From Sparks to Light - Inspiring Stories for Challenging Times
From Sparks to Light is the podcast about ordinary people doing extraordinary things. These are the stories of people who are giving back in different ways. Learn what inspires them and what they learned along the way. We hope their stories inspire you to find your spark and encourage you to shine your own precious light in the world.
From Sparks to Light - Inspiring Stories for Challenging Times
A Living Record - Abby VanMuijen
We’re going to try something different today. I was introduced to the work of Abby Van Muijen by one of my social work students who found a feeling wheel Abby had created in searching for inspiring and powerful content for the local social work newsletter and I was instantly smitten.
Abby’s work is extraordinary. It is beautiful on an aesthetic level, but is so much more than that. Abby grapples with complex, social justice concepts and creates moving visual representations that draw the viewer in and invites them to think critically about the material presented.
Like me, Abby was raised in a middle class world, a space where avoiding these difficult issues is easy to do. But Abby made a different choice. From the moment they crossed through Caldecott Tunnel on the way to attend the University of California at Berkeley, their world expanded.
As a college instructor, I’m always looking for creative ways to activate the critical thinking of my students, inviting them to view the world around them from different perspectives. Abby’s work does that. I invite you to look at their website. Spend some time with the different graphic recordings. Think of them as invitations to approach with curiosity. Download the feeling wheel or some of the worksheets. Try them out. Ask yourself, how am I doing today? What am I feeling? Where am I feeling it? What is my body telling me? What do I need? I think you’ll be fascinated.
Abby VanMuijen (they/them) is a graphic recorder, artist, illustrator and creative consultant currently practicing in Berkeley, CA. Abby specializes in illustrating complex, systems-level content and strives to make work that is handmade, rooted in deep study and in service of social justice movements.
Abby's Website: www.avanmuijen.com
Find Abby on social media
- Instagram: @avanmuijen
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/abby-vanmuijen-5723a915
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abby.vanmuijen
Things Abby mentioned in the episode:
- The Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley
- Ananya Roy, professor, UCLA
- Resma Menakin - therapist
To learn more about Robert Maggio, the composer of our theme music, please check out his website.
To learn more about the inspiration for this podcast, please check out Suzanne's memoir, Estrellas - Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Sa
Do you know someone who has a story to tell? Someone who is giving back to their community? Working to make our world a better place? Send an email to suzanne@suzannemaggio.com. Nominate them for a future episode of From Sparks to Light.
To learn more about Robert Maggio, the composer of "Where Love is Love," our theme music, please check out his website.
To learn more about Suzanne, visit her website.
To learn more about the inspiration for this podcast, please check out Suzanne's memoir, Estrellas - Moments of Illumination Along El Camino de Santiago
Follow Suzanne on Social Media
- Instagram @suzannemaggio_author
- Facebook @ Suzanne Maggio author
- Threads @suzannemaggio_author
