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Learning to See
Artful Prayer
Today I get to introduce you to Bre Reed, Art Therapy professor at Bethel University and owner of Creative Connections Counseling, a faith based counseling center. She leads workshops at churches teaching people how to pray with art, hosts a weekly online prayer group, and has written two devotionals. You can connect with her on Instagram @BreReedATRBC, Facebook Creative Connections Counseling LLC, and her website CreativeConnectionsCounseling.net.
Listen in to learn how a praying with art can transform our hearts, minds, bodies and souls!
Get all the bonus content for today's episode on Patreon and join us for art making time during Transformational Studio Time where you'll get a special sneak peek of Bre's newest devotional "Painting in His Presence."
Learn more about Jen and the healing power of art at Learning to See Studio
Would you like to introduce the healing power of art into your ministry or church?
Then the How to CARE book by Scott McElroy and Jen Alward is for you. It gives you the science, research, and Biblical backing you'll need, along with 150 art activity ideas (includingPamela's "Letting Go" project).
What about using art to help your family connect in new ways or to help you cope with grief?
Consider these books by Jen:
- Finding Hope: How to cope with loss using Art Therapy
- Hope and Healing at Home: Build bridges with your kids and empower them for life with Art & Christian Therapy
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8. Healing in Arts
30:02||Season 3, Ep. 8Today I get to introduce you to Pamela Alderman, founder of Healing in Arts, an organization that brings hope and healing around the world through collaborative community art projects. Listen along to hear about her journey and the powerful creative projects she is facilitating (like the installations at ArtPrize this September).Get all the bonus content for today's episode on Patreon and join us for art making time during Transformational Studio Time.Learn more about Jen and the healing power of art at Learning to See StudioWould you like to introduce the healing power of art into your ministry or church? Then the book "How to CARE" is for you. It gives you the science, research, and Biblical backing you'll need, along with 150 art activity ideas (includingPamela's "Letting Go" project).
7. Artful Storywork
31:28||Season 3, Ep. 7Today I get to introduce you to Shelley Henk of "Whole Soul Studio" who combines her knowledge of medicine, nutrition, faith ,and art together to help people creatively heal their whole being and rewrite their story. Today she shares a bit of her own story of how trauma and stress impacted her physical health and ultimately helped her create "Artful Storywork" as the foundtational process to her "Beautiful School of You" curriculum.Get all the bonus content and join us for Transformational Studio Time on PatreonConnect more with Shelley on Instagram and Facebook and sign up for her Beautiful School of You cohort starting next month.Learn more about Jen and the healing power of art at Learning to See StudioWould you like to introduce the healing power of art into your ministry or church? Then the book "How to CARE" is for you. It gives you the science, research, and Biblical backing you'll need, along with 150 art activity ideas.Would you like to use art to build connection in your family? Check out Jen's book "Hope and Healing at Home"
6. Glue Books
29:55||Season 3, Ep. 6Today Marjolaine introduces us to glue books, one of the best ways she's found to engage her creativity for healing and breakthrough! We talk about the logistics of this process, that's really never meant to be finished but can help us face and overcome fears with small steps. We'll dive into it deeper and have more examples during our Transformative Studio Time this month. Hope you'll join us and try creating your own glue book to inspire you on your journey.Marjolaine works with the anti sex trafficking organization Fight4Freedom and has her own healing art business that helps people breakthrough roadblocks and achieve their dreams.To see the videos and access helpful links and other ideas for putting the healing power of art into practice in your life, head on over to Patreon and check out the "Glue Book s with Marjolaine Walker" post for June 2025. If you want to watch the interview, click here.We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you can start to bridge the gap you feel and accept the invitation to combine your art and faith.If you want to be inspired to dive into scripture with art making, check out Encounters in Colour 2025. The free retreat ran June 2-8 and each of the 7 artists focuses on a different verse and style of art journaling to help you encounter God in a new way. I taught a lesson on Ezekiel 37's dry bones and Marjolaine taught a lesson on neurographic art. If you purchase the Encounters in Colour Library you'll gain access to all the lessons (14) from 2024 and 2025 for a full year! Hope you'll join us and invite a friend too!The How to CARE book is another great resource for how you can support people during difficult times with art. The website is being updated with new resources and I'm working on a workbook companion to the book as well :)
5. Art Ministry beyond the church walls
32:47||Season 3, Ep. 5This month we get to hear from the inspiring Jessie Nilo, founder of God Loves Art! Today we get to hear about her journey from a lonely artist sitting in a pew to developer of an art ministry that transformed a church to a ministry that expands prison walls to touch hearts. Plus we get a sneak peek into her journal and the Blind Contour drawing exercise that brought peace to her soul on a very difficult day. We're going to dig more into Blind Contour and Semi-Blind Contour Drawing during our Transformative Studio Time this month. Hope you'll join us.To gain access to helpful links and other ideas for putting the healing power of art into practice in your life, head on over to Patreon and check out the "Art Ministry beyond the church walls" post for May 19, 2025. If you want to watch the interview, click here.We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you can start to bridge the gap you feel and accept the invitation to combine your art and faith.If you want to be inspired to dive into scripture with art making, check out Encounters in Colour 2025. It's FREE for the week of June 2-8 and each of the 7 artists focuses on a different verse and style of art journaling to help you encounter God in a new way. I'm teaching a lesson on Ezekiel 37's dry bones. Hope you'll join us and invite a friend too! If you purchase the Encounters in Colour Library you'll gain access to all the lessons (14) from 2024 and 2025 for a full year! Hope you'll join us and invite a friend too!The How to CARE book is another great resource for how you can support people during difficult times with art. The website is being updated with new resources and I'm working on a workbook companion to the book as well :)
4. Music Therapy
33:39||Season 3, Ep. 4In this episode it is my privilege to introduce you to Lori Lotz, a retired music therapist and native american flute player from Tennessee. She’ll share some of the science behind how music impacts our mind, shifts our emotions, and helps us connect with others and lift up prayers to GodTo see the videos mentioned and access helpful links and other ideas for putting the healing power of music into practice in your life, head on over to Patreon and check out the "Music Therapy" post for April 21, 2025.We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you plan to put your fingers to work as you express yourself and shift your mood through music, art and bread making.If you want to be inspired to dive into scripture with art making, check out Encounters in Colour 2025. It's free for the week of June 2-8 and each artist focuses on a different verse and style of art journaling to help you encounter God in a new way. I'm teaching a lesson on Ezekiel 37's dry bones. Hope you'll be able to come...invite a friend too!Take this podcast to the next level:Go SEE this podcast on Youtube.Check out the the write-up with links and downloads, etc., available through the "Digging Deeper Together" membership level on Patreon.Join our "Transformational Studio Time" to explore this topic further through personalized discussion and making art togGo get your own copy of How to CARE with over 200 art activities to help churches minister through art in the wake of crisis and disasters and develop ongoing mental health ministry.Check out our course "Birds & Flowers" that walks you through art processes to transform ordinary things into reminders of God's tender care and provision for you.
3. Healing & Comfort
31:39||Season 3, Ep. 3In this episode it is my privilege to introduce you to Linda Sylvester. She wears a variety of hats that include healing prayer warrior, musician, dreamer, art minister, poet, cancer survivor, widow, supportive listener, and physical therapist. I hope you enjoy this sampling of her talents and heart today.Learn more about her creative, prayer filled retreat at Evanston Vineyard Church SATURDAY MARCH 22.To see the art projects and listen to the full recording of "Drench Me Jesus" head on over to Patreon and check out the "Healing and Comfort" post for March 17, 2025.We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you pause to focus on the present moment and find peace.Take this podcast to the next level:Go SEE this podcast on Youtube.Check out the the write-up with links and downloads, etc., available through the "Digging Deeper Together" membership level on Patreon.Join our "Transformational Studio Time" to explore this topic further through personalized discussion and making art togThe CARE book has officially released!Go get your own copy of How to CARE with over 200 art activities to help churches minister through art in the wake of crisis and disasters and develop ongoing mental health ministry.Check out our course "Birds & Flowers" that walks you through art processes to transform ordinary things into reminders of God's tender care and provision for you.
2. We Can Rebuild!
30:37||Season 3, Ep. 2This is part 2 of our interview Dr Amy Backos. Today we talk about how rebuilding after trauma is in our history as individuals, families, countries and the world. Creation hasn't stopped since the beginning and sometimes, as all artists know, destruction is part of the process. There is always good news to be found during the painful parts: God is present, helpers are coming, and there are treasures to be found--we can do this--you can do this.Trauma and fear responses are discussed along with the importance of practicing gratitude so that we can stop dissociation and get ourselves out of survival mode into the present where we can make choices and take beneficial action.We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you pause to focus on the present moment and find peace.Take this podcast to the next level:Go SEE this podcast on Youtube.Check out the the write-up with links and downloads, etc., available through the "Digging Deeper Together" membership level on Patreon.Join our "Transformational Studio Time" to explore this topic further through personalized discussion and making art togThe CARE book has officially released! Go get your own copy of How to CARE with over 200 art activities to help churches minister through art in the wake of crisis and disasters and develop ongoing mental health ministry.Check out our course "Birds & Flowers" that walks you through art processes to transform ordinary things into reminders of God's tender care and provision for you.
1. The Importance of Presence
31:06||Season 3, Ep. 1This interview is packed with information from how art helps us know ourselves, build bridges of trust across cultures, and helps us be present. This is critical in surviving, overcoming and thriving hard times in our lives. Dr Amy Backos reminds us that:Making art helps us learn to see in new ways, heal from trauma, and can help prevent things from getting worse!We'd love to hear from you about your thoughts on this episode and how you pause to focus on the present moment and find peace.Take this podcast to the next level:Go SEE this podcast on Youtube.Check out the the write-up with links and downloads, etc., available through the "Digging Deeper Together" membership level on Patreon.Join our "Transformational Studio Time" to explore this topic further through personalized discussion and making art together.Check out our new course "Birds & Flowers" that walks you through art processes to transform ordinary things into reminders of God's tender care and provision for you.Preorder the How to CARE book with over 200 art activities to help churches minister through art in the wake of crisis and disasters and develop ongoing mental health ministry.