Parkinson's & The Arts: Unleashing Creativity for a Better Life

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hello and welcome to Live Parkinson's.
Live an Exceptional Life, thepodcast dedicated to helping you
live a great quality of lifethrough strategies, stories and
science.
I'm your host, ChrisKastnematter, and I've been
living with Parkinson's for 15years.
Thanks for joining me today.
Today's topic is Parkinson'sand the arts understanding
creativity for a better life.

(00:32):
Imagine this Carol, a retiredschool teacher, once struggling
to hold a pen steady, discoverspainting through a class with a
friend.
She's amazed with eachbrushstroke, how her tremors
seem to fade and she smiles withjoy with her new painting that
she's just created.
Now picture this Frank spenthis entire life working in
business as a salesman and amanager, never once considering

(00:54):
himself a musician.
Frank attended a Parkinson'srhythm therapy class where he
picks up a drum for the firsttime.
He's amazed that the beatsteadies his hands and helps him
focus.
For the first time in severalyears, Frank actually feels in
control.
Maria, a lifelong dancer whofeared Parkinson's would steal
her ability to move withsmoothness and grace, is amazed

(01:16):
when she's in a dance studiofilled with others like her with
Parkinson's.
She rediscovers the rhythm inher body and proves to herself
that movement, no matter howsmall, can be beautiful and make
her feel good about being ableto continue the love of her life
and dance.
Finally, James, whose voicegrew softer and less
understandable with Parkinson's,found power through

(01:36):
storytelling.
In addition, he writes articlesand stories sharing his
personal experience.
His storytelling and writinghelped him both reclaim his
voice, but also to inspireothers to do the same.
Now, creativity isn't just anoutlet for Parkinson's.
It can be a life changer,helping you to live a better
quality of life.
Now, in this episode, we'regoing to explore how art, music,

(01:58):
dance and storytelling cantransform the lives of those of
us living with Parkinson's.
I'll share personal stories ofmy friends and myself on how the
arts play a key role in ourlives to help us live our best
lives with Parkinson's.
So stay with us as we dive intothe incredible ways that the
arts can help us all live abetter, more expressive life.

(02:19):
Let me ask you a question haveyou ever dreamed of learning to
paint or draw, or maybe learn tomake pottery?
Or have you ever wanted tolearn to paint or draw, or maybe
learn to make pottery?
Or have you ever wanted tolearn to sing or play a musical
instrument so that you could gettogether and play with friends,
or write your own music orsongs, or maybe you wanted to
learn how to dance, write poetryor stories, or maybe even write

(02:39):
a book.
If you answered yes, you'vemade progress on achieving your
dream.
If not, no worries, we're nothere to judge.
If you said no, hopefully bythe end of the podcast you'll be
excited about how the arts canhelp us manage our symptoms and
live a better quality of lifewith Parkinson's.
Now I'll be honest.
I'm no different than anyoneelse.
I often dreamed of learning howto play the guitar, but was

(03:02):
reluctant and intimidatedbecause I just didn't think I
had the talent to be able to doit.
I always wanted to be able topick up a guitar and play some
of my favorite songs from myfavorite artist, but I didn't
believe I had the talent and Ithought that's something that's
out of my reach and it was justa dream that I had.
And then one day, a friend gaveme a coffee cup with a quote on

(03:22):
it that really made me think.
A friend gave me a coffee cupwith a quote on it that really
made me think, and it finallymade me take action.
And so I decided to try mydream and learn to play the
guitar.
Now you may be asking yourself,Chris, what was that quote?
It said life begins at the edgeof your comfort zone, by Neil
Donald Walsh.
Now the entire quote is lifebegins at the end of your

(03:45):
comfort zone.
If you feel uncomfortable rightnow, know that the changes
taking place in your life is abeginning and not an end, and so

(04:06):
hopefully, this podcast isgoing to help get the creative
juices flowing in you and getyou to try some type of art,
whether it's music, dance,writing or storytelling because
it has so many benefits that canreally make your life better.
Now, to that end, let's discusswhat we'll be discussing in this
podcast.
So we're going to lead it offwith discussing some of the
various benefits that art canhave on people living with
Parkinson's.
Now I think you may besurprised what involvement the

(04:28):
arts can do.
I know I certainly was.
Then we'll dive into exploringthe different art forms that can
be beneficial on yourParkinson's journey.
We'll delve into the visualarts and how you can adapt them,
based on both your motorability and your skills.
Then we'll examine and uncoverthe pleasing sounds of music and
discover its therapeutic powers.

(04:49):
Then it's time to put on ourdancing shoes and we'll discuss
how it can help with balance andcoordination.
And then we'll bring it allhome with writing and
storytelling and howself-expression can help process
and manage our emotions to makeour Parkinson's journey a lot
better.
Then we'll discussaccessibility and adaptation so
you can participate in theseprograms, because you might

(05:12):
think, well, I can't do some ofthese, but we'll talk about how
they can be adapted.
And then, finally, I'll beproviding some real-life
examples and testimonials toshow you how the arts have
played a key role in the livesof others, including myself.
So let's get started and see howthe arts can be beneficial to
those of us living withParkinson's.
Now you may be thinking toyourself, and rightly so, Chris

(05:36):
how is learning to paint orplaying a musical instrument
going to help me with myParkinson's symptoms?
Now, I think that's a fairquestion because, honestly, I
didn't realize some of thebenefits I would get from
learning the guitar, but I wasreally surprised how it's really
helped me improve the qualityof my life in terms of hand
dexterity, hand-eye coordination, memory focus.
So it's provided me with a lotof benefits.

(05:58):
So that's why I wanted to leadoff with how the arts can be
beneficial to you on yourjourney, and let's lead it off
with an area that has a bigimpact on us on a daily basis,
and that's motor skills.
Now, as we know, Parkinson'shas an effect on our motor
control and we often experiencetremors, rigidity or posture,

(06:19):
and then bradykinesia orslowness of movement.
Now, did you know thatparticipating in artistic
activities can help us managethese challenges?
I didn't think so either beforeI started.
Now, in the article Creativityin People with Parkinson's
Disease by the AmericanParkinson's Disease Association,
or APDA, they published thisarticle on January 7th of this

(06:41):
year, 2025, and they state inthe article that creative
activities, from visual arts andmusic to dancing and writing,
have shown potential inimproving the quality of life,
going beyond symptom management,by helping people with PD
express their thoughts andfeelings, connect with others
and maintain a sense of purposeand personal identity separate
from the disease.

(07:01):
In addition, certain creativeactivities have also shown
potential in helping to improvevisual cognitive skills, hand
dexterity, general motorfunction and more.
They go on to further statethat particularly advantageous
is that creative activitiesrequire no prior experience or
innate talent to reap therewards of participating

(07:26):
experience or innate talent toreap the rewards of
participating, and they can betailored to each of your
personal, unique needs, From theactivity selected to the way
you participate in it.
It's going to help give you asense of control over the
disease and often help to lessenthe impact it makes on your
lives.
All right, so let's look atsome specific types of art and
creative activities that canhelp with our motor skills.

(07:47):
The first one is painting andsculpting.
Now, if you think about it,when you're painting, you're
picking up the brush, or whenyou're sculpting, you have the
clay in your hands, and so theseactivities involve a lot of
detailed work and they're goingto help you maintain your fine
motor skills and your hand-eyecoordination.
So just think, justmanipulating the brush on,

(08:11):
whether it's a canvas orwhatever you happen to be
painting on, or molding clay,where you're taking a ball of
clay and you're working it inyour hands.
It's going to build musclestrength, it's going to build
hand dexterity and it's going tohelp you improve those type of
motor skills and it's going tohelp with your tremors as well.
Next up is playing music.

(08:31):
Now, whether it's playing aninstrument or whether you're
singing, music engages multiplemotor skills.
So, for instance, when I'mplaying guitar, I need to be
able to, with my left hand formchords with my fingers and then
move those fingers around thefretboard.
So it's really helped me toimprove my manual dexterity and

(08:53):
fine motor skills on my lefthand, which is the hand that I
have the tremor in.
And then also I need goodmemory and good focus to follow
along on the sheet music as I'mlistening to a song and then my
right hand is strumming.
So I have to have good hand-eyecoordination to keep all those
in control.

(09:14):
So playing music, or evenlistening to music, is going to
help you maintain your dexterityand your rhythm, and we all
know you've got to keep therhythm.
The rhythm is important, solet's remember that.
And and then, for instance,someone playing the trumpet or
the flute, they have to be ableto have manual dexterity in
their fingers to move the valvesup and down, as well as at the

(09:36):
same time where they're blowingacross the instrument or blowing
into the instrument to get thesound.
So it's going to build yourmanual dexterity, it's going to
build your focus, it's going tobuild your hand-eye coordination
.
And then in terms of singing,singing can strengthen your
vocal muscles and improve yourbreath control, which are
oftentimes affected fromParkinson's.

(09:57):
And then dance Dance,especially forms like tai chi or
adapted dance classes can beincredibly beneficial for both
your balance, your coordinationand your gait.
The rhythmic movements that youuse in dance and you're
focusing on posture, that'sgoing to help you with your
motor control and reduce therisk of falling.

(10:18):
So, as you're doing yourmovements, if you're focusing on
keeping a good posture, that'sgoing to help you work through
and reduce the risk of falls.
So even gentle swing or movingto the music can be helpful.
Okay, that was a look at howartistic activities can help
with motor skills.
Now let's look at some of theother benefits, and let's start

(10:38):
off with cognitive function.
As we all know, Parkinson'simpacts our cognitive abilities
and especially things likememory, attention and executive
function, planning andorganizing.
Art offers a good way to beable to stimulate the brain and
hopefully reduce some of ourcognitive challenges.
So how can music or the arts ordance help to improve our

(11:04):
cognitive function?
Well, first thing is it helpswith creative problem solving.
So, whether it's painting, youmay have to look at your
painting and decide you need tomix colors and have to solve
problems.
And how am I going to mix thecolors to get the color I want
to fit into my painting, get thecolor I want to fit into my

(11:27):
painting, or how am I going totake this piece of clay and mold
it into whatever that I want itto be?
Would be an example it could bewriting a piece of.
Maybe you want to write a song,so it's writing a piece of music
, and you need to be able tostructure that music.
So you're going to engage yourcognitive functions doing that
as well.
So you're going to engage yourcognitive functions doing that
as well.
And then, with dance, you'regoing to be moving and as you

(11:50):
move around, you're also goingto have to think about what your
moves are and move in a fluidmotion.
So that's going to help.
And then the other area thatit's going to really help with
is memory and focus.
Now, these are two areas Idefinitely need help with, and
when you learn new artistictechniques whether you're trying
to remember musical passages,if you just want to play from

(12:11):
memory, or you're following adance routine or exercise that
you had to memorize, they canhelp you improve your
concentration.
And the focus required forartistic activities can also
help you, especially people likeme who have difficulty with
their concentration, becauseactivity itself lends itself to
forcing you to be more focusedso that you can complete

(12:34):
whatever the task is that you'redoing in front of you.
And then, finally, the arts canhelp us with cognitive
stimulation.
Engaging in artistic activitystimulates different areas of
our brain, promotingneuroplasticity.
Now, you might have heard thatword before because I talked
about it in another podcast andessentially what that is?
The ability for your brain tomake new neural connections or

(12:54):
new neural pathways.
So you've heard the term musclememory.
So when you keep repeating aprocess, your brain develops
these new neural pathways orconnections to help you learn
the new skill, and that canpotentially slow cognitive
decline.
And then the mental engagementrequired for ART can keep the
brain active and engaged.

(13:16):
Now, another big benefit of theART is emotional well-being.
Art can be a powerful tool inhelping us express our emotions,
and that's important for peopleliving with Parkinson's,
because it can lead to a lot ofpeople with Parkinson's have
anxiety and depression, and itgives you an emotional outlet
and it also a lot of theseactivities, artistic activities

(13:39):
can be done with others.
So there's, it helps to buildthat social connection and
prevent social isolation, whichis very important, and so the
arts give people a creativeoutlet for sharing their
emotions and coming to termswith them and then hopefully
allow them to get over some ofthe challenges that they're
facing.
Now, whether it's painting,writing or playing music, it can

(14:03):
help you process your emotions.
And then the art is also greatat stress reduction.
It can be a relaxing way toreduce stress and anxiety,
because you get lost in, or yourfocused attention on, what
we're participating in whetherit be painting, sculpting,
playing music and so it's almostlike a form of mindfulness
You're going to stay in the nowversus worry about what's going

(14:26):
on, worrying about your symptoms.
So it helps us distract us fromsome of that and gives us a
sense of calm.
And then, finally, art helpsboost our mood.
Now, when we create something,whether meaningful, whether it's
a song, whether it's a painting, or whether you write a story
or a book, you get a sense ofaccomplishment, and that sense

(14:50):
of accomplishment really isgoing to help to boost your
self-esteem.
And then, as I mentioned that,a lot of these activities that
we're going to be talking aboutcan be done in group activities
and you can build some greatfriendships and social
connections.
That way it's going to helpkeep you engaged and really help
with your quality of life.
I know myself personally.

(15:10):
I get a great sense ofsatisfaction when I can get
together with other people andplay guitar, and so these are
some of the multiple benefitsthat are out there just waiting
for you to take advantage of ifyou participate in some of the
creative activities.
All right, now let's take a lookand explore some of the
different types of art formsthat are available for you to

(15:31):
try.
The way I like to lead it offis think about things that
you're passionate about.
So are you more the creativevisual arts, where you're into
painting and that type of thing,or are you more into music?
Not that you can't do multipleartistic activities, it's just
you may want to focus on onethat you're really passionate

(15:52):
about first and then expand out.
So let's start with the visualarts and let's lead it off with
painting.
You're saying, Chris, you'recrazy if you think I can paint.
Well, indulge me for just onesecond, if you will.
I thought the exact same thing.
That was until I was invited totwo different painting events.
The first one was throughAdopt-a-Boxer Rescue.

(16:14):
Now my wife Mary and I havebeen working with this great
organization and we've adoptedfive abandoned boxer dogs over
the last 20 years and currentlyhave two.
Right now Duke, who's 12 and Icall him the big man on campus
and he's been in the family for10 and a half, almost 11 years

(16:34):
and then Katie, who was a puppymill mom and spent most of her
seven years of her life in acrate.
Anyway, I digress, but Iattended one of their painting
fundraisers and it was what theycalled a wine painting night.
Now, I had the assumption goingin that you showed up, they
gave you a canvas and which hadan outline of the picture that

(16:55):
we were going to paint and youjust pick the colors and stayed
within the lines and each of youwould walk away with.
You know this painting, butmuch to my surprise kind of like
paint by numbers, I guess, ifyou think about it but much to
my surprise, the instructor gaveus this blank framed canvas and

(17:17):
some paints and a palette andsaid that she would be going
over how to paint the picture ofa boxer sitting next to the
water with a lighthouse in thebackground and the sun setting
on the water, with a tree andits branches on the side.
And I'm sitting there thinkingto myself sure I am.
I've got a tremor in my lefthand.

(17:37):
Focusing isn't one of my keyskills anymore and I have no
talent and I'm going to paintthat particular scene that
you're describing Well, much tomy surprise, the instructor did
a great job of showing us how tostart, mix the colors, blend
them and so on, and they camearound to help and it was an
awesome experience.

(17:58):
At the end of the evening, Ihad painted the picture they
shared and the one that theydiscussed at the beginning, and
I couldn't believe how proud ofmyself I was.
In fact, I still have thatpainting hanging on my wall in
my spare bedroom slash podcaststudio, slash guitar studio to
this day Now.
My second event was through aParkinson's support group and we

(18:20):
got together for a paintingactivity and we made a Monet
painting of a flower vase on atable with different flowers and
colors.
Now it was a great opportunityto share time with my friends
from the class and paint apicture, and again, I still have
that hanging on the wall besidemy boxer dog painting.
So why should you considergiving it a try?

(18:41):
Well, painting can help improveyour fine motor skills, your
hand-eye coordination and yourcolor perception, and it's
really it's a great activity andit's a powerful outlet to help
you share and express youremotions, and it's great for
stress reduction.
And it's also again, it's agood opportunity for social
interaction when you do it withothers.
Now you may be thinking toyourself Chris, I have

(19:04):
limitations and challenges thatwill prevent me from painting,
and I certainly understand.
But I've always believed thatif there's a will, there's a way
.
And how can we make adaptationsso that everyone can participate
?
So if you have limited mobility, for example, you can use
larger canvases, use easels thatadjust vertically and
horizontally, you can usepre-mixed paints in squeeze

(19:28):
bottles or have the instructorput the paints on a palette for
you.
You can use adaptive brusheswith larger handles and or
longer handles.
You can try watercolor paintinginstead of oil-type painting,
which can be physically lessdemanding because the paint is
thinner.
Now, if you have tremors, youcan try using heavier paints,
which can help you with yourcontrol, and you can experiment

(19:52):
with different type of paintingtechniques.
Like you, can use a paletteknife instead of a brush, which
is the palette brush is going tobe less affected by the tremors
, and then you can use weightedgloves or a wrist brace to help
stabilize your hand.
And if you have visualimpairments, you can use bold
colors and try contrastingbackgrounds.

(20:13):
I want to give out a shout outto my friend Liza.
She's from the Parkinson'sexercise class.
She paints wonderful paintingsand she actually started selling
her work and this past weekendshe was entering one of her
paintings, which was a Bantamrooster, in the local county art
competition.
I'm proud of her and herwonderful talents.

(20:33):
So my hope is that you'll giveit a try.
You may be like me and surpriseyourself at what you can do and
how much fun you can have.
Now, another visual art that youcan try is drawing and again
I'll be honest, I never trieddrawing, but I'm amazed at what
people can draw and some of thewonderful art they produce.
Some people earn a good sideliving with their drawings by

(20:58):
making animations, caricaturesor just doing detailed drawings
of scenes.
Now, drawing is a great way toenhance your fine motor skills
and your hand-eye coordinationand even your spatial reasoning
how things fit together in space.
So as you're drawing, you'retrying to figure out how things
are going to be interconnected,and it can also be a relaxing,

(21:19):
almost meditative activity.
Just like painting, drawing isgoing to challenge you to
address some of your symptomsand come up with some different
coping options to help you getover those All right.
The next type of art form issculpting.
Again, it's an activity I'veonly limited exposure to Now.

(21:40):
I remember taking an activityclass in middle school where we
used clay to make well, a vase,if that's what I wanted to call
it, or I guess I made a flowerpot and they put it in the kiln
and then when it came out of thekiln we painted it and glazed
it.
Now I can't say I was very goodat sculpting, but my friend
Rebecca from high school wasvery artistic and was also a

(22:03):
good sculptor and made someimpressive things through
sculpting.
So if you like to work withyour hands and you don't mind
getting dirty, try a sculptingclass.
It can help you build andimprove your hand and strength,
dexterity and just your generalspatial awareness.
Sculpting is also one that canget you to use your senses.

(22:27):
When you're doing it, you'vegot the tactile touch of the
clay in your hands, You've gotthe smell of the clay and then
you're visualizing how you wantthis blob of clay sitting on the
table or in your hands tobecome the object that you want.

(22:47):
Again, as with all art forms.
They have workarounds so thateveryone can participate.
So if you're into sculpting,check it out and see how it can
be modified.
Now, another art form that'ssimilar to sculpting is pottery,
and it can be done in two wayswhere you start from scratch and
make something and put it inthe kiln and then finish it.

(23:08):
Or you can do what I did withthe Parkinson's class and we
attended a pottery paintingclass.
So Andy, Joan, Shelly, Melissaand others, we participated in a
class where they gave us acoffee mug with our name on it
and they set a bunch of paintsin front of us and we painted
and created the coffee cup thatwe wanted to make it look

(23:28):
however we wanted.
So when we were all finished,they took what we had done, they
put a glaze on it and put it inthe kiln and then out came our
wonderfully designed coffee cupto take home and use.
So it was.
I mean, I thought it was a funexperience because we were
talking and laughing and havinga great time while we were
painting our coffee mug.

(23:49):
So it's a you know, it's a fun,rewarding activity.
So if you're interested, look inyour local area for places that
do this.
I think you'll really enjoy it.
And there are a few otheroptions and ideas for visual
arts.
There's collage, where you usepre-cut paper, fabric or other
materials to create art, whichis a good option for people with

(24:09):
limited motor skills.
Then there's the textile artslike knitting, crocheting and
weaving.
Now my mom, who has dementiashe used to knit and knitted
little blankets for all thegrandkids, so it can help you
improve your hand dexterity,your hand-eye coordination, and
many people find it relaxing.
And then, finally, there's adigital art, where you can use

(24:31):
computers or tablets to createart using different software,
which may be a great learningexperience, and it's also going
to test your cognitive abilities.
So there you have it.
That's a number of differentvisual art forms that you can
try to see if you like any ofthem.
You never know until you try,and so you might try something,

(24:53):
like I did.
I enjoyed the painting andmaybe you find a new passion.
All right, let's look at ournext creative art form, and
that's music, and that can be apowerful tool for helping those
of us living with Parkinson's.
Now, I've always loved music.
It always took me to places inmy mind that reminded me of
great times in my life and itpumped me up before sporting
events and it just relaxes youwhen you just want to sit around

(25:16):
and listen to some great musicand songs and just kind of chill
out and relax.
Now, when I was growing up andgoing to school, I loved rock
music, Loved it.
I was a big fan of ACDC andlead guitarist Angus Young.
His energy on stage and how hecould just zip back and forth
across the stage running aroundplaying just amazed me.

(25:39):
Now, a couple of my otherfavorite groups at the time were
Van Halen, because Eddie VanHalen was a guitar legend, and
then Queen was another all-timefavorite.
I mean the guitar playing ofBrian May and the vocals, the
vocal energy of Freddie Mercury.
When you put those two together, it was an incredible
combination.
So one of the things you couldalways find me doing was when I

(26:02):
was listening to music.
I was playing air guitar on thebroom, dancing and running
around to songs from some ofthese groups that I loved.
Now, as I've gotten older, I'veexpanded my musical genres to
other areas, including country,folk, pop and classical, but
I've always been a rocker atheart.
Now, I never considered myselfvery musically talented at all

(26:27):
art.
Now, I never considered myselfvery musically talented at all.
When I was in middle school Itried drum lessons because I
thought I was going to be ableto wail on the drum set like
Neil Peart from Rush or JohnBonham from Led Zeppelin.
But to my disappointment, Ispent most of my time practicing
on a rubber pad with drumsticksor, briefly, on the snare drum.
But then in high school myfriends who were in the band

(26:48):
asked me to help them with thepep band for the basketball
games.
I said sure, and so they gaveme the triplet drums to play.
So I got to sit at the top ofthe stands with the triplet
drums sitting on the bench belowme, and I got to wail on the
triplet drums.
It was a blast.
Now my best friend, Scott, isin the church choir and his wife

(27:13):
Lisa is the choir director, andthey asked me if I'd like to
play in the bell choir and Isaid sure, it was fun getting to
learn to read music and playthe different bells when it was
my turn, based on the music.
So that's a brief history of mymusical experience, and before I
ramble on for another 20minutes, let's look at some of

(27:34):
the types of music you canparticipate in.
And let's start out of the gatewith singing.
Now, my standard joke is that Ican't sing because I spent the
money my mom gave me on singinglessons on pizza and soda.
Singing can be a great outletfor your creative expression.
Now, I don't know about you,but I like to sing along to
songs when I'm either by myselfor in the shower, and singing

(27:56):
can be a great way to maintainsocial interaction and a sense
of belonging.
You can sing in a choir, youcan sing in a group, you can
just get together with familyand friends and sing some of
your favorite songs.
And singing can improve yourvoice, both your quality and
your volume, which often, as weknow, gets softer with
Parkinson's and it can helpstrengthen your respiratory

(28:18):
muscles and improve yourswallowing function as well.
Now, singing helps by engagingyour vocal cords and your
respiratory system, helping youto increase your vocal loudness
and your clarity and yourrespiratory system, helping you
to increase your vocal loudnessand your clarity.
So it's going to help youimprove your breath control and
coordination, which areessential for our speech and our
swallowing.
Now, my friend, Andy, who hasParkinson's, was a middle school

(28:41):
music and chorus teacher.
Now he has a great singingvoice and he's great at teaching
people to sing.
Andy shared to me some of hisfondest memories were when he
was younger and he would gettogether with his parents and
his dad at the piano and theywould all sing their favorite
songs.
So that's a great way to spendtime with family and, you know,

(29:06):
improve your speech and yourbreathing as well.
So give singing a try if youlove music and spending time
with others, All right.
Next up is playing a musicalinstrument.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, Iplayed a lot of killer air
guitar on the broom, but Ialways had a dream of learning
to play guitar, but I always putit off because I didn't think I

(29:28):
had the talent nor the ability.
Then, after having Parkinson'sfor seven years and reading that
quote that I mentioned earlierin the podcast about life begins
at the edge of your comfortzone, I decided to throw caution
to the wind and follow my dream.
So my wife, Mary got me a giftcertificate to the local guitar
shop which Campbell's Music, andBob, the owner, was great in

(29:51):
getting me set up with a starterguitar.
I signed up for some lessonsfrom Randy, who had years of
experience teaching and playingin the bands.
He taught me the chords.
I needed to know how to readmusic and play songs using only
the notes.
Plus, he helped me with musictheory and then we learned my
favorite songs.
Now I did this once a week forabout two years and then COVID

(30:14):
hit and everything shut down.
But Randy said you know that Ilearned enough to be able to
continue teaching myself.
So I'm proud of myself when Ilearn and can play my favorite
songs to my family and friendsand they can actually recognize
the songs.
And one of the challenges Ioriginally had was I always
practiced sitting down, but Ilearned how to play standing up.

(30:37):
And now my next two focus areasare going to be able to learn to
play and sing at the same time,and I also want to write some
original songs songs knowing how, knowing the music theory now,
so I can get a good rhythm andget a nice beat.
So in my case, I wanted tolearn guitar because it had
always been a dream of mine.
There are so many choices ofinstruments to play that you can

(30:59):
really pick any one that youlove and may want to learn.
Now I do want to share some keythings I learned along the way,
which may help you on yourmusical journey.
If that's what you decide to doNow, the first is to break
things down into its smallest,simplest steps.
So learn the first part, thevery simplest part, first.
Learn the first part, the verysimplest part, first, and then,

(31:21):
once you've got that down, thenadd the next piece and then so
you play your first and second,and then you build on that and
you keep building on it as youlearn each section and then,
pretty soon, next thing you know, you're able to play the song
Now, second, I use the three P'spatience, persistence and

(31:42):
perseverance.
In terms of patience, bepatient while you're trying to
learn Just remember all thingsare going to take time to learn
and to master.
And then be persistent andpractice regularly.
Now, I never thought I'd beable to stretch my fingers when
I wanted to play a C chord, letalone transition between the
other chords.
But you know, persistence paysoff.

(32:03):
I practice it every night untilI got it and then finally
persevere.
If you love it, stick with it.
Can it be frustrating?
Absolutely, but thesatisfaction you get from being
able to accomplish your goal ispriceless.
So if you decide to learn aninstrument, I encourage you to

(32:23):
play with others, for the socialinteraction, but also because
it'll make you a better musicianand a better player on your
instrument.
All right, so let's brieflytouch on some of the benefits of
playing an instrument.
First, it can improve your finemotor skills and your hand-eye
coordination, as well as yourcognitive skills.
And then I would agree with allthose when I was learning

(32:44):
guitar, my hand dexterity and myfine motor skills are a lot
better in my left hand fromfretting and strumming, and it's
also helped with mycoordination.
So, based on where I was towhere I am now, learning to play
the guitar has really helped.
And then, reading and learningthe music has also really helped

(33:06):
me with my cognitive functionsas well.
And then, secondly, playing aninstrument gives you a sense of
accomplishment.
It increases your self-esteem,which I would definitely agree
with from my own personalexperience.
And then, so how does playing aninstrument or listening to
music for that matter help uswith our Parkinson's symptoms?
Well, that's a good question.

(33:26):
Music has a direct impact onthe brain's emotional centers,
so listening to music cantrigger the release of dopamine,
which is a neurotransmitterwe're familiar with for movement
, but it's also involved withpleasure and reward.
So the more dopamine isreleased and available.
That helps lessen our symptoms.
So listening to music can alsoreduce the levels of cortisol,

(33:49):
the stress hormone, and it alsohelps us improve our focus, our
memory and our attention.
So create some of your favoriteplaylists and play them, Listen
to them throughout the day or,you know, in the evening before
bed, and so you can use music tohelp you improve your quality
of life.
Now, before we move on to ournext art form, I wanted to
finish with the therapeuticpower of music.

(34:10):
Now, you probably didn't knowthat music had superpowers, did
you?
Yes, here are a few of thetherapeutic benefits of music.
The first is rhythmic auditorycueing.
Now, music with a strong beatcan be used to improve your gait
and your movement, becauserhythm provides base for your
movement, helping you to improveyour stride length, your

(34:33):
cadence and your balance.
It's great for emotionalexpression.
Music can be a powerful tool tohelp you express your emotions.
It can provide a sense ofrelief and just that peaceful,
easy feeling, as the Eagles songsays.
And then cognitive stimulationMusic engages multiple areas of
the brain, including thoseinvolved in attention, memory

(34:54):
and focus, and listening andplaying can help stimulate
cognitive function andpotentially slow cognitive
decline.
And then, finally, socialconnection.
When you participate in musicalactivities, whether it's in a
chorus, a band, music therapygroups, they all help foster
social interaction and aconnection to help prevent

(35:15):
social isolation.
So if you have a passion for it, I would highly recommend that
you try music.
It could be a game changer foryour symptoms.
So, whether you want to sing,play an instrument or just
simply listen to music, everyonecan do something with music.
So hopefully you do what I did,and through caution to the wind

(35:35):
, and follow your musical dream.
All right, switching gears frommusic, let's take a look at our
next creative art form, which isdancing.
Now, you may notice a patternhere, but I'm not a great dancer
either.
Why?
Because I spent the money mymom gave me for dance lessons on
movies and snacks.
Now, the nice thing aboutdancing is it's a multifaceted

(35:57):
art form, so you have a widearray of different dance styles
and they each have their owncharacteristics and benefits.
And dance can be a great toolfor improving your balance, your
coordination and just youroverall well-being.
But you know, at the same time,you're having fun and you're
engaged with others while you'redoing it.
So let's take a look at some ofthe various dance styles and

(36:19):
types and maybe that that'lllight a spark and you need to
participate in one of the dancesessions styles and types, and
maybe that'll light a spark.
You need to participate in oneof the dance sessions and let's
lead it off with ballet.
Now, people recognize balletbecause the dancers move with
intention.
You know, we always think, oh,there's the ballet dancers up on
their toes and they move sogracefully and precisely and
they have an emphasis on posture, maintaining a good posture and

(36:42):
alignment.
Now, don't panic, no one'smaking you balance on your toes,
your tiptoes.
All things can be modified,including ballet, to suit
specific needs.
Ballet can help to improve yourbalance, your core strength and
your flexibility because you'refocusing on precise movements
which can help you with yourfine motor skills and your

(37:02):
coordination.
Now you may be thinking I can'tdo ballet, but remember, things
can always be adapted.
Adaptations for ballet couldinclude using a chair or a bar
for support, modifying the stepsto be less complex or just
doing the movement with yourupper body.
If you have limited mobility inyour lower body, so remember to
movement with your upper body.
If you have limited mobility inyour lower body, so remember to

(37:23):
check with your healthcareprofessional first to ensure
that ballet is appropriate foryou.
Now another form of dance ismodern dance, and this type of
dance uses expressive movements,fluid movements and a
connection to your breath.
Modern dance promotesflexibility, coordination and
emotional expression.

(37:44):
So, essentially, what moderndance does?
It emphasizes natural movements, which can help people with
Parkinson's, with your rigidityand your stiffness.
Now, the nice thing aboutmodern dance is it can be
modified so your movements areless strenuous and you can use
props for support.
Just do the movements that feelcomfortable and natural for you

(38:04):
.
That's what's nice about moderndance.
Next up is ballroom dance, whichinvolves you and a partner
dancing to the rhythm in slow,coordinated movements.
Ballroom dance is a great wayfor helping to improve your
balance and coordination, andit's particularly beneficial for
making social connections andstaying socially engaged.

(38:24):
Folk dance is our next type ofdance, which is a traditional
dance with repetitive movementsbut has lots of social
interaction.
Folk's dancing is good forcoordination and balance, like
ballroom dancing, and therepetitive movements make it
easier to learn and remember.
Plus, it's a great option formaking social connections.

(38:45):
And then next up isinterpretive dance, and that
focuses on spontaneous movementsand self-expression.
Essentially, you create thedance based on the music and
your emotions.
So you listen to the music andyou dance based on how you feel,
and it's a good option becauseyou don't have to learn specific
steps or moves, and this typeof dance is going to help you

(39:07):
release your creativity and giveyou a sense of freedom and
being able to do what you want,to keep us from thinking about
our symptoms.
And then our final dance form orform is Tai Chi.
Now you may be thinking wait aminute, Chris.
I thought Tai Chi was a type ofexercise.
You have discussed it in a fewof the exercise podcasts and
you've written some blogs thathave included Tai Chi as

(39:28):
exercise.
Yes, you'd be correct, but atits heart, it's a traditional
Chinese martial art thatcombines slow, deliberate
movements with deep breathingand mental focus, and it's used
to promote health, physicalhealth, relaxation and
mindfulness.
Now it's often labeled asmoving meditation, because your

(39:48):
body's flow of energy or qi isharmonized.
And then Tai Chi is rooted inthe principles of Taoism and
traditional Chinese medicine andit emphasizes balance, harmony
and connectedness of the body,the mind and the spirit.
So Tai Chi can be a greatoption for improving your
balance, coordination andflexibility, and it also is

(40:09):
going to help you with yourrigidity and tremors as well.
Now I personally participatedin Tai Chi and found that it
does improve my balance, myflexibility and coordination,
and it's very relaxing becausethe movements are slow and
you're focusing on yourbreathing while you're doing it.
So I would recommend Tai Chi asa good way to help you with
your rigidity and your balance.

(40:29):
Now I will be honest for me,because I like being on the move
, it does take a few sessions toadjust to the slow pace of the
movements, but after about twoto three sessions I learned to
slow myself down, focus on mybreathing, and I really enjoyed
it.
Now, some tips to make dance anenjoyable platform is you want
to pick a style you enjoy andare more likely to stay

(40:51):
consistent with, and then focuson the dance.
Don't worry about being perfector what's somebody's watching
me.
Go out and have fun and just doit.
And then listen to your body,you know.
Rest when you need to and don'tpush too hard when you're
starting out.
Now remember to check with yourdoctor first to make sure that
the type of dance you select isappropriate for you.
But finally, just remember ifyou do a dance class.

(41:13):
Just go out there and have fun.
Just relax and enjoy yourself.
Alrighty, let's round out thecreative arts with the last type
, which is writing andstorytelling.
Now, this type of art form is agreat way to express yourself
and it's a good way to help youshare your emotions on your
Parkinson's journey.
So let's dig in and look at thefirst type of writing and

(41:34):
storytelling, which is poetry.
Now, we've all heard poetry andsome of you may have a favorite
poem or poet.
I just remember a few thingsfrom poetry.
When we studied it in Englishclass in high school, I remember
the term iambic pentameter andthat sometimes poems rhyme and
sometimes they don't.
So what exactly is poetry?

(41:55):
Well, it's a form of writingthat uses very carefully chosen
words and phrases to help youcreate a specific effect, and
poetry often uses a certain typeof rhythm, like the iambic
pentameter example I gave Rhymeand imagery to help the poet
convey specific emotions, ideasand experiences in a concise way

(42:16):
.
So, rather than writing a longstory, they can do that by
writing a poem, and it can rangefrom free verse to a structured
formula like sonnets.
Now, poetry can be beneficialfor people living with
Parkinson's because they can useit as a creative outlet for
expressing some of the emotionsthey experience on their journey
, like fear, frustration, butyou can also talk about hope and

(42:39):
resilience.
So poetry is a great way to getcognitive stimulation.
When you're writing poetry,you're using various cognitive
functions, like your memory,language processing and creative
thinking.
It's almost like a puzzle,because it's challenging to find
the right words that you wantto use and then structuring them
in a poem, and it's a greatmental exercise to convey the

(42:59):
message that you want to convey.
And then poetry is a great wayto share the daily challenges of
Parkinson's.
Next up is journaling.
Now, you probably heard ofjournaling but aren't exactly
sure what journaling is.
Well, journaling is just thepractice of regularly writing
down or jotting down yourthoughts and feelings and your
experiences, and you can useyour own specific format or what

(43:21):
you want to write down.
Some people write down whatthey're grateful for, what their
goal for the day is, how theirday went.
There are also journals outthere that include pre-written
places to complete like afive-minute journal where you
can write what your goal was forthe day, what you're grateful
for, what you learned at the endof the day and what you've
accomplished.

(43:42):
And you can use journaling tohelp you sort through your
emotions and relate toParkinson's.
You can write about youroriginal diagnosis, you could
talk about how your symptoms areprogressing, how it affects
your daily life, and this canhelp you work through some of
your feelings and help youdevelop strategies for getting
over those and living your bestlife.
I shouldn't say getting overthose, I mean addressing and

(44:04):
being able to live your bestlife, even though there's
challenges.
Now it's a great way to haveself-reflection, because you
really figure out what'simportant to you when you're
journaling, because you'rewriting down your behaviors and
your actions and you can lookback over time and notice to see
if you have any patterns.
Is there any patterns thatemerge?
And then you can use journalingto track and monitor your motor

(44:28):
and non-motor symptoms, if youwant, and describe how they
affect your life and yourcondition.
So journaling is a great way tohelp reduce stress, because it
helps you release that pent-upemotions and can give you a
sense of calm.
And then, finally, we havecreative writing, and this

(44:48):
covers a broad range of writingtypes, from fiction, short
stories, essays and memoirs.
It allows you to use youremotions and imagination to
craft a story that others mayrelate to.
Now, creative writing is agreat way to engage various
cognitive functions like yourmemory, imagination and problem
solving.
So how do you set up the story,how do you get it to flow?
How do you have a strongconclusion that's going to draw

(45:11):
the reader in?
And then creative writing isgoing to give you a sense of
purpose as well.
So when you actually writesomething and you put it out
there for people, that's a greatexperience.
Now I know, when I was writingmy book Spectacular Life Four
Essential Strategies for Livingwith Parkinson's my Journey to
Happiness, which I published onand it's still available on

(45:31):
Amazon I did it not only to helpothers based on the things I'd
learned over a decade or more ofliving with Parkinson's, but it
also helped me on my journey byhelping me look back and
realize, through resilience,social interaction and
positivity, that you can learnto live a great life with
Parkinson's.
So creative writing is a greatway to share your experiences

(45:53):
and your story, to help not onlyyourself but others as well,
and I would highly recommend it.
You know, if you've if you'vegot an idea for a book, go for
it.
And that brings us to a closeof today's journey in
exploration of Parkinson's andthe arts.
Now I hope you've discoveredthe incredible potential that

(46:13):
you can release within you andyour creativity, regardless of
where you are in yourParkinson's journey.
Now, remember, art isn't aboutperfection.
It's about expression.
It's connecting your feelingsand giving you a sense of
accomplishment and joy and senseof purpose.
It's replacing your narrativeand painting a vibrant picture

(46:35):
of your life and how you canovercome some of the challenges.
Now, the power to createresides within each one of you.
So, whether it's picking up apaintbrush, whether it's
strumming a guitar, jotting downa poem or simply moving to the
rhythm of your favorite song,diving into the arts can open
doors to healing, connection andjust a richer and better

(46:57):
quality of life.
Now I want to invite you to takethe next step.
Visit liveparkinsonscom, andit's the central hub for
articles, free resources andinspiration designed to power
you to live your best quality oflife with Parkinson's.
Now, while there, be sure tosubscribe to the free monthly
newsletter and stay up to dateon the latest tips and
strategies and community stories, and we're constantly adding

(47:21):
new content, so you don't wantto miss out.
So please visitliveparkinsonscom.
And then, finally, if you foundthe information shared today
beneficial and you believe inthe work we're doing and you
want to provide actionableresources for the Parkinson's
community, please considersupporting us on our MyKofi page
.
Your contribution, no matter thesize, directly helps us

(47:41):
continue producing valuablecontent and keeps the podcast
and website going.
You can find us at ko-ficomslash liveparkinsons, and
everybody's support fuels ourmission to help you live a great
quality of life.
So, as we close, I just want tosay step out of your comfort
zone and follow your passion,get the creative juices flowing

(48:01):
and find something new.
So thanks so much for joiningme today.
Now go out there and unleashyour creativity.
You just might surpriseyourself.
So until next time, stayhealthy, stay strong and
remember to live your best lifewith Parkinson's.
Thank you.

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Crime Junkie

Ridiculous History

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Parkinson's & The Arts: Unleashing Creativity for a Better Life

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}On Purpose with Jay Shetty

Crime Junkie

Ridiculous History

All Episodes

Parkinson's & The Arts: Unleashing Creativity for a Better Life

On Purpose with Jay Shetty