A Professor of Psychobiology tells me how Art improves our Health
Summary
Blindboy discusses his new Abbey Theatre play, the reality of creative failure, and how autistic burnout led to a bizarre live radio appearance about bird droppings. He then interviews Professor Daisy Fancourt, who shares data from a massive pandemic study showing most people wanted to help others, countering his negative post-pandemic worldview. They also explore the scientific link between engaging with the arts and improved mental health and physiological well-being.
Topics discussed
Intro: Finding freedom after being laid off
The freedom to fail and the Abbey Theatre play
Social battery, executive dysfunction, and forgetting shoes
Talking about bird shit on national radio from a toilet
Interview with Prof. Daisy Fancourt on pandemic mental health
Youth mental health crisis and the science of arts
Music, heavy metal, and emotional regulation
Patreon appeal and sponsor reads
The evolutionary purpose of art and its economic value
Participatory art, mimes as traffic lights, and political art
Post-pandemic grief, polarization, and flow states
Navigating far-right beliefs and the power of storytelling
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