What does mental health and wellbeing mean as it relates to artists? Hosted by musician and teaching artist Louise Campbell, the Creative Care podcast dives into fostering one’s own creativity, mind-body connection, community building, and risk factors for burnout and addiction. Guests Adela Kwok, Alyssa Kuzmarov, Andy MacDonald, Ariana Pedrosa, Emmanuelle Meunier and Guy Rex Rodgers share their experience and knowledge based on their multifaceted careers that weave together their passion and skills as artists with their respective work in community, social work and various creative art therapies.

Your host for this series, Louise Campbell is a Montreal-based musician whose professional hats range from conductor to cultural mediator, community arts facilitator to musicians’ health therapist. As a composer, performer, improviser and community organizer, Louise seeks to interrogate and renew the ways in which we make music by creating new works with everyone, regardless of age, ability, level of prior experience, or training. 
For more information, visit Louise’s website at: https://louisecampbell.ca/wp/en/biography/ and listen to her music at https://redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/album/sources

Acknowledgements

This podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, see here.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

The Creative Care Podcast

Creative Care : Episode 1 :: The Big Magic of  Creativity with Alyssa Kuzmarov

In a wide-ranging discussion that dives into Alyssa Kuzmarov’s journey as an artist and her ongoing work with youth in the Youth Protection System, this episode discusses the importance of recognizing and meeting one’s needs in fostering one’s own and others' creativity and mental health.

Alyssa Kuzmarov, social worker and filmmaker, is passionate about making film accessible to people rarely represented in the media. Alyssa, along with Jean-Michel Sauri through their production company Productions Oracle, has produced and directed over 40 film projects with schools, community organizations and youth and families of all backgrounds, including RESILIENCE (2021), a docu-fiction based on the real life experiences of youth in the Youth Protection System and youth under the jurisdiction of the Young Offenders Act.

To find out more about Alyssa and her film RESILIENCE, see:
www.productions-oracle.com

Acknowledgements

Hosted by Louise Campbell, this podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, click here: https://redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/album/sources.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

Creative Care : Episode 1 :: The Big Magic of  Creativity with Alyssa Kuzmarov

Creative Care : Episode 2 :: The Arts as a Way of Life with Adela Kwok and Guy Rodgers

In this episode, film maker Adela Kwok and long-time arts activist Guy Rodgers join Louise Campbell in a discussion on mental health and wellbeing from their perspectives as artists in different stages of their careers from emerging through to mid-career and established.

To find out more about organizations and films referred to in this podcast, see:
What we choose to remember (full length feature documentary): https://whatwechoosetoremember.ca/eng
https://www.y4yquebec.org

Adela Kwok is an emerging Chinese-Canadian filmmaker born and raised in a suburb north of Toronto. Her interests lie strongly in eco-cinema, exploring how feelings of dystopia and climate anxiety are experienced in the context of everyday life. Adela aims to create films that explore humanity's relationship with the natural environment and the ways in which culture and development mold this connection. She is drawn especially to diasporic stories, examining how tradition, trauma and language is informed by its environment. While she is currently working in the non-profit world, she hopes to continue to pursue a path in filmmaking. Her last film, "Sprint" (2022) was screened at Defy Film Festival and Toronto Art House Film Festival. Her new short film, Anja (2024), is beginning its festival circuit and will be released sometime this year. To learn more about Adela, see her website at: https://adelakwok.com/

A long-time arts activist, Guy Rex Rodgers was co-founder of the Quebec Drama Federation (QDF) and the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF), was a member of the founding board of le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), and was founding Executive Director of the English-Language Arts Network (ELAN) in 2004. Since leaving ELAN in 2020 Guy has produced and directed eight documentary films about Anglos in Quebec in collaboration with MAtv, the National Film Board of Canada and CBC. For the past year he has toured the feature length documentary What We Choose to Remember to more than 25 communities around Quebec. Guy also writes a monthly column about culture, politics and history for The Montrealer magazine.

Acknowledgements

Hosted by Louise Campbell, this podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, click here: https://redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/album/sources.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

Creative Care : Episode 2 :: The Arts as a Way of Life with Adela Kwok and Guy Rodgers

Creative Care : Episode 3 :: Understanding and Avoiding Burnout with Emmanuelle Meunier

Artists’ lives and careers can be rewarding and challenging, as ever changing schedules, interests and working conditions can attest to. This episode addresses burnout, prevention and self-care with art therapist Emmanuelle Meunier. 

Emmanuelle Meunier is a creative journaling artist and trained art therapist. She loves working with various individuals and ethnicities and has a niche working with youth from 5 to 17 years old. She researched the topic of self care and burnout prevention while in graduate school (Concordia University) and is passionate about sharing her results with artists and the general public.

For more information on some the issues discussed in this episode, see:

Article about the myth of the tortured artist:
https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/world-mental-health-day-tortured-artist-dangerous-myth-pain-art-depression-suicide-a8576971.html

National library of medecine'article about protective factors to burnout:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7301947/

Creative journaling:
https://journalcreatif.com/en/

For more information on Emmanuelle:
https://artistedesavie.ca/
Where to find Emmanuelle’s podcast:
https://jesuisart-therapeute.baladocanada.ca/

Acknowledgements

Hosted by Louise Campbell, this podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, click here: https://redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/album/sources.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

Creative Care : Episode 3 :: Understanding and Avoiding Burnout with Emmanuelle Meunier

Creative Care : Episode 4 :: Artists and the Mind-Body Connection with Ariana Pedrosa

This episode addresses the mind-body connection and its various applications for artists with Ariana Pedrosa, musician and Alexander Technique teacher. 

Ariana Pedrosa is fascinated by the study of mind/body. With a background in music as a classical bassoonist, Ariana is also a pedagogue and movement researcher. It is through the Alexander Technique she works with artists to optimize performance by developing skilful body awareness.

To find out more about Ariana and the Alexander Technique, see:
arianapedrosa.com 
techniquealexandermontreal.ca/en/

Acknowledgements

Hosted by Louise Campbell, this podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, see here.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

Creative Care : Episode 4 :: Artists and the Mind-Body Connection with Ariana Pedrosa

Creative Care : Episode 5 :: Building Resilient Communities with Andy MacDonald

This episode addresses the importance of community building as a protective factor against isolation and risk of addiction with guitarist and music therapist Andy MacDonald. Music featured in this episode was composed by Andy MacDonald.

​​Andy MacDonald is an improvising musician, composer and a Certified Music Therapist. As a healthcare professional, Andy has experience in mental health, geriatrics, and addictions services. His mission is rooted in helping individuals, families, and communities unlock their full health and well-being potential through music-based activities, including improvisation, songwriting, and mindful listening.

For more information on Andy, and to listen to his music, see:
andy-macdonald.ca/
andymacdonaldmusic.ca/
andymacdonald.bandcamp.com/

Acknowledgements

Hosted by Louise Campbell, this podcast was recorded at ELAN’s Community Digital Arts Hub, with mixing by Tyler Rauman and editing by Ariel Piermont. Music featured on this podcast was composed, performed and produced by Louise Campbell. To listen to the complete works, click here: https://redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/album/sources.

The Creative Care podcast is funded by the Government of Quebec’s Secrétariat aux relations avec les Québécois d'expression anglaise, and managed by the Community Health & Social Services Network (CHSSN). The views expressed herein are based on the experience and professional training of each guest, and supported by information on mental health and wellbeing that were current at the time of recording in March 2024. These views do not necessarily represent the views of ELAN or CHSSN.

Creative Care : Episode 3 :: Understanding and Avoiding Burnout with Emmanuelle Meunier

ELAN Quebec