When the pandemic put me in lockdown, I decided to make use of extra time at home by sorting through boxes of memorabilia in my closet. My goal: throw stuff out and reduce clutter. But as I blew the dust off old family photos, concert ticket stubs, baseball cards and playbills, I enjoyed a fringe […]

In the middle of lockdown, I was on an island fishing with my girlfriend. After selling our catch at the local store, we took an impromptu date to the museum and aquarium, admiring their collections. And, seeing as we were the only ones there (save for one sleepy museum attendant), we snapped an endless stream […]

We are excited to announce the launch of the NeuroArts Blueprint, a global field-building initiative from the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine and Society Program and the International Arts + Mind Lab. The NeuroArts Blueprint will articulate and advance the scientific foundation and evidence for the role of arts in health and wellbeing through the lens […]

Remember when working from home was a big perk? In search of a more balanced life, the number of people working from home has been steadily rising for decades. Some people have even agreed to accept less pay in return for the added benefits of remote working, like a break from the grueling commute, a […]

The teen years. They’re a rollercoaster of changes that come fast and furious as the brain and body struggles to adapt to a new world order. Sound familiar? Even for adults, the pandemic can feel like an unwelcome callback to our adolescence. Parents often gripe about their teenager’s mood swings and sometimes questionable judgment, chalking […]

It’s a tough time to be a senior, whether you’re in the golden years of life or just trying to graduate from high school or college. Students are missing out on milestones they’ve eagerly anticipated for most of their lives—commencement ceremonies, proms, awards banquets and celebrations with friends. Many students spent years preparing for their […]

Millions of families are adjusting to a new normal of stay-at-home life. COVID-19 has changed how we learn and work and interrupted our routines for recreation and leisure time, too. For adults, gyms and fitness centers are closed. Children and youth are missing out on physical education, recess and after-school sports and activities. In many […]

Parents likely have a range of feelings (maybe all in the same hour) about being home with their children.  While the extra time together is invaluable, it can be stressful to take care of the kids and juggle work along with the overall uncertainty that the pandemic brings. Parents of preschoolers, in particular, may worry […]

As we grapple with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, many of us are making and appreciating art as a way to cope, renew and restore.  People adjusting to life on lockdown have intuitively turned to the arts in every form—drawing, writing, singing, dancing, baking, crafting and more.  Research is proving that the arts are […]

The latest ideas from around the world on how to stay home, stay healthy and make the most of the arts for wellbeing. Last updated: August 9, 2020. MUSEUMS Visit the first COVID Art Museum on Instagram Wander through over 2,000 museums and archives View the transient sand sculptures of Japan’s Sand Museum Become a […]