Welcome…my path to this work and what you’ll find here

Dec 15, 2025

Welcome—and Thank You for Being Here

Hello, and welcome to the first blog post on the important topic of art, Alzheimer’s, and dementia! I want to begin by sharing a bit about who I am and how I came to work in the world of dementia and Alzheimer’s (you can visit the About section of this website to learn more about my broader path to art as therapy).

This work truly fell into my lap at a time when I was asking the “universe” to open doors to work that aligned with my experience, skills, and education. I had just been accepted into the Licensed Mental Health Counseling master’s program at Seattle University, and I knew that while I needed to work, I would have limited time and energy. So, I wanted my work to be meaningful—something that would support my future as a counselor while embodying all that I had already worked so hard to achieve.

My academic background is in fine art, psychology, and neuroscience. Professionally, my experience includes work as a medically focused Licensed Massage Therapist, Visceral Manipulation Therapist, Reiki practitioner, and Craniosacral Therapist; a supervisor in adolescent mental health residential care; and, for a brief moment, in nonprofit youth homelessness prevention. While most of my professional work has centered on youth, my personal life has always included meaningful connections with older adults. My mother was a geriatric nurse and lived in a boarding home care facility, where I spent a great deal of time with residents. I was also very close with my grandparents on both sides of my family and spent time with them weekly as they aged.

Despite this, outside of my undergraduate studies in neuroscience (including neurophysiology and diseases of the brain), I hadn’t seriously considered working with older adults—until I was approached by the education director at our local nonprofit art school, Northwinds Art. They had received some of my artwork and reached out to see if I might be interested in teaching a class. At the time, my primary medium was linocut (block printing), but they already had a resident printmaking instructor. So, I asked what else they had available.

Their response was, “It’s a long shot, but we’re looking for someone to teach a new program for Alzheimer’s and dementia called Aging Creatively… but I’m not sure if that’s something you’d be interested in?”

I was over the moon!

Finally, I could combine my love of neuroscience and psychology with my love of art. It felt like the perfect fit. They had been working to launch this program for nearly three years, and even after funding was approved, finding an artist willing and able to lead a cohort with diverse and complex needs had been challenging. I jumped at the opportunity!

I was so excited that I immediately bought three books on the topic, read through MoMA’s Meet Me materials, and began focusing my graduate studies on understanding the unique nature of different types of dementia—including their causes and contributing factors—as well as Alzheimer’s disease, which is actually a subtype of dementia. I hadn’t known this before, and I’ve since learned that most people don’t.

All of the above led me here, writing to you. Dementia can be confusing and overwhelming to understand, and a diagnosis can feel deeply isolating—for both the person diagnosed and their care partner. Additionally, dementia affects each person differently, making caregiving a nuanced and often complex experience. My hope for this space is that it provides useful information, practical tools, and accessible art projects, along with a sense of connection to a community that understands. If you’re here, I want you to know that you’re not alone.

In the next post, I’ll talk about what dementia is, while briefly introducing the most common subtypes of dementia. I use the term subtypes because dementia is an umbrella term for many forms of cognitive loss, with Alzheimer’s disease being just one type of dementia. This next post will lay a foundation for understanding these differences in a way that feels accessible rather than overwhelming. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, supporting a loved one, or simply seeking to learn, I hope what you find here is helpful.

In closing, this blog will ultimately focus on how art affects the brain and how creative engagement can support people living with all types of dementia in experiencing a more peaceful and enjoyable life—even if they have never considered themselves artistic or have no history of actually doing art. Art has a profound effect on the brain, and once we’ve established a foundational understanding of dementia, I’ll explore this in depth. Future posts will also include simple art projects, guidance on setting up supportive creative spaces at home, and practical tips to help you and your cognitively challenged loved one navigate this journey with greater ease and connection.

Feel free to subscribe to this blog if you’d like to receive new posts as they’re published. I look forward to connecting with you!

Warmest regards,

Jodi