 When everything is in darkness and you feel so alone when the rain doesn't stop and you can't make it home. When it feels all is lost and you just want to run, it can't rain forever. Just wait for the sun. When family is in pain, when friends can't be found, when you just want to scream but you can't find the sound when it's all your fault and you feel like you're done. Just wait for the sun. The sunshine will come. The storm always passes, it won't last forever. The rain always stops and gives way to good weather, the brightest and warmest of days still to come. Please wait for the sun. The sunshine will come. People will need you. People who still love you can warm up your soul like the sunshine above you. You are never alone no matter what's done. Wait for the sun. Just wait for the sun. Dark clouds always pass. I promise you, we are waiting with you. Just wait for the sun. Just wait for the sun. Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. Welcome to the latest episode of Mentor Talks. My name is Asha Bay. I'm your host today. This program is sponsored by the Office of Alumni Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. Our office provides grant competitions and other resources for exchange program alumni. Mentor Talks is a professional development series for exchange alumni and also for those interested in improving themselves and their communities. This is your opportunity to talk directly with leaders and mentors who excel in their fields. We'll be speaking with Kunle Aduwale. Kunle is the founder of Tender Arts Nigeria. He's also an exchange alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program. Before we get into our conversation with Kunle, we want to hear from you, our online viewers. Do you have a question for Kunle? Post it in the comments and we'll share and read your questions live with Kunle during the program. Now let's meet our speaker. Kunle, thanks for being with us. Thank you so much for hosting me. I really appreciate it. You're welcome. Kunle, today we're talking about using arts to heal. Before we get to questions from the audience, can you tell us what led you to pursue arts in medicine? So I'm a visual artist from Nigeria and I graduated from Obafemiah O'Load University in southwest Nigeria with specialization in artistry and painting. Over time, as an artist, I've always been curious on how arts can be used and applied in a way that benefits humanity. So I would say that my passion and my drive and my quest for how arts can be used to impact the lives of people in my environment is one of the things that led to my engagement and involvement on how to use arts for well-being. When I graduated from Obafemiah O'Load University in 2010, I asked myself a question, what will I do differently as an artist, knowing fully that there are several thousand of artists in Nigeria, several thousand of artists in Africa. And then so I was thinking, I was reflective on how can I become a point of reference in what I do and doing what I do in a way that is different. So that way, I started searching for individuals that are using arts for well-being. I started looking for institutions that are using arts and health. So I went online, I checked out in the hospital in Nigeria, I couldn't find. I went online, I checked artists practicing in the hospital in Nigeria, I couldn't find. And I became very worried. I was like, what? Knowing fully that in Nigeria, we are very, very rich when it comes to the arts. We're super rich. But unfortunately, or ironically, when you go to XKS spaces, you really do not find engagement. I'm talking about the use of arts in the hospital in a sustainable way. Probably there are people that have done that over the time in the years and then it's not done in a sustainable way. So and then the fact that I could even find mentors, I couldn't find institutions, I couldn't find individuals. So I would say that what I couldn't find, I became. What I couldn't find, I became. I was looking for individuals that are using arts and health. I couldn't find why I became that person. I was looking for institutions in the community in Nigeria that are using arts for well-being. I couldn't find then I became. So in 2013, I founded Tender Arts Nigeria. Before that time, I was a primary school teacher, a primary school teacher. I was an art teacher. So a teacher from Rwanda Primary Studies on art education and all of that. But one of the things that kept coming back to my mind was the school where I was teaching was a private school. So knowing fully where that is a school where you have children that are privileged or that came from a privileged home. But also there are other children in the slum area. There are other children who do not have access to quality education, who do not have access to quality teaching experience. So I started thinking about how can I give back? How can I spend my time to benefit all the children who are not like the children I'm teaching? So in 2013, I founded my organization and then I did a first art and arts program in partnership with Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, where we facilitated an art program for a period of a month during summertime for children and young adults living with chronic illness or sickle cell anemia. And from there I also tried to engage children at the Pediatric Oncology at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where we use art form like paintings and drawing. And all of these were used to help children to process their emotion to be able to express themselves in a way that words can't literally say. So for me, I see art as a form of healing, as a form of light to bring joy because sometimes being in the hospital space is like being in prison yet. For instance, when I was working with the children in Pediatric Oncology, some of these children were supposed to be in school, but because of their sickness, because they are down and all of that, because of the treatment they have to receive, they are in the world, in the hospital world for months. So what do you think about that? So no classes, like they are classmates, no, I mean, no opportunity to be able to engage again. But taking art into the hospital where children can really be able to engage, to be able to express themselves. And it has been a great experience for me. But going forward in doing that, I've done a lot of other programs in terms of engagement in Nigeria. I've worked with people in prison yards, young people have worked with girls in juvenile homes, have worked with displaced children and families in Nigeria, suffering from PTSD, have worked with children and adults suffering from neurological disability, like autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, mentioned them among many others. These are the things I have been doing back home in Nigeria. And knowing fully well is like a revival on how art can be used for well-being. I've never seen that before. So if you go online today and you don't start art in health or art in medicine in Nigeria, my name will probably come up first. In a population of millions of people, I feel so privileged to be able to be a source of inspiration. However, that is not without the support of the team that I have in Nigeria in art in medicine program that we're running. And I see a very big kudos to them, to my amazing team back home in Nigeria, which I'm going to say more about as we progress in this conversation. Okay, great. Yeah, so you're talking about the arts in medicine and you also did the Washington Medulla Fellowship. And I believe you said that that also helped you move this project forward. Yeah. So in 2015, I was privileged to be selected among the 500 fellows exceptional young African leaders to come to the United States. And then I was fortunate to go to Lane University. So I will put it this way, what Mandela Washington Fellowship program has done for me. The first thing I would say is education. Why did I say education? When I was in Nigeria, I was thinking about the use of art as a therapy. I was thinking about art therapy. Now in Nigeria, we do not have an educational program around art therapy and I have been curious. I've been thinking, how can I do art therapy and all of this? So when I was selected for this program and also I was under civic leadership track. So in a way that explores civic engagement and the arts. So I was in Tulane University and then before I traveled to the United States, I sent a mail to my host university that I'm looking for institutions or local organizations that does art therapy and all of that. So we couldn't find all of that. So I was privileged to meet someone who practices arts as a form of well-being and all of that. So I have that educational side of arts for well-being through the Mandela Washington Fellowship program. I mean, how arts can be used for community well-being, for emotional well-being and all of that. The second one I would say is the exposure. Mandela Washington Fellowship program has given me a huge exposure. I mean, coming from the local place in Nigeria, like a local local place, the primary school teacher, I mean, my friends are doing all the things. They are working in a high company. They are working in a banking. They are driving big cars and all of that. But life is not about what you drive. It's about what drives you. What drives me is about how I can make the world a better place. And that's why I think the Mandela Washington Fellowship program, I mean, saw a seed in me, a seed of greatness. And they were able to water it and give me that level of exposure such that today, I would say I have an international arts and medicine mentor today. So MWF gave me the opportunity to make the best of the best in the world. Not just in the United States. The best of the best in the world. So I'll make a reference to Jill Schonke, who's the director for Center for Arts and Medicine program at the University of Florida, Gainesville. With my mentor today, who guides me, who leads me. And even also in a way, she's also a mentor for our program back home in Nigeria. And she's such a huge inspiration for what we do. So I would say that level of exposure to make the best and also in terms of practices and learning and connecting and all of that for me is just very, very powerful an opportunity to speak in global health conference or conferences. MWF, through the opportunity I received, actually given that platform to be able to start traveling around the world to speak. I also say in the tall time, the experience that I have today, as opposed to when I started my program. When we started our program back home in Nigeria, and we have volunteers in our program. We are very passionate. We are using arts and medicine, art and health and doing all of that. But I never knew that there's an educational side to what we are doing. Right. I never knew that in terms of what we do, there are ethics that guides what we do. So I would say in terms of experience in using the arts for well-being, MWF actually gave me that opportunity because by connecting with a global institution that uses arts in medicine or art in health and by meeting professionals and experts in the United States around the world, I would say that that level of experience to be able to do our program in a way that is meaningful, more impactful than ever before. And then I would say that way, MWF, as I contributed significantly to that. I would also say in terms of exploits, what I mean by exploits and engagement, when I came to the United States, I came in as a seed. Today, I'm like a forest. Why did I say I'm like a forest? Think about it. We started with one hospital in Nigeria. We started with one particular health care center in Nigeria. But today, in 2016, we launched art in medicine projects, which become like the therapeutic arts side of our program. And today, I would say in about nine states in Nigeria, I'm not saying Lagos because I'm based in Lagos, Nigeria. So in about states, there are nine states in Nigeria. We have part in medicine program running in the hospital. Remember, I started as an individual. Remember, I talked about institutionalization and sustainability, right? So in terms of exploits now, we're spreading, we're expanding. We are connecting, building a network of art in health practitioners. Interestingly also, currently I'm leading the largest art in health practitioners on the continent of Africa and what a privilege in a way. But MWF gave me that opportunity to be empowered to be able to achieve that level of greatness in what I do. And then after then in 2018, we launched our art in medicine fellowship program, which is like modeled after MWF. Because through the art in medicine fellowship program, on a yearly basis, we enroll 100 students and professionals in arts and health who sign up for a program to learn, collaborate, create, and see how they improve the quality of life and the healthcare system in Nigeria. And that was possible through the grant support of the U.S. mission and U.S. Department of State. I mean, through what we do. So now in Nigeria, we have a network of 300 students and professionals who are learning on how to use the art for well-being in the various, I mean, field of work or endeavor in a way. I'm like, wow, I've never seen this before. I mean, looking back like about seven years ago, these were things I was looking for. But right in front of my eyes, all of these exploits are happening. And that is what MWF has done for me. I will say also in a way, this last day on MWF, that the programs we've been doing now, we've been doing it in an excellent way. If you come to Nigeria and see the level of engagement that we are doing that my team is doing, you'll be wowed. Because like some of the things we are doing, we are not inviting experts from the U.S. We are making use of the local and going global. Right? So I think it's important for us to be able to improvise the resources that we have. We have the manpower, we have the resources. And now if you take some of the hospital and the engagement we have in Nigeria, talks about the mirrors that we're doing, the beautiful paintings and all of that. Some of them matched international standard. They're excellent works. But that couldn't happen without the education, the exposure, the experience, the exploit and the excellence that MWF actually gave me. And I'm very, very honored and privileged to have this. And kudos to my team again for coming to Nigeria, the Artemis in fellowship team and the Artemis in project team too. Okay, great. So I also wanted to, let me say congratulations to you. You are your new father. You had a baby a few months ago and you were able to be in Nigeria for the birth of your son and then come back and so what are you doing here in the U.S.? So, well, I would say the reason why I'm back in the U.S. again is like it's like the ripple effect of MWF because with the empowerment and the leadership and the mentorship I've gotten over the years and the track record of my impact. So in 2018, I was in the U.S. for the U.S., the University of Florida Center for Artemis. So my intensive and all of that. And then so I was privileged to have information on how to apply for Atlantic fellowship program which in a way specializes more in the area of brain health. And then so I applied and I did everything I have to do. And got so good, I was selected as part of the global leaders in brain health because about two years ago, I started using the arts for well-being, especially for seniors and older people, older adults, which I've not seen in a long time. So we partnered with Gaby Williams Alzheimer Association that really focused on using the different engagement for people who are memory loss and all of that. So through that, I was able to apply for the Atlantic fellowship program. So today I'm in the U.S. learning about, as a research scholar in brain health, I'm thinking about ways that we can use creative engagement to improve the quality of life of person who have memory loss, people who have dementia, people who are suffering from different, I mean, different cognitive impairment and all of that. And I'm so honored to be in the midst of a team because the Atlantic fellowship program is a kind of multidisciplinary team which I've never seen before in my life where you bring a policymaker, you bring a neuroscientist, you bring a neurosychologist, you bring it educators, you bring it administrators, you bring people from different walks of life and you bring them into a program to think of ways of collaborating and how they can improve the quality of life of persons that are living with dementia. So this is part of the teams I am learning in the global health program. And interestingly also, part of the program that I love most is the clinical rotation as an artist. So imagine as an artist, I mean, just like doctors go for clinical rotation. And so you, as an artist, you go into the hospital room where patients are and you will see how patients are being diagnosed of their ailments and their sicknesses and you're doing the rotation and you see all the emotions coming from those conversations and all of that. I mean, such a great opportunity because it gave me an idea on how to use art as a way of expressing empathy, how to use art to find ways of supporting people who are feeling very depressed, people who are feeling isolated, disconnected and all of that. So that's what I think what this program has done for me. And interestingly today, I'm doing a lot of art engagement with persons living with dementia, even in the United States here, by facilitating virtual art for seniors living with cognitive impairment, finding ways where they can express joy, find connection and all of that. So I would say it has been a great blessing being around here. That's great. So we don't have a lot of time left, so let's get some of our questions. We have one from Margaret who asks, how can arts help people that may be quarantined or even hospitalized during this time? Interestingly, what a great question you just asked. So about few, I think last week we just, we recently partnered with Lagos State Government, even though it's not official in a way, we partnered with Lagos State Art for Live program, where our musicians actually went to the isolation center in Lagos, Nigeria to play music for people that are actually in quarantine and people who are really isolated in a way. So arts in a way plays a major role, because the stigma of having COVID, I mean having the virus, being isolated comes with depression, comes with mental health problem, but music as a way of just helping people to process all of these emotions and staying in a positive way or staying with a positive mind and helping to uplift your spirit, because it's depressing. Even looking at what is happening around the world, forget the fact that maybe somebody is in isolation in a way. Think about you. There's a lockdown, there's a global lockdown. Do you know what it means for people to, you can't go, there's no freedom of movement. You're locked in your house. So think about how to, there are online music happening, online choir and all of that. These are resources online that can be of great benefit for people with mental health. So we on our set as an institution, we'll be partnering with government agencies and our agencies. And we've also been doing some online engagements to use art for well-being on what we do. So art has a way of helping people to find hope in the time of crisis and I'm glad we're doing that. Yes, it really does. And actually you're talking about collaborating with other organizations. That's a question from Ephraim. He wants to know, how do you approach collaborating with other organizations with similar goals to yours? Okay, so one of the things we do, like when we started our program, when we started our domestic program, we were not thinking about money. And I think that's the error of many people today. And the first thing that comes to their mind is money and all of that. We were thinking about the impact, the social impact, how we can be of great help to our community. So sometimes when we write proposals or institutions or organizations, we do not request for money, but sometimes we collaborate, we engage. But sometimes we do like paid partnership in a very subsidized manner, such that it doesn't look like we are asking for too much. Maybe probably our musicians need to transport themselves. I mean, that's the basic thing, right? So I would say, I mean, write the proposal. And knowing fully whether there's a common ground between your organization and the organization you want to write at the proposal after, because if there's no common ground, there's a disconnect, so you can't do anything. So look for the common ground and look at how you can be useful in what they are doing, their scheme of thing and their scheme of work. Okay, great. Look for the common grounds. I like that. And we have another question from Timothy, who loves your passion for this cause in Africa and asks, given that the continent is still grappling with the delivery of basic health care, what would you say is the future of arts and health for us? I would say the future of arts in health for us is very great, is bright. I mean, using myself as a key study. I'm just one person. And I will say interestingly also, I didn't mention that after the medicine program that we run after the medicine project, we are already in some African countries like Utopia, like Tanzania, like Kenya, Namibia, among many others. So like I said, it's like a resurgence. It's like a revival, but in a way that's one is really inspiring other leaders, not just in my country, but in Africa. And also we do have after medicine program in India too. So it's not just saying, yeah, in Delhi, we are running after medicine. So we do have country directors in African communities or African countries that are helping to connect engage and improve the quality of life of people or the population they are serving. So I would say the future of arts and well-being in Africa is great because we are leading and we are leading in the way that is profiting and in an excellent way too. Okay. So we have a question from Floor Nia who asks, how long did it take you to achieve these goals that you have accomplished? Because she herself is an artist and she's facing challenging and engaging young girls and the elderly through crochet. What was your first step to initiate this journey? So one of the things I tell people is that the future is not copy and paste. Greatness is not copy and paste. You might see somebody do something, but there's a process, right? So before you get to where they are today, they have gone through a lot. So when we started our program, I approached certain organizations, several organizations, many of them turned us down. But given the kind of person that I am, I'm a very, like, very, very passionate person. So the question now is, when you start doing what you're doing and people are not applauding your effort, do you give up? The question is, why are you doing it in the first place? If what you're doing, you're doing it for applause and then you're not doing it for a cause and then you'll be discouraged because when you don't have the motivation and all of that, you might be discouraged and drop. I have had my share of being discouraged, but I didn't stop. No, sorry. I've had my share of being disappointed, but I'm not discouraged. There's a difference between being disappointed in something and being discouraged from doing it. So I would say that whatever you're doing, keep doing it because everything in life takes process. Success takes process. Greatness takes process. A tree does not become a tree until it's planted as a seed. Water, however, every seed has their own time and season for growth. So wait for your time. Keep doing whatever you're doing. Don't ever get discouraged because you're on your path to greatness. Remember, it's not about the applause, it's about the cause. The cause for humanity, our shared humanity. And now to make the world the better place through the heart. And I want to say to you, you're doing great work by inspiration. I've worked with young girls in Nigeria. I've worked with girls that are abused and all of that. But I would say from working with children, from working with youth, my work has gone up now because now, greatness is more work. Leadership is more work. I mean, more, more work. So it's not about saying somebody's somewhere, it's like there's more demand for what you do. Okay, great. And speaking of youth, we have a question from Willie Castile who asks, how are you using arts to engage with youth during the health crisis? How are we using the arts for people during this health crisis? Let me make a reference to the fact that in this COVID-19, I've talked about the use of music and what we do through a partnership with Lagos State Health for Life in a way and also our collaboration in a way. So I would say the use of music and also the use of art. Now, in this global health crisis now, there's a total lockdown. Everybody's online. Everybody. Life is not online. As opposed to you go to offices, you go to other places, you can't go to parks. Every way is on a shutdown. Now, technology becomes a tool to leverage on. Now, look at me. I'm speaking with you on Zoom. I'm speaking to you live on Facebook. I have been doing some art engagement with people online using the Zoom by connecting with them, by helping them to really process their emotion, express themselves, whether they are sick or they are okay. So I think leveraging technology in this time is very critical in global health crisis by using technology to really help people to connect to resources at resources that can bring them out of depression, that can help them in this time of isolation and all of that. So that is what we have been doing by engaging. I myself have been doing this in the United States by connecting. And one of the things that we've been doing we were coming up with several initiatives in this time. We recently started one that is like love letters. Love letters. So we are collecting letters, love letters from all over the world that we are compiling and that we want to send to people who are the frontline, who are working, who are doing so much. We are in a various home in a way we say we are in isolation. But there are people who are out there risking their lives, who are losing their lives. Those people are the heroes and we need to celebrate them and we need to appreciate all their efforts. So we as an institution at the medicine project we are collecting letters from all over the world and we are also partnering with Healing Photo Art in Italy to be able to infuse these photos and the letters together and we'll be able to send it to the people at the frontline who are working. Secondly, for those who have the COVID or the virus we are also collecting letters from all over the world for them. Letters of work words are powerful words are healing. Art is powerful, art is healing. Wow. Yes, it is. And we have another question for you. I think this might be our last one. Nicole asks, in the light of your experiences with many different fields, could you see unifying the fields of environmental conservation, arts and medicine? How do you think this could work? Well, I think that's a great one. Arts really connect to every space of life and I would say I have done something in that area. We partnered with, I remember like a few years ago, we partnered with the United Nations Center in Lagos, Nigeria where we asked secondary school students to really be able to create works of art on climate change and then we have a lot of responses from students, from institutions in Lagos, Nigeria and maybe going beyond that, we took this program to other parts of Nigeria where young people were involved in creating works of art that talks about how we need to preserve the environment. How we need to preserve, I mean, nature in a way, talk about cutting down of trees, killing of animals and all of that. So we have done that before and we're still doing it so we're very hoping. But I would say in a way that art messing in that regard is seen as to save the earth because the earth is whipping, the earth is dying and the use of art can become like a form of storytelling to inspire people to stop doing negative things they're doing to nature and in a way now find ways of improving the landscape, improving what we have in our environment and all of that, stop the pollution and all of that. So which I think that is also affecting us as human because if you don't take care of the environment as humans will be affected too. So I think I'm inspired of the things we've been doing too. Okay, so it looks like we're just about out of time. Conley, I have one final question for you. What would be your number one tip for those trying to improve their health through art? So I would say for those who are trying to improve their health through the art, sometimes we think art is a product. It's about a thing. Somebody's trying to make a thing. I'm trying to make a cup. I'm trying to draw a jug. I'm trying to draw a portrait. I would say that the process of art making is more important than the end product of the process of the art making. What I'm saying by that is that what I mean by that is the journey of you being involved in drawing and painting give you that freedom of expression rather than you trying to say you want to make a thing and then you become judgmental like, oh, this is a bad work. This is a bad artwork. And then when you start judging yourself, negative emotions set in, you will be depressed because you look at your work. The work does not come as well. How about the fact that you were involved? You were painting. You were drawing. You were singing. Regardless of who is listening, what does it mean to you? Does it make you happy? Does it make you feel better? If it makes you feel better, that is the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal for our ultimate medicine program is not to turn people to da Vinci or to turn them to Picasso is to take them through a journey. A journey of healing and becoming better through the arts. That's great. So thank you, Kunle. And thank you so much for being with us today. And I'd also like to thank everyone who's been watching with us, our online viewers. And thank you for joining us and for sending us your questions. You can learn more about Kunle's work by following him on Twitter. And during this difficult time, we also encourage you to stay connected virtually with us by joining the exchange alumni community at alumni.state.gov. And we're also on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Thanks for watching and see you all for our next mentor talks.