The ability of art to save our souls | Brennan Kennedy
7 July 2020 · 7 min · as at 2020-07-07
Brennan Kennedy (guest)
Listen to the episode on iono.fm · MP3
About the guest
Brennan Kennedy
A teen in school who gave an Edu Inc TED-Ed talk on the ability of art to save our souls.
In Brennan's own words:
“This talk is by a teen, for other teens who are in school and have no idea how to show their feelings.”
Guest details come from the published episode notes or the guest's own words in the episode.
Episode analysis
Analysis by AI, drawn only from this episode; every point links to the moment it rests on.
This is a TED-Ed talk by Brennan Kennedy, a teen speaking to other teens who struggle to show their feelings. He argues that any form of art can relieve stress. He draws on his own experience: a year-long creative block ended by someone else's art, and doodling in class to stay focused. He cites South African figures on teen suicide and reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected street art and his own creative habits. He closes by urging listeners to create without fear of judgment.
Key ideas
- Brennan defines art broadly as any expression or application of human creative skills, prompted by boredom, excitement, curiosity or sadness as well as stress. [00:33]▸ [00:54]▸
- Brennan says sketching while he listens helps him concentrate in class, and his teachers allow it for that reason. [01:43]▸ [01:53]▸
- Brennan argues that teens face more stimulation than earlier generations and feel isolated despite social media, which can lead to anxiety and other disorders. [02:05]▸ [02:20]▸
- Brennan cites South African figures on teen suicide to show the most extreme outcome of pent-up stress. [02:02]▸ [03:00]▸ [03:17]▸
- Brennan noticed that he did less art during online lessons in the pandemic, and asks whether large-scale stress suppresses creative skill. [03:28]▸ [04:06]▸ [04:36]▸
- Brennan says inspiration passes between people: another person's art restarted his creativity, and his art later inspired a younger student. [01:12]▸ [05:48]▸ [06:01]▸ [06:13]▸
- Brennan argues that art is about expressing feelings and mental health, not about judgment or how the result looks. [06:35]▸ [06:39]▸ [06:50]▸ [06:54]▸
Lessons
- Brennan advises finding whatever makes your creativity flow, and looking for it if you do not yet know. [05:10]▸
- Brennan suggests that any artistic hobby can serve as stress relief, whatever form it takes. [00:54]▸ [05:22]▸
- Brennan's experience suggests that stress can quietly cut creative activity, so it is worth checking your own habits. [04:06]▸ [04:56]▸
- Brennan urges listeners not to fear being not good enough, because the point of art is how it makes you feel. [06:35]▸ [06:50]▸
Who it's for
Teens in school who are shy, anxious or holding in stress. Also parents and teachers interested in how art and doodling can support focus and mental health.
Facts stated in the episode
- Brennan says 9% of all teen deaths in South Africa are due to suicide, and the figure is increasing. [03:00]▸
- Brennan says suicide is the second leading and fastest growing cause of death among 15 to 24 year olds. [03:00]▸
- Brennan says children as young as 7 have committed suicide in South Africa, and 22 people take their lives daily. [03:17]▸
- Brennan says Smithsonian Magazine published an article on COVID-19 street art in April 2020. [03:47]▸
Questions this episode answers
- How can art help teenagers with stress?Brennan argues that any artistic hobby is a great method of stress relief. He says art is about expressing your feelings, stresses, pain and joy, and about therapy and mental health. [00:23]▸ [05:22]▸ [06:50]▸
- Does doodling in class help students concentrate?Brennan says that when his mind wanders he doodles in his books. His teachers allow it because sketching while he listens helps him concentrate. [01:43]▸ [01:53]▸
- How common is teen suicide in South Africa?Citing the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, Brennan says 9% of teen deaths in South Africa are due to suicide. In the 15 to 24 age group it is the second leading cause of death, and 22 people take their own lives every day. [03:00]▸ [03:17]▸
- Why are teenagers today so stressed?Brennan says teens face far more stimulation than earlier generations, less connected relationships despite social media, family and friendship dramas, trauma, and social and academic pressure at school. [02:02]▸ [02:05]▸ [02:20]▸
- Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect people's creativity?Brennan notes a surge of pandemic-inspired street art worldwide. He also found he was doing less art himself during online lessons, and asks whether large-scale stress suppresses creative skill, which he says is too early to answer. [03:34]▸ [04:06]▸ [04:36]▸
- How do you get over a creative block?Brennan says he lost the will to create for about a year, and got back into it only after being inspired by someone else's art. [01:12]▸
- What if my art isn't good enough?Brennan says not to be afraid of not being good enough, because art is not about judgment. What matters is how it makes you feel, not what it looks like. [06:35]▸ [06:50]▸ [06:54]▸
In their own words
Longer stretches of the conversation, word for word from the transcript, turn by turn.
What art is and why Brennan makes it
Note (AI): Sets out the talk's audience, defines art broadly, and describes how another person's art ended Brennan's year-long creative block.
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [00:02]My name is Brennan Kennedy, and I am talking about the ability of art to save our souls. This talk is by a teen, for other teens who are in school and have no idea how to show their feelings. People who are shy, anxious, or socially challenged, but mostly who usually suppress their stress. This is about how art can help you let all of that go. It did …
Read the full passage (249 words, 00:02-01:37)
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [00:02]My name is Brennan Kennedy, and I am talking about the ability of art to save our souls. This talk is by a teen, for other teens who are in school and have no idea how to show their feelings. People who are shy, anxious, or socially challenged, but mostly who usually suppress their stress. This is about how art can help you let all of that go. It did for me, so it can for you. First of all, what is art? According to Google, the definition of art is expression or application of human creative skills. This means that art can be expressed through painting, sketching, sculpturing, music, dance, writing, singing, poetry, and the list goes on to include any two or three dimensional representation of human creativity. It should be noted that stress isn't the only reason to work on art projects. Feeling bored, excited, curious, or even sad can inspire you to get creative. Personally, one of the reasons I use art is a method of alleviating boredom and rediscovering my motivation. I had a block for about a year a while back where I had lost the will to produce anything creative, and the only reason I got into it again was because I was inspired by someone else's art. That inspiration was enough for me to say, wow, that is amazing. I really want to be able to do that. It gave me an itch to want to start learning that thing now.
Teen stress and South African suicide statistics
Note (AI): Explains the sources of teen stress Brennan names and cites South African Depression and Anxiety Group figures on teen suicide.
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [02:02]And then there is stress. Studies show that teens of today are exposed to far more stimulation than any generations before us. We are bombarded by a level of stimulation that can overwhelm us and result in anxiety, social, or attention disorders. This is made worse by the less connected social relationships we find despite more social media, resulting in the feeling of isolation. Personal problems like family dynamics, the …
Read the full passage (193 words, 02:02-03:25)
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [02:02]And then there is stress. Studies show that teens of today are exposed to far more stimulation than any generations before us. We are bombarded by a level of stimulation that can overwhelm us and result in anxiety, social, or attention disorders. This is made worse by the less connected social relationships we find despite more social media, resulting in the feeling of isolation. Personal problems like family dynamics, the dramas with friends, and sometimes even strangers, trauma, and the social and academic challenges we face at school can all contribute to this overwhelming feeling of stress. What can happen to teenagers who suffer from pent-up stress? Information gathered from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group talks about the most extreme action teens sometimes resort to when they can't cope with their stress. They tell us that in South Africa, 9% of all teen deaths are due to suicide, and this figures on the increase. In the 15 to 24 age group, suicide is the second leading and fastest growing cause of death. Children as young as 7 have committed suicide in South Africa. Every day, 22 people take their own lives.
How the pandemic affected art and his own creativity
Note (AI): Contrasts the public surge in pandemic street art with Brennan's own unnoticed drop in creative activity, and asks whether large-scale stress suppresses creativity.
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [03:28]Recently, I noticed how the stress of the coronavirus pandemic has affected art around the world. There has been a surge of pandemic-inspired street art, which tells us that a great number of people are using art in a public forum to express their fears, feelings, and even humor about the virus. In April 2020, Smithsonian Magazine published an article dedicated to the COVID-19 street art that is greeting people …
Read the full passage (272 words, 03:28-05:09)
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [03:28]Recently, I noticed how the stress of the coronavirus pandemic has affected art around the world. There has been a surge of pandemic-inspired street art, which tells us that a great number of people are using art in a public forum to express their fears, feelings, and even humor about the virus. In April 2020, Smithsonian Magazine published an article dedicated to the COVID-19 street art that is greeting people as the world eases its lockdowns. Personally and surprisingly, I noticed how little art I was doing now that my lessons are all online. When I was asked how the pandemic is affecting me, I realized how little after school or free time I was using for creative stress relief, when I assumed that the opposite would have been the case. Human beings are not designed to be isolated. We might have the introverts and the extroverts, but humans still need to see other human beings and interact with them to be healthy. This highlights the mental toll that the isolation we are all enduring is having on people, and brings up the question, does large-scale stress suppress creative skill? It is too early to answer this question with regards to COVID-19. But it is a scary thought worth investigating once this is all over, and we can truly measure the full effects of the virus. After this was pointed out to me, I nudged myself to start doing more creative things when I can. It was a great feeling to go back to doodling in classes after being completely unaware I had stopped due to the stressful changes happening around me.
Inspiring a younger student and a closing challenge
Note (AI): Describes Brennan's art inspiring a younger student, then gives his challenge to listeners to create without fear of judgment.
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [05:48]The reason I got into art in the first place is because someone inspired me. I never thought, however, that so soon in my life I would get to be on the receiving end of such an achievement. Not too long ago, someone in my school, a younger student, told me that my art had inspired him. He wanted to learn to do what I was doing. I was speechless. …
Read the full passage (190 words, 05:48-06:59)
Brennan Kennedy, guest · [05:48]The reason I got into art in the first place is because someone inspired me. I never thought, however, that so soon in my life I would get to be on the receiving end of such an achievement. Not too long ago, someone in my school, a younger student, told me that my art had inspired him. He wanted to learn to do what I was doing. I was speechless. Work done by my own hands caused someone to aspire to do something themselves. It felt like an achievement, but no, it was an achievement that arrived way sooner than I expected. I've met new people through art, inspired people. I get the greatest feeling from someone saying, "Wow, that looks so good" when they see my art. My challenge to you now is to get creative. Don't be afraid of not being good enough. Art is not about judgment. It is about expressing your feelings, your stresses, your pain, and your joy. It is about therapy and mental health and taking care of yourself. It doesn't matter what it looks like. What matters is how it makes you feel.
Quotes
“This is about how art can help you let all of that go. It did for me, so it can for you.”
“Every day, 22 people take their own lives.”
“Human beings are not designed to be isolated.”
“Someone once said, artists and snipers have two things in common. They both pay attention to detail and they can catch nuances less creative people cannot.”
“Work done by my own hands caused someone to aspire to do something themselves.”
“Don't be afraid of not being good enough. Art is not about judgment.”
“It doesn't matter what it looks like. What matters is how it makes you feel.”
What was said, by topic
teen mental health
“This talk is by a teen, for other teens who are in school and have no idea how to show their feelings.”
“Studies show that teens of today are exposed to far more stimulation than any generations before us. We are bombarded by a level of stimulation that can overwhelm us and result in anxiety, social, or attention disorders.”
“This is made worse by the less connected social relationships we find despite more social media, resulting in the feeling of isolation.”
“They tell us that in South Africa, 9% of all teen deaths are due to suicide, and this figures on the increase. In the 15 to 24 age group, suicide is the second leading and fastest growing cause of death.”
“Children as young as 7 have committed suicide in South Africa. Every day, 22 people take their own lives.”
what is art
“According to Google, the definition of art is expression or application of human creative skills.”
creativity and inspiration
“It should be noted that stress isn't the only reason to work on art projects. Feeling bored, excited, curious, or even sad can inspire you to get creative.”
“I had a block for about a year a while back where I had lost the will to produce anything creative, and the only reason I got into it again was because I was inspired by someone else's art.”
“What makes your creative juices flow and gets you inspired? If you do not know, look for it.”
“Not too long ago, someone in my school, a younger student, told me that my art had inspired him. He wanted to learn to do what I was doing.”
doodling for focus
“When I am in school and I start to get distracted by my own mind, instead of concentrating on the lesson, I doodle wherever there is an open space in my books.”
“It probably drives my teachers crazy, but they let me do it because they know that allowing me to sketch while I listen really does help me concentrate.”
“After this was pointed out to me, I nudged myself to start doing more creative things when I can. It was a great feeling to go back to doodling in classes”
pandemic isolation and art
“There has been a surge of pandemic-inspired street art, which tells us that a great number of people are using art in a public forum to express their fears, feelings, and even humor about the virus.”
“In April 2020, Smithsonian Magazine published an article dedicated to the COVID-19 street art that is greeting people as the world eases its lockdowns.”
“When I was asked how the pandemic is affecting me, I realized how little after school or free time I was using for creative stress relief, when I assumed that the opposite would have been the case.”
“Human beings are not designed to be isolated. We might have the introverts and the extroverts, but humans still need to see other human beings and interact with them to be healthy.”
“brings up the question, does large-scale stress suppress creative skill? It is too early to answer this question with regards to COVID-19.”
art as stress relief
“The important thing is that any form of artistic hobby is a great method of stress relief. Art opens your eyes to the world. You notice things that are out of place.”
“My challenge to you now is to get creative. Don't be afraid of not being good enough. Art is not about judgment.”
“It is about therapy and mental health and taking care of yourself. It doesn't matter what it looks like. What matters is how it makes you feel.”
Episode notes (as published)
From the episode notes published with the podcast.
An Edu Inc TED-Ed talk - Brennan Kennedy Watch on YouTube · Edu Inc website · Facebook (Public) · Facebook (closed group) · Twitter (closed group) · YouTube · Review us on Google
Every quotation and passage on this page is copied word for word from the episode audio transcript and linked to the moment it was said. Quotations are never written or altered by AI; topic labels, passage notes and the episode analysis are AI-generated. Guest details come from the published episode notes or the guest's own words.