The Art of Mental Health

Drop by the Ruby on Friday at noon for a casual art talk and free lunch to learn about the behind-the-scenes aspect of the creative process, careers in the arts, and more.

Melissa Miller and a panel of artists will discuss The Art of Mental Health, a community exhibit of artwork by local artists that focuses on active efforts to create or maintain mental health and wellness. Maintaining our mental health is a lifelong process that requires intentional effort reflecting both science and art.

The science of mental health refers to research about factors that generally contribute to improved well-being—such as exercise, consistent sleep, being in nature, engaging in enjoyable activities, and doing things that give us a sense of accomplishment.

The art of mental health is the individual process to determine which of these factors are important to our own unique sense of wellness. We continually experiment to learn what works as we strive to improve or maintain our emotional wellness.

Miller will discuss her hopes for the community impact of this exhibit, and the artists will share their personal interpretations of The Art of Mental Health.

Panelists:

• Sujal Manohar is a senior at Duke, studying Neuroscience and Visual Arts, who is interested in incorporating the arts into medicine.
• Christine Hager-Braun, who grew up in Germany, moved to the US to pursue her career as scientist; and, for more than twelve years now, has been enjoying life as a full-time fiber artist.
• Stacy Crabill is a mixed media artist who maintains life balance by running, beekeeping and gardening in addition to her art.