Heart Work: Conversations About Art to Heal the Heart

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Matty McKechnie. A singer-songwriter who releases music and performs under the artist name Graven, Matty is also the host of Graventown, a positivity podcast with a focus on mental health and music-based magic.You can learn more about Graven’s music here: https://www.graven.ca/You can find his podcast, Graventown, wherever you stream your podcasts, including here: Matty mentions his interview with Mark Sasso of Elliot Brood and you can catch that episode here: Matty also mentions the song This Year by the Mountain Goats, and you’ll find the official video here: Matty and Maureen both agree that their friend Ron Hawkins is pretty cool and you can catch Matty’s interview with him here: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Ron Hawkins. A singer-songwriter who has fronted several bands, including the legendary Lowest of the Low, Ron is also a talented visual artist with bold vision. Ron shares his song Saskia Begins, written for friends whose baby was born very prematurely, to help sustain them during that tense time. He also shares the story of the piece of art titled I AM STILL HERE/I AM STILL/ I AM HERE 36x36” (Acrylic, spray paint, charcoal, marker and handmade paper flower on birch panel)Ron mentions portrait artist Alice Neel, and you can learn more about her work here: https://www.aliceneel.com/Ron mentions the song People Who Died by The Jim Carroll Band and you can have a listen here: https://youtu.be/tf4d7VxcQ30?si=wB2O0TcZN2OpwPgsAnd if you like that one, you can listen to Easy Come, Easy Go by the Decemberists here: https://youtu.be/r1_PffH3VtA?si=7VhW940b7XjS3yEQ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Dima Dupéré. Dima is a registered social worker who has been creating various artwork for as long as she can remember. She introduces therapeutic writing to clients and teaches other professionals how to use it personally and professionally. She's used crocheting as a strategy for coping with chronic illness. Dima shares the song she wrote using the background noises of the emergency room she recorded during a visit to the hospital.You can follow Dima on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mel_the_advocateand YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MEL_the_advocate You can find Dima's book Watching From the Shore and journaling resources here:https://dimadupere.thinkific.com/collectionsDima mentions singer-songwriter Mika, who you can learn more about here: https://www.yomika.com/home and here: http://www.youtube.com/@MikaSoundsOfficialMaureen mentions the book about menopause What Fresh Hell Is This by Heather Corinna, which you can find here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/heather-corinna/what-fresh-hell-is-this/9780306874758/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Sarah Stapleton. A singer-songwriter, a PhD candidate studying community music, and the owner of an accessible psychotherapy practice, Sarah believes in the power of music. Sarah shares Fallaby a personal song written about her journey through infertility and IVF, which has offered her the opportunity to process her feelings and share her experience in the hopes it will touch others who may be walking a similar path.Listen to Sarah's debut album Heartstrings here: https://open.spotify.com/album/6VUZCIsyG0yNOjmXNMaSB5You can find out more about Sarah's therapy practice here: https://www.counterspiralcare.com/Sarah mentions the support and experience she received through the community of Toronto Songwriting School, which you can learn more about here: https://torontosongwritingschool.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Shannon Linton. A singer-songwriter, a music educator and a mom, Shannon enjoys building community through music. Shannon shares her song Afraid, written as she absorbed the information that she had a type of genetic hearing loss evident in one ear that was likely to eventually occur in the second ear, and what that might mean in her life.You can learn more about Shannon's music here: https://shannonlintonmusic.com/home and here: http://shannonlinton.bandcamp.com/You can read Shannon's musings about Joy Just Because here: https://shannonlinton.substack.com/about Shannon references Elizabeth Gilbert's latest work, which you can learn more about here: https://www.elizabethgilbert.com/and the album West End Girl, by Lily Allen, which you can listen to here: https://open.spotify.com/album/4Dn3Z14YfT2gQVDgLmWUVnMaureen references the memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk by Kathleen Hanna, which you can learn more about https://www.harpercollins.com/products/rebel-girl-kathleen-hanna?variant=43162115145762and the memoir Stories I Might Regret Telling You by Martha Wainright, which you can learn more about here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/247777/stories-i-might-regret-telling-you-by-martha-wainwright/9780345815095 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Michelle Hurtubise. A writer, a mom, a coach and an activist, Michelle's been journaling since she was 10 as she's just trying to figure out how to live in this world. Michelle reads an excerpt from the memoir she's working on with her daughter Rowan, telling their story of moving from surviving to thriving as they learned together to navigate Rowan's experience of autism along with other diagnoses and the challenges they bring. Michelle refers to a few books, including those by Temple Grandin, which you can learn more about here: https://www.templegrandin.com/books.htmland Nobody Nowhere by Donna Williams, which you can learn more about here: https://www.nobodynowhere.com/and The Spark: A Mother's Story About Nurturing Genius by Kristine Barnett, which you can learn more about here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/218169/the-spark-by-kristine-barnett/9780307362780 Maureen mentions Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison, which you can learn more about here:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/156298/look-me-in-the-eye-by-john-elder-robison/Maureen mentions the phrase "Write from the scar, not from the wound." a quote attributed to Nadia Bolz-Weber in a 2017 Tweet by Glennon Doyle, which has since been referenced by many other writers. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Brian Tremblay. A singer-songwriter who came to writing music in his senior years, he's also the host of the Lonesome Cowboy Podcast where he shines a light on independent musicians putting their hearts out there. Brian shares his song There's a Hole Where You Used to Be, a touching tribute written as he was grieving the death of his sister, who served as the glue holding their family together. You can find Brian's music here: https://www.briantmusic.com/and you can find his podcast here: https://thelonesomecowboypodcast.substack.com/aboutMaureen mentions the Old School Camps Songwriting Camp, which you can learn more about here: https://www.oldschoolcamps.ca/songwriting-camp and here: https://www.oldschoolcamps.ca/Maureen also mentions Hotel Wolfe Island, host to the songwriting camp, and also a unique live music and art venue, which you can learn more about here: https://hotelwolfeisland.com/  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Melissa Mikel. A lifelong writer, Melissa recently completed her PhD in Holocaust and Genocide Studies and has been able to return to more creative writing and journaling. She reads an excerpt from her dissertation, which is in part a study on the powerful process of telling one's story as she examines the impact of holocaust education. Visit Melissa’s website here: https://www.mikeldaleconsulting.ca/ Find out more about her book The Doll here: https://www.mikeldaleconsulting.ca/resources You can read Melissa's dissertation here: https://www.academia.edu/92657520/Pebbles_for_Peace_The_Impact_of_Holocaust_EducationIn this episode, we talked about the morning pages, a daily writing practice included in The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron, which you can find here: https://juliacameronlive.com/book/the-artists-way-a-spiritual-path-to-higher-creativity This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Steve Shikaze. A semi-retired environmental engineer, Steve’s been playing guitar and singing throughout adulthood, and recently begun a songwriting journey. He performs his song Times Like These. Written from a visual prompt in a songwriting group, this song offered Steve an opportunity to reflect on the loss of his father in April 2025.Steve also makes cool digital artwork mapping watersheds of the world. You can find his work here: https://thewaterdroplet.substack.com/about This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews David Joyce. You'll find him performing meaningful music with his band, the Doomsday Poets. In addition to being an artist with a long history of writing, performing, and producing music as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings, David is the owner of Treblecock Studios. David shares his song Iron Girl, a song about the connection and intimacy that can develop in the relationship between a tattoo artist and their client. Learn more about David here https://www.treblecock.ca and dare to create with his team at Treblecock Studio.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Matt Kowalyk. In addition to being an actor and director, Matt’s an artist with a long history of writing, playing, and producing music as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings. Matt shares his song Only of You, a song that helped him break through a period of writer’s block that settled over him as his family moved through his partner’s diagnosis with and successful treatment of a life-threatening illness.Learn more about Matt and his music at https://www.mattkmusic.caThanks for listening! Subscribe for free to receive new new episodes directly to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

In this episode of Heart Work, Maureen interviews Matt Kowalyk. In addition to being an actor and director, Matt’s an artist with a long history of writing, playing, and producing music as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings. Matt shares his song Only of You, a song that helped him break through a period of writer’s block that settled over him as his family moved through his partner’s diagnosis with and successful treatment of a life-threatening illness.Learn more about Matt and his music at https://www.mattkmusic.caThanks for listening! Subscribe for free to receive new new episodes directly to your inbox. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com

This trailer introduces the Heart Work podcast, where conversations focus on the healing power of art. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit art2healtheheart.substack.com