Here, Jordan discusses the ways in which writing can be a practice for generating deeper awareness. Writing engages with the narratives we create in our minds, allowing us to have a better idea of the the way these stories are shaping our lives. Jordan also emphasizes the way in which traditional mindfulness principles can be applied to writing in order to strengthen its benefits. Find a few of Jordan’s writing practices at their Reflect and Practice page.

Dr. Richardson explains how studying art is also the study of how human beings create stories out of their time and place. Histories and political movements are stories made by piecing facts together and choosing goals to make out of them. For students to understand themselves as potential change-makers, they first need to know which stories are important to them, and then how to represent and communicate those stories to others. In this way, studying art is also the study of how to move the hearts and minds of people. 

Dr. Richardson discusses that the function of art is often to be seen and responded to. However, art from other times and places will elicit a very different response from modern viewers than from viewers at the time it was made. This discrepancy, when pointed out to us, allows us to see our societal conditioning in the assumptions we make about the art piece. Understanding this, we can then see art as a vehicle for communicating norms to its community members – how to be an ethical person, a religious person, etc. It makes these arguments through images instead of words, through eliciting opinions and assumptions rather than making commands. 

Jay lists the three biggest insights he has gained from his work in design. From these insights, he talks about some pathways towards using and designing technology in healthier ways. Since we cannot escape the use of technology, we need to learn how to use it in the kindest and most mindful ways possible.

Dr. Stellar explains the difficulty in defining this multifaceted emotion. She sees it as having two essential aspects: a reaction to perceiving vastness and a feeling of incomprehensibility of the thing encountered. Artists and writers have been interested in awe for a long time, but science has yet to fully conceptualize it.

Dr. Stellar explains the importance of paying attention in order to cultivate awe in our everyday lives. It’s not that we are incapable of awe; it’s just that we are often too busy to notice awe-inspiring aspects of life. Make awe a part of your routine by dedicating time to that which you personally find beautiful and inspiring. Allow yourself to be absorbed by beauty.