Yesterday, I was listening to Fox News as I was driving to do a presentation. When I’m in my car I switch back and forth between the MLB, CNN, and Fox News radio stations. During one of these switches, Fox News had the second lady, Karen Pence, on its station, promoting her national initiative.
I was left speechless when she shared what her National initiative was going to be. She wants to promote art therapy, and the other artistic therapies, as a form of therapy to heal significant trauma, including, but not limited to, PTSD, eating disorders, and suicide prevention. She wants to bring attention to and utilization of art, drama, music, dance, writing, and poetry therapy.
I was blown away! At no time in my cognizant lifetime can I remember a president, vice president, first or second lady mention using the Arts and therapy as an initiative. In fact, it is safer to say that in some administrations there have been an anti art and therapy movement. Typically, especially in republican-led Administrations, National spending on the Arts are the first thing to go. This is not the case this time around, and I am happy to both acknowledge and extol praise upon the second lady for following her passion and making it a priority to be embraced by this nation.
Regardless of how we may disagree, I want to thank you, Karen Pence, for following your passion and giving a face to this alternative form of treatment that has been shown to aide in healing.