Building connection through art and music

5 June 2024

More and more it seems to me that connection is the key to creating a world of kindness, compassion and positive change. In an increasingly disconnected world, it can be really hard to stay connected, particularly when times are tough. Since the beginning of humanity we have turned to music and art to comfort, soothe, mourn, unite and celebrate. For those days when feeling seen, heard and understood by others feel far away, music and art help us to connect to ourselves, to human experience, and to the world around us.

Categorised in:

Connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.

More and more it seems to me that connection is the key to creating a world of kindness, compassion and positive change.

In an increasingly disconnected world, it can be really hard to stay connected, particularly when times are tough.

Since the beginning of humanity we have turned to music and art to comfort, soothe, mourn, unite and celebrate.

For those days when feeling seen, heard and understood by others feel far away, music and art help us to connect to ourselves, to human experience, and to the world around us.

Below you will find a poem by Mary Oliver and a song by Mama Kin, Spender that reflect upon and support connection. They offer an invitation into connection for you.

Are there music, poetry, art, books, or films that help you to reconnect to yourself, to others or to where you are?

'Wild Geese' by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain are moving across the landscapes, over the prairies and the deep trees, the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air, are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely, the world offers itself to your imagination, calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting - over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

'Underground' by Mama Kin, Spender

How can you use art and music for connection?

It's likely that you already have music, books, films, places that support you.

Sometimes it's just a matter of being purposeful about how you intentionally use these resources as support.

For example:

  • create a playlist for particular moods or needs
  • are there specific films that offer comfort? allow you to laugh or cry? help your mood or experience to feel seen and validated?
  • are there artists that remind you of who you are or important core beliefs about yourself?
  • Are there local choirs, art classes, pain and sip classes, film groups that you can join to connect with your interest, and others?

Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions here.

The need for connection in which growth is a priority is the core motivation in people's lives. In growth-fostering relationships, people are able to bring themselves most fully and authentically into connection.

Judith Jordan

Related Resources

Therapeutic lessons from artistry: Bon Iver

Art and music have whispered, wailed and shaken into us the secrets of what it is to be human ever since we have had the ability to create as a species. In today’s busy world, too many of us are turning away from connecting with ourselves at alarming rates. In the process we are losing connection with our essence: our tender core that is numbed from hurt, exhaustion and pain. How can artistry sing us back into connection with our true selves? What can music and art show us about sitting with numinosity to find presence and wellbeing?

Turning inward for connection & change

The rich array of autumnal colours remind us of the cycles of life, the delight of colour, and the shift from the expansiveness of summer, to our inner world as we head closer into winter. With so much of our focus caught up in busy-ness and the 'doing' of life, this post invites reflection on presence, connection and transformation through creating the safety and space for our inner worlds, through music, art, embodiment and relaxed states.

Is your music playlist helping you?

Creating playlists for fun, to exercise and support us through hard times has always been a great thing to do. You might not think about it much, but your music playlist impacts your mood, your thoughts and your body. And if you're having a hard time, it's worth noticing if the music you listen to is helping.... or not.

Going underneath: beyond talk therapy

Nonspeaking approaches in counselling or supporting others can move us beyond the thinking, talking, logical world of the cortex, and into the subcortical realm of implicit experience, feelings, movement and the senses: into the unconscious experience that informs 80% of our existence. How can we find ways to connect with these parts of ourselves? What are the benefits of doing so? This blog explores these questions and why approaches beyond words are an essential part of any health or education professional's toolkit.

Header image: Unknown