Isabella Rivera
Isabella Rivera is a Performance Studies B.A. student, doubling minoring in Creative Writing (CAS) and Child & Adolescent Mental Health Studies (CAS). She grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii till the age of ten and made the great migration to New York City with her family. Growing up in the city has shaped who she is today and fanned the flame of her love for music, theater, and the arts. While performance has always been her passion, Isabella finds interest in melding together the science of human behaviors and interactions, with art, music, and writing. Her faith, craft, and family are what inspire her to remain driven, curious, and excited for her future endeavors. Trading the Hawaiian, ocean breezes for four seasons has been worth it and Isabella is honored to be a part of the Performance Studies community at NYU.
Title of Capstone Project:
Healing Properties of Play: How Play and Creativity Reconfigure the Mind
Description of Project:
Play is necessary, it reminds us of our individuality and freedom to remove ourselves from the mundane of everyday life. It transforms our mentality instantaneously, promoting a healthier cognitive life, where negative thought patterns are replaced with positive ones. With play comes moments of self-reflection and the opportunity to complexify one’s understanding. Play and creativity creates a space suspended in time where an individual can dive into the depths of their subconscious and reacquaint oneself with themselves. Play has the power to heal emotional and mental wounds that medications cannot emulate. The Arts and sciences can coexist and this project explores the modes in which play and creativity mobilizes tangible healing in human body.
What Inspired your Project?
I was inspired by the connection of arts and sciences in a therapeutic context, and how the process healing can be mobilized in different artistic ways. I was always running to theater and the arts as a play of refuge and freedom, it became my therapy. In this sense, I was interested in knowing both scientific and creative aspects of play therapy. The arts has a power that transcends the science of medicine and I was interested in exploring the magnitude of artistic influence in the medical field.