“Art can permeate the very deepest part of us, where no words exist.” ~Eileen Miller
Between 2016 and 2020, the number of children ages 3-17 years diagnosed with anxiety grew by 29% and those with depression by 27%, according to a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics.
Children are struggling with mental health issues now more than ever, and you might be surprised to hear one of the resources that can be used to support them… the arts.
In this episode, we share the inspiring work of the non-profit organization Positively Arts, in Las Vegas. With the help of volunteer performers from Broadway, America’s Got Talent, The Voice, etc., Positively Arts works to empower young people who are facing various challenges with the confidence and skills they need to be successful in life. Guest Ella Syamala, an 8th grader who participated in the Positively Arts for several years, shares her perspective and experiences through audio clips.
We then turn our focus to art therapy, hearing fascinating insights and first-hand experiences from McKenzie Rich, a licensed art therapist who has used the approach to support children in various settings, from a psychiatric hospital, to schools, to private practice.
Ashley is an award-winning Independent Filmmaker from Northern Kentucky. Her first film, “No Lost Cause” is currently internationally distributed and was recently featured on TBN (Trinity Broadcasting Network). Her memoir recalling her experience creating a film on a micro budget, “The Why Not Philosophy or How We Learned to Let Go, Trust God and Defeat the Raptors,” was released February 2015 and is available on Amazon.com. Her second feature film, “The Hepburn Girls” was released on Amazon.com and Vimeo.com in the summer of 2016.
Ashley is also a long-time lover of all things theatre and in the spring of 2014, she helped found and became the Vice-President of the theatre company, “The Theatre Downstream.” Their first large scale summer musical, “Beauty and the Beast” was awarded Best Musical (Local), Best Actor in a Musical (Local), Best Actress in a Musical (Local), and Best Set Design by the BroadwayWorld Louisville awards in 2016, and their 2017 production of "Annie" sold over 2,100 tickets, a company record-breaking number!
No matter what the project, Ashley is happiest when she is able to bring talented people and their art together for the consumption and appreciation of the public. While her taste remains vintage, she is grateful for the technology of the modern world and the opportunity to share her thoughts, aspirations, and misadventures.
Her lofty dreams are to create things that people remember and to one day own an alpaca. Above all, she loves God, her family, her friends, her cats, and brownies.
External websites:
“No Lost Cause”- NoLostCausedvd.com
The Theatre Downstream- TheTheatreDownstream.com
“The Why Not Philosophy”- http://www.amazon.com/Why-Not-Philosophy-Learned-Raptors/dp/1508557004/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1455555613&sr=8-1&keywords=ashley+raymer-brown
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