Art is universal – there has never been a human society without it. But we don’t always agree on what makes for good art, or even what makes something art at all. Ellen Winner, PhD, of Boston College, talks about how psychology can help answer the question “What is art?” why even non-experts can tell the difference between a child’s painting and an abstract ... Show More
Yesterday
Dyslexia myths, misconceptions and facts, with Tim Odegard, PhD
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood. Tim Odegard, PhD, talks about how dyslexia is diagnosed and defined; his own experience growing up with dyslexia; how kids at risk can be identified early; what interventions work best; ... Show More
39m 5s
Oct 1
Lefties, righties and mixed-handers: The psychology of brain asymmetry, with Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD
Left-handers make up about 10.6 percent of the world’s population. Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD, talks about why handedness and other brain asymmetries exist; the genetic and environmental factors that influence handedness; whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that lefties ar ... Show More
36m 46s
Sep 24
Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD
You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how ... Show More
34m 33s
Oct 2021
Alana Jelinek, "Between Discipline and a Hard Place: The Value of Contemporary Art" (Bloomsbury, 2020)
Some fields have an easier time describing themselves than others. "History is the study of past events." "Biology is the study of living organisms." But art? Is art a discipline? Is it a practice? Who gets to answer this most fundamental of questions, and why do we prefer not to ... Show More
59m 14s
Jul 2023
Neuroaesthetics: How Art Can Improve and Extend Your Life | Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
New episodes come out every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for free, with 1-week early access for Wondery+ subscribers. --- Did you know that just 20 minutes of art a day is as beneficial as exercise and mindfulness? Or that participating in one art experience per month can extend ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 2016
The Art of Perception: How to See and Say What Really Matters
What if success was less about mastery and more about sight?Simple truth: Most of us don’t see what is right in front of us.Instead, we see mental models and imprints of what things “should” look like or what we’ve been told to see. And, we miss what's actually happening, along w ... Show More
57m 53s
Mar 2023
Lisa Olivera on Why Making Art is Great for the World
Today Amie had the pleasure of interviewing the author of Already Enough, creator of Human Stuff on substack, and one of our instagram heroes, Lisa Olivera.
Topics Discussed by Lisa and Amie:
The magic of being introverted and quiet as a creative.
How to create when it feels lik ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2024
Artist Mothers and Education in the Arts with Artist Jennifer Combe
Jennifer Combe is a mother, artist, and associate professor of art at The University of Montana. Before shifting to higher education, she taught K12 in Washington State public schools for fifteen years. Her artwork investigates gender, contemporary mothering, and children’s devel ... Show More
39m 1s
Oct 2023
The Art of Living Well with Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen
Tara sits down with the co-authors of “Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us,” Ivy Ross & Susan Magsamen, to discuss the importance of including art in your daily life, how just 20 minutes in nature can lower cortisol levels and increase focus and making versus beholding. ... Show More
58m 56s
Feb 2024
You're Looking Wrong!: Episode 22 of The Painting Podcast
How are we taught to look at art, and why does it get everything wrong? In this episode I look at conventional ways of teaching students to look at art, and offer an alternative that allows for more intuition, experiementation, and a familiarity with the medium.
33m 22s