnLonely Films (PUF) Season 8 on June 2nd (registration) co-hosted by Steve Buscemi. Corporate Sponsorship spots are still available.?
• Donate - $500 provides art materials for 100 participants in FAH’s Colors & Connection, $2500 enables FAH to distribute one film in Project UnLonely Films. Every $ matters !!!
• Read Jeremy’s book AND for the first 5 friends that post a picture of their own art, on LinkedIn, I’ll send you a book :)

As we all know, we are truly stronger and better together!!!? …and my next wishie will be about our national blood supply and Vitalant which is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations

…Cindy