In this deeply personal conversation, Magdalena Westman traces the arc of her life from her early years in a pastor’s family in Czechoslovakia to her transformative experiences in South Africa—where the seeds of her art therapy practice first began to take root.
Growing up in a home filled with intellect, faith, and compassion, Magdalena’s childhood was shaped by both inspiration and challenge. Her family’s moral integrity during the years of political repression left a lasting imprint, instilling in her a sensitivity to human struggle and resilience. Those formative experiences would later find their way into her work, not through words, but through color, texture, and the spontaneous movement of the hand across paper.
Our conversation moves gently between memory and meaning—how a sense of “being different” as a child became a source of empathy, and how the creative act became, for Magdalena, a path to freedom and healing. In South Africa, amidst new landscapes and cultural encounters, she began to sense art’s potential to bridge inner and outer worlds—a realization that led her to study and eventually teach art therapy after returning to the Czech Republic.
Today, Magdalena is known for her intuitive approach to creativity—inviting people to reconnect with their childlike curiosity through mark-making, reflection, and presence. Her workshops and writings reveal how even the simplest doodle can become a doorway to emotional understanding and self-discovery.
This interview offers a rare glimpse into a life shaped by courage, creativity, and compassion—and into an artistic philosophy that reminds us that healing often begins with a single, spontaneous line.
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In this deeply personal conversation, Magdalena Westman traces the arc of her life from her early years in a pastor’s family in Czechoslovakia to her transformative experiences in South Africa—where the seeds of her art therapy practice first began to take root.
Growing up in a home filled with intellect, faith, and compassion, Magdalena’s childhood was shaped by both inspiration and challenge. Her family’s moral integrity during the years of political repression left a lasting imprint, instilling in her a sensitivity to human struggle and resilience. Those formative experiences would later find their way into her work, not through words, but through color, texture, and the spontaneous movement of the hand across paper.
Our conversation moves gently between memory and meaning—how a sense of “being different” as a child became a source of empathy, and how the creative act became, for Magdalena, a path to freedom and healing. In South Africa, amidst new landscapes and cultural encounters, she began to sense art’s potential to bridge inner and outer worlds—a realization that led her to study and eventually teach art therapy after returning to the Czech Republic.
Today, Magdalena is known for her intuitive approach to creativity—inviting people to reconnect with their childlike curiosity through mark-making, reflection, and presence. Her workshops and writings reveal how even the simplest doodle can become a doorway to emotional understanding and self-discovery.
This interview offers a rare glimpse into a life shaped by courage, creativity, and compassion—and into an artistic philosophy that reminds us that healing often begins with a single, spontaneous line.
Why Neuroarts Matters: Bama Lutes Deal on Arts, Science & Community
Petra Sittig
56 minutes 50 seconds
1 month ago
Why Neuroarts Matters: Bama Lutes Deal on Arts, Science & Community
In this episode, I sit down with Bama Lutes Deal, a musicologist, consultant, and passionate advocate for the arts, whose journey has taken her across disciplines—bridging music, culture, business, science, and technology.
Bama’s story begins with her deep love of music and her training as a musicologist, where she studied music not only as sound, but as a cultural and historical force that shapes our lives. From there, she built a career that spans management consulting, writing, arts management, higher education, and community development. What ties all of this together is her ability to combine creative and critical thinking to solve complex challenges.
Today, Bama is deeply involved in the emerging field of neuroarts—a place where science, the arts, and technology meet. As a consultant for the Palm Beach County Neuroarts Collaborative, she is helping map out local partners, programs, and research to strengthen how the arts support health and well-being in South Florida. In our conversation, she takes time to expand on what neuroarts really means, and why it is so important for the future of health, education, and society.
But Bama’s passion doesn’t stop at theory and research—she is also an advocate for artists, helping them share their work, find ways to market themselves, and build supportive networks within their communities. She reminds us that the arts are not just “nice to have,” but essential to who we are as human beings. We also talk about the power of nature and aesthetics, and how both play a vital role in healing and inspiring us.
Bama’s insights remind us that when creativity, science, and community come together, we open doors to healthier, more connected, and more beautiful ways of living.
Petra Sittig
In this deeply personal conversation, Magdalena Westman traces the arc of her life from her early years in a pastor’s family in Czechoslovakia to her transformative experiences in South Africa—where the seeds of her art therapy practice first began to take root.
Growing up in a home filled with intellect, faith, and compassion, Magdalena’s childhood was shaped by both inspiration and challenge. Her family’s moral integrity during the years of political repression left a lasting imprint, instilling in her a sensitivity to human struggle and resilience. Those formative experiences would later find their way into her work, not through words, but through color, texture, and the spontaneous movement of the hand across paper.
Our conversation moves gently between memory and meaning—how a sense of “being different” as a child became a source of empathy, and how the creative act became, for Magdalena, a path to freedom and healing. In South Africa, amidst new landscapes and cultural encounters, she began to sense art’s potential to bridge inner and outer worlds—a realization that led her to study and eventually teach art therapy after returning to the Czech Republic.
Today, Magdalena is known for her intuitive approach to creativity—inviting people to reconnect with their childlike curiosity through mark-making, reflection, and presence. Her workshops and writings reveal how even the simplest doodle can become a doorway to emotional understanding and self-discovery.
This interview offers a rare glimpse into a life shaped by courage, creativity, and compassion—and into an artistic philosophy that reminds us that healing often begins with a single, spontaneous line.
