Art Heals All Wounds
Do you think art can change the world? So do I! We’re at a pivotal moment when scientists, medical practitioners, and creatives are coming together in recognition of the ways that art plays an indispensable role in our well-being, as individuals, communities, and societies. In each episode we hear from artists and creatives who share their inspiration for their work and its wider impact. These conversations about transformative artistic practices show the ways that art can be a catalyst for healing and change.
How do we change the world? One artist at a time.
Art Heals All Wounds
Happy Holidays: Scott Stark's Musical Take on Climate Change
Happy Holidays! Today I’m sharing a musical piece by filmmaker Scott Stark, blending some dark lyrics about climate change with a very catchy melody! Stark’s song, "Watching the Waters Rise," explores the cynical realities of environmental neglect with wit and humor. Scott says that this song and his film work are a coping mechanism for climate anxiety. Do you use art and creativity as a coping strategy? Leave me a voicemail at arthealsallwoundspodcast.com and tell me about it! I’ll share it on the show.
Timestamped Highlights:
· 00:00:12
- Introduction to the show and its theme: the power of art to change the world.
· 00:01:08
- Pam introduces Scott Stark, known for his experimental filmmaking, and the featured song "Watching the Waters Rise."
· 00:02:11
- Musical performance by Scott Stark highlighting the satirical commentary on climate change and political attitudes.
· 00:06:10
- Discussion on Scott's multipart long form film addressing climate catastrophe and how it serves as a personal coping strategy.
· 00:07:08
- Pam invites listeners to share their own experiences using art as a coping mechanism and provides contact information.
Additional Notes:
· Check out Scott Stark's work on his website, particularly his film "Love and the Epiphanists."
· To engage with Pam, visit arthealsallwoundspodcast.com or sign up for the newsletter.
· Music credits to Ketsa and Lobo Loco.
Contact Information:
· Visit the website:
· Leave a voicemail to share your story or feedback.
Next Episode:
· Regular full-length episodes will resume on January 8th. Stay tuned for more engaging discussions on art and its impact on climate and environmental issues.
Don't forget to go to my website and leave me YOUR story of belonging to feature on a future episode!
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Connect with Scott!
- Website:
scottstark.com
Connect With Me!
● My Instagram
Pam Uzzell, host [00:00:12]:
Do you believe art can change the world? So do I! On this show, we meet artists whose work is doing just that. Welcome to Art Heals All Wounds. I'm your host, Pam Uzzell. Happy holidays to you if you celebrate any holidays this month. Today is Christmas, which I celebrate, so I'm taking the day off to be with family. Art Heals All Wounds is still in the climate and the environment season. Regular full length episodes will resume on January 8th.
Pam Uzzell, host [00:01:08]:
Today, I'm sharing something that I received from a listener, a newsletter reader, and also longtime friend, Scott Stark. When I think of Scott, I think brilliant experimental filmmaker, and I sometimes forget that Scott is also a musician. When he heard that I was interviewing artists whose work addressed climate and the environment, he sent me a link to a song he'd recorded, Watching the Waters Rise. I asked Scott if I could share this song with listeners on Christmas, and he kindly agreed. It's a fun, jaunty melody. The lyrics, on the other hand, kind of dark and cynical. So with that in mind, away we go.
Scott Stark [00:02:11]:
[Music]I own stock in a power plant. I figure that's where the money's at. I don't care if the world is flat watching the waters rise. I don't bother with the golden rules. I make my living off of fossil fuels. I'm not like those liberal tools watching the waters rise. And I'll be just fine buying my way to the front of the line. No tears dripping from my eyes, standing on a mountain while the waters rise.
Scott Stark [00:02:49]:
I won't be running like the poor folk do. I'll be sitting on a megachurch pew, praying to a god that don't look like you, watching the waters rise. Everyone's crying about the coral reef, killing off the oceans with no relief, filling up the air with gloom and doom, but nothing's quite as pretty as an algae bloom. And I'll be just fine buying my way to the front of the line. No tears dripping from my eyes, standing on a mountain while the waters rise. I don't mind if the lights go darker. I'll be buying me a custom ark as long as I can find a place to park watching the waters rise. The medium's the message, said some guys, but all I hear from them is, like, I never told no medium lies.
Scott Stark [00:03:45]:
Mine are super sized, And I'll be just fine driving past the losers on the welfare line. No tears dripping from my eyes watching from the mountain as the waters rise. Coastlines are disappearing. The forests are running dry. The ocean's all are dead zones. Fish need to learn to fly. Population's starving. War is no surprise.
Scott Stark [00:04:23]:
But Fox and Friends make it seem so fun watching the waters rise. Everyone's telling me what to do. They shout global warming when I say a-choo, but I'll be high and dry, so the joke's on you watching the water rise. Armageddon will soon arise.The end is near, preachers do surmise. I'll take my Armageddon with a side of fries, watching the waters rise. Nothing's ever gonna change my mind. I'm liking how I'm living, and I'm feeling fine.
Scott Stark [00:05:00]:
Climate change's something I'm denying, staying up ahead of the waterline. But I'll be just fine by my way to the front of the line. No tears dripping from my eyes, standing on the mountain while the waters rise.
Pam Uzzell, host [00:05:43]:
You're listening to Art Heals All Wounds
Pam Uzzell, host [00:06:10]:
As I mentioned in the intro, Scott is a brilliant filmmaker. He's been working on a long form film about climate catastrophe, and I'll link you to his website where you can read about part 1 of this film called Love and the Epiphanists. I asked him if working on this film helped him with anxiety about climate change. Scott said that working on it allowed him to rant and to find some sense of humor about the profound ignorance of it all. His work is a coping strategy. Interestingly, Scott isn't the first artist I've talked to this season to say that their work is much more about coping with where we find ourselves at this current moment. Do any of you use art or creativity to cope with issues that would otherwise be too difficult? I'd love to hear about it. You can leave me a voicemail at my website arthealsallwoundspodcast.com, and I'll share it on the show.
Pam Uzzell, host [00:07:08]:
One thing I can promise you is that your voicemail will help someone else. Also, I'm on social media less and less. If you want to reach me, you can contact me through my website, or sign up for my very infrequent newsletters. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for listening. The music you've heard in this podcast is by Quetzal and loboloco.