Art, creativity and Parkinson's: Art with a Heart

"I realised I am not my disease. I'm a person living with PD, and I aim to live life fully."

In this episode of the Parkinson's Life podcast, we explore the relationship between Parkinson's and creativity, and why so many people with the condition report becoming more creative after being diagnosed.

The episode is part of Parkinson's Europe's Art With a Heart campaign, which celebrates artists with Parkinson's who use their work to raise awareness and funds.

We begin with Sara Zeggio, a PhD student at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands, who researches creative methods in Parkinson's care.

She talks us through her study of how people with Parkinson's perceive changes in their creativity, and why a shift in creativity could be worth mentioning to a healthcare professional. Sara also tells us about the Art Inquiry Lab, and why she believes the arts should be seen as a necessity in healthcare, rather than a luxury.

We then meet three artists. Barbara Salsberg Mathews, an illustrator, painter and author, describes how her diagnosis initially stopped her painting, and how she now puts her tremor to work when shading her drawings. She also tells us about her book, Harvesting Joy, a vibrant collection of illustrations and real stories exploring how people with Parkinson's find and harvest joy.

Rudolph Castro, a filmmaker, illustrator and musician from Peru, shares the inspiration behind Parkinson's Scores, a project that turns the movements of people with Parkinson's into music.

Finally, photographer Cristian Mitrani, based in Argentina, explains why keeping busy is so important for coping with the emotional side of Parkinson's, and how his prints are raising funds for Parkinson's Europe.

Links:

The Art with a Heart campaign: https://parkinsonseurope.org/parkinsons-art-with-a-heart

Harvesting Joy: https://parkinsonseurope.org/harvestingjoy

Cristian Mitrani Photography: https://parkinsonseurope.org/cristian-mitrani

The Art Inquiry Lab: https://art-inquiry-lab.com

Paper: Neuropsychological insights into creativity in people with Parkinson’s disease: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12630753

Rudolph Castro Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudolphcastro/?hl=en

Meet your hosts:

Amelia Hursey is Strategic Director at Parkinson's Europe. She has a master's in cognitive neuropsychology and has been involved in the neurodegenerative research world for 15 years.

Anthony Zahra is a broadcaster and journalist with more than 20 years' experience in radio, digital and podcasting.

For the latest research and information on Parkinson's, visit the Parkinson's Europe website.

If you like what you've heard, please rate and review – it helps make sure others can find us. Keep a lookout for our next episode and until then, take care!

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