Montana Artworking by Cindy Betka

There has been some intriguing research into the human brain and how mood disorders enhance the creative mind. PBS News Hour aired a story 'Connecting Strength and Vulnerability to the Creative Brain', read the full story at this link -   http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/connecting-strength-vulnerability-creative-brain/ . Dr. Nancy Andreasen, M.D., Ph.D, in the MRI lab at the University of Iowa Hospital Center has researched for decades on the physical differences in the brain. She uses neuroimaging to compare a normal educated human’s brain to that of a highly creative person with a mood disorder, especially schizophrenia. To quote from the news story  JUDY WOODRUFF: In the 1960s and ’70s, she took advantage of the University’s nationally renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop to study writers who taught there, like Kurt Vonnegut and John Cheever. She wanted to see if there were a higher-than-usual occurrence of mental illness among them or their ...

All you need is a computer and access to the internet and you can see the world. Delve into different cultures to see how art is integrated into how they communicate. Of course, you can also go to your near by art museum. From the other side of the world, Korea, there is a traveling exhibition, 'Treasures from Korea: Arts and Culture of the Joseon Dynasty, 1392-1910'. This exhibition is now showing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art through Sept. 28th. It will move on to Houston from there. What I fine fascinating is the folding screens from this dynasty. Below are a few examples with some close up detail photos. You can get an idea of the symbolism used from the second image with side bar of symbols in black.

Last early evening storm that dumped ½ inch of rain and hail on us. A good friend of mine that is in the healthcare business sent me this link of a wonderful story about her colleagues. The article is titled  ‘Skokie man inspired to build summer camp for kids in need has died’. Here is a link to the article;  http://my.chicagotribune.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-80784376/

I have just been honored to receive this email from Art Center College of Design: Congrats: Your Work Has Been Featured on Art Center Gallery Congratulations Cindy,  You've been featured on  Art Center Gallery . Our curatorial team features a small number of projects to appear on the front of our gallery each day. We only pick the best work that effectively promotes the Art Center Gallery community. Keep creating great things! The Art Center Gallery Curatorial Team May God be gracious to us and bless us  and make his face to shine  upon us, Psalm 67:1

Just had to share with you a sampling of some amazing work. From codaworx.com , my favorite web site. Perhaps in another life I could be on a team designing some works as these I found on their site. All of these are by different artists in healthcare settings. Some are interactive set in children's hospitals.