Close Up Radio spotlights artist and author Rae Luskin

Close Up Radio recently featured Rae Luskin, an artist, author and creative mindfulness mentor whose work centers on healing, creativity and social change. The interview highlighted her personal recovery story, her books and her workshops as she continues promoting “Turning Pain to Purpose.”

Why it matters: - Rae Luskin has built a public platform around helping people turn trauma, stress and burnout into healing and action. - Her story connects personal recovery with practical tools for self-worth, resilience and creative problem-solving. - The interview adds visibility to her books, workshops and activism, including work tied to survivors of sexual violence.

What happened: - Close Up Radio featured Rae Luskin in an interview with Jim Masters on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 12 p.m. Eastern. - The appearance highlighted Luskin as an artist, author, activist and creative mindfulness mentor. - The segment focused on her “Turning Pain to Purpose” work and her broader message about creativity, healing and service.

The details: - Luskin has spent more than 35 years exploring how life challenges can become meaningful purpose. - She leads presentations, workshops and storytelling sessions designed to help individuals and teams find passion, purpose and authentic power. - Her approach uses creative practices to support self-worth, self-love, healing, resilience and positive social change. - Luskin said her work was shaped by years of childhood sexual abuse by her grandfather. - She said the trauma showed up in her artwork, which became darker over time. - In college, a flashback during an art class left her unable to paint, and a teacher told her to leave and called her a terrible artist. - Luskin stopped painting for 12 years. - She later entered therapy, married, raised children and struggled with depression. - She reached a point where she contemplated suicide before committing to heal. - Luskin began a daily scribbling practice that became a breakthrough in her recovery. - She said scribbling helped her express pain that words could not. - She has kept handwritten gratitude journals since 1985. - Her work is grounded in four pillars: mindfulness, creative expression, vision and activism. - The Creative Activist Way is built around six principles: curiosity, creativity, courage, compassion, connection and contribution. - Luskin said everyone is creative, not just painters or musicians. - Her workshops ask participants to reflect on questions such as whether they are living in alignment with core values and what they want their lives to look like in three to five years. - Her practices include “Scribble Your Way to Wellness,” bilateral drawing, storytelling, mindfulness and gratitude. - Luskin has advocated for women and children for decades, including through the National Council of Jewish Women. - She designed artwork for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s gun-safety campaign. - She has donated artwork to organizations and causes she supports. - Proceeds from The Creative Activist support Northwest CASA and its work with survivors of sexual violence. - Luskin received a Woman of Distinction Award in 2016 and was nominated for a Beauty in Beauty Out Award. - She is the author of four books: Art From My Heart, Stuck to Unstoppable Journal, The Creative Edge: 30 Days of Creativity Prompts and the Benjamin Franklin Award-winning The Creative Activist: Make the World Better, One Person, One Action at a Time. - Luskin holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Roosevelt University and a master’s degree in urban planning. - Her current work includes interviews, workshops, summits and her “Turning Pain to Purpose” message. - Luskin said she dreams of creating a healing house with art, music, meditation and creativity. - Her full interview is available through Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and Spotify. - More information is available on Rae Luskin's website.

Between the lines: - Luskin’s message blends memoir, creativity and advocacy into a single public mission. - The interview frames art as both a personal recovery tool and a method for civic engagement. - Her emphasis on simple practices, like scribbling and gratitude journaling, suggests her model is meant to be accessible rather than academic or clinical.

What's next: - Luskin is continuing interviews, workshops, summits and storytelling appearances. - She is still developing her vision for a healing house centered on creative renewal. - Her broader goal remains helping people use adversity as a starting point for purpose, connection and service.