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Kelley Connors

President & Founder, KC Healthcare Communications

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Health and wellbeing can be improved by nurturing creativity. Creativity can exist in a conversation, in text, in art, and in habits.

It's been proven that our thought patterns influence our emotions. Emotions can influence our health. But, how does this work? Can we nurture repetitive thought patterns that change how we feel? Change our blood glucose levels, change our blood pressure?
Who best can do this? What gets in the way? How can we encourage more nurturing of health and wellbeing?

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Topics: Healthcare TEDWomen Women empowerment change global health new age schooling wellness
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    Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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    May 15 2011: I hope you don't consider this offering off topic as I believe you are aiming at personal wellness through the creative process but I do intende this sharing in that spirit. Anna Schuliet heals buildings and spacess that have housed the unspeakable violence and human degradation through her art. She does her installations at places like closed mental institutions, closed military outposts ..some only for one day..some for an extended time and invites the public to experience the healing of the trasnformation and re hallowing her art brings to these places. Interstingly, the owners of these facilities ( often a government agency) recognize th e powerful healing this kind of closure brings so she has been commissioned by several as the official closing of facilities that have housed violence and degradation ( Is anybody listening..Anna should be a TED Talk!!!!). She is the youngest ever MacArthur Genius fellow and the very premise of her work is deeply moving and inspirational.http://www.anna-schuleit.com/
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    Lindsay Newland Bowker 50+

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    May 15 2011: Hi Kelley--love your idea that creativity and wellness are somehow linked. My island is home to the internationally renowned Haystack Mountain School of Crafts where an ordinary person can be among a group of 10 which includes those whose art is in distinguished private and museum collections under the guidance of someone like Dale Chilhuly. Part of the Haystack experience is to live in community..to respect and celebrate each others journey and exploration.. Also on our island, because we are sucha an established arts community throughout the year our disntiguished and accomplished year round artsists try to bring an exploration of creativity to evryone..children in school, people in the nursing home, lobsterman and moms. Some of of it is under a specific program called "The Healthy Island Project" . Over the years since i have been here that has grown to include music and writing. Through our wonderful and creative Perfoming arts venue , Opera House Arts, visiting performers, many of international celebrity, engage with the local community through many programs and in many ways while they are here. All of these experiences prove your premise every day here..Every person has an inborn creativity that can be tapped , evolved, emanated and that expereiencce is well ness..is healing..not just for individuals but for communities..
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    liz Tuohy

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    May 15 2011: I so agree that getting time off from high paced working situations can enhance creative thought. Think about what our world would be like if "our working situations" weren't so high paced that we had to get time off. What if we were creatively involved in our work, meaning, our work was an extension of ourselves.
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    liz Tuohy

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    May 15 2011: Does creativity exist merely to be seen, or does it exist because unique individuals want to find their voices in the world?

  • Ed Schulte 50+

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    May 14 2011: Kelly this Well-ness of being HUman is

    summarized wonderfully by Rumi in his poetry ...one example

    in his "When grapes turn to wine ...they long for our ability to change" poem

    ....it ends with the sober reminder that... "we made this body, cell by cell...WE made it."

    This is not a "knowing" confined to one spiritual philosophy (old age or new age) by any means, but one to be rediscover again and again as the foundation of the wholeness behind the word "creativity."
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    Salim Solaiman 50+

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    May 14 2011: Living an active life in this era when we have everything to be sedentary can be the best way out for health and well being.

    Face to face human interaction can't be replaced by anything though we can take advantage of technology to use it in virtual level.

    To be creative other than health and wellbeing , one need to be curious enough , which can be nurtured through thought provocating discussion, getting some time off from our high paced working world to think a bit , meditation etc can help
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