EPISODE #8, SEASON 2

“The world needs people who are different and who think differently and can innovate and who can stand up and stand against a world that is not always in agreement with them and not always resonating with them.” Kristen Greer-Paglia 

In this podcast episode, Matt talks to Dr. Kristen Greer-Paglia, CEO of P.S. ARTS, a nonprofit that provides high quality arts education in dance, theater, music and visual arts to children in underfunded school districts that lack access to the arts.  

Among the many topics covered, the pair explore how the arts and art therapy are vital to recognizing the different ways we express ourselves and communicate. They discuss the importance of treating all people with dignity, humanity and respect.  And Kristen’s 50^th birthday plans to recreate Dirty Dancing – she and Matt are going to do “the lift” (Matt will be jumping and Kristen will be lifting.)  

Matt:

What made you want to go get a doctorate?

Kristen:

I had a burning question.

Matt:

Which was?

Kristen:

How do we best raise the next generation of humans. And the generation out of that, and the generation out of that.

Matt:

Okay. How do you?

Kristen:

Art.

Matt:

Art. All right.

Kristen:

Creativity, autonomy, identity, compassion, empathy. I feel like that has, as sad and as difficult a place as our world has gotten to, and as much as that has come to a head and boiled over during COVID, I think that that is starting to dawn on people. That there is actually nothing more important than being human, and humble, and accepting that there's a lot of information, and knowledge, and wisdom, and secrets out there that we do not know and we cannot know unless we work, unless we connect as a collective.

…

Kristen:

We need people who are brave enough, willing enough, and have the opportunity, and who aren't afraid, for good reason for the most part, to ask the questions of the highest authorities there are.

Go ahead, have a Menage a Trois! Kristen did while she was being interviewed!

Matt and Kristen decide that if the 95 year-old monarch drinks this much, then surely there’s nothing wrong with their own indulgence! 

Want to do a Dirty Dancing weekend at “Kellerman’s” (Mountain Lake Lodge) like Kirsten plans to for her 50^th birthday? Well now you can!

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