Lately I’ve found myself referencing a lot of the books I’ve read as part of my ongoing research in creating “The Serenity Experience”, my multi-sensory immersive installation. Most of these books have to do in some way with self-care and research into happiness and well-being, as well as the neuroscience behind what makes us feel better. My intention with the installation was to see if it was possible to use these ideas in creating an art piece that could trigger the brain to feel less stress and anxiety, and more happiness and sense of calm. My own experience of the finished piece, along with the feedback I’ve received from dozens of participants, is that it works. You can check out the online version of the piece here.

Here is a list of resources that I have used, and which I recommend if you’re interested in learning more about the science and theories that are behind the elements in the piece:

“Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and Better at What You Do” by Wallace J. Nichols

“Art as Therapy” by Alain de Botton & John Armstrong

“Forest Bathing: How Trees Can Help You Find Health and Happiness” by Dr. Qing Li

“The Happiness Project (Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun)” by Gretchen Rubin

“The Emperor of Scent: A True Story of Perfume and Obsession” by Chandler Burr

“Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain, from Vienna 1900 to the Present” by Eric R. Kandel

“The Brain’s Way of Healing: Remarkable Discoveries and Recoveries From the Frontiers of Neuroplasticity” by Norman Doidge, M.D.

“The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” by Julia Cameron

“Unplug: A Simple Guide to Meditation for Busy Skeptics and Modern Soul Seekers” by Suze Yalof Schwartz & Debra Goldstein

“The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want” by Sonja Lyubomirsky

“Adventures in Memory: The Science and Secrets of Remembering and Forgetting” by Hilde Ostby & Ylva Ostby

“Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear” by Elizabeth Gilbert

“The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate; Discoveries from a Secret World” by Peter Wohlleben

“The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature” by David Suzuki

“Walden” by Henry David Thoreau

“Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson” by Rachel Carson (edited and with an introduction by Linda Lear")

“Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures” by Merlin Sheldrake

“The Enchanted Life: Unlocking the Magic of the Everyday” by Sharon Blackie

“Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver

“Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“The Telomere Effect: a Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer” by Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD and Elissa Epel, PhD