What's Rest Got to Do with It?
The connection between art, joy, and active rest
Recently on my annual physical exam, my doctor asked whether I was experiencing anxiety or depression. While I appreciated that general practitioners are now interested in mental-emotional health, I also became curious about what percentage of her patients reported experiencing such symptoms. She told me about 80%. I asked her about her mental health and whether she was getting enough sleep. She replied, “No and the two are related.”
These are disturbing times filled with news of wars, shattered lives, and uncertainty about where we’re headed. A 2024 survey shows over one-third of Americans report not getting sufficient sleep but when I ask people in my circle of friends or at workshops and retreats, the number is much higher.
Many of us also neglect active rest which helps replenish our body budget during waking hours and improves our sleep at night. These are practices that balance activity and relaxation, such as engaging in art or other recreational pursuits.
Rest is the main component of restoration. And when engaged in recreation, we re-create ourselves. We become restored, rejuvenated, and renewed. Even the root Latin word "recreatio" means "restoration." For millennia indigenous cultures have prioritized recreational artistic practices that foster active rest and restoration. And science is finally catching up. It’s becoming common knowledge that art and joy are not frivolous but essential for our survival.
“…Creative expression passed down from generation to generation in forms of dance, songs, stories, poems, and visual arts reinforces collective joy, cohesion, and well-being for the practitioners. Art is so deeply woven into humanity that it is difficult to find any culture devoid of art form. So what happens when people are denied artistic expression?….”
Read the rest in Yes! Magazine and let me know what you think⬇️
New Colossus Art Exhibit
The below photo featured at the San Diego City Hall is part of the New Colossus exhibit by John Mireles. The collection was inspired by the Emma Lazarus poem with the famous lines: “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…”
I hope this post serves as a reminder that borders didn’t use to be militarized. This is a choice driven by greed that sees violence & misfortune as a business opportunity. This chosen path continuously puts the profit of a few over the well-being of millions of people here and abroad.
The rest of the photos are stunning and full of vibrant detail. If you want to check it out in San Diego, the exhibit will run till Sep 23.
Oh, and my wildly talented and lovely sister Azi created the gorgeous outfit in the photo❤️
Bookin’ Podcast
It was a pleasure to speak with Jason Jefferies of the Bookin’ Podcast. We talked A Girl Called Rumi, refugee advocacy, Colorado, growing up in a war-torn region, ants, how to hide a horse, the concept of Home, and much more. Listen here.
More Communal Art!
I was honored to spearhead a mural project with Middle Eastern refugee youth in El Cajon. License to Freedom in collaboration with Elevate Youth California and San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition invited me and 10 remarkable young men ages 15-22 to design and work on this mural. We had a blast, confirming yet again that making art together is healing and grounding⬇️
If you read the article above on communal art, you’re now familiar with the concept of neuroaesthetics or the neural basis of art. As a musical ambassador of peace, I’ve recently joined the Blueprint initiative, a partnership between the Johns Hopkins International Arts, Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, and the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program.
I’ll have more to share in the next newsletter. In the meantime, I wish you a fulfilling summer with many moments of rest and recreation❤️
Beautiful stuff, well said!!