What If Art Could Transform How You Learn and Experience Life?

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Learning through experience requires us to shift from the purely intellectual to a more holistic engagement. I try to create that shift by opening each of my leadership classes with some form of art—a poem, a piece of music or a visual work. It’s a way of helping my students, many of whom are management or law students, executives, or leaders in their fields, step out of their typical "brain-bound" mindset and into a space where they can let their thoughts, emotions and values guide their learning. For many, it’s an inconvenient and unfamiliar approach, but it’s exactly what I believe opens their minds and hearts to walking an unconventional path toward growth.

Dr. Liliana Milkova and I share a passion for this type of experiential learning. The Nolan Curator of Education at Yale University Art Gallery, Liliana uses art to foster reflective, perspective-shifting experiences to encourage people to slow down and engage deeply with what they see and feel. Drawing on her upbringing in Bulgaria and her extensive work in art education, she shares how object-based learning can transform the way we think and connect with others.

I encourage you to experience this episode by watching, versus just listening. Join us as we explore how art can shift the way we think, learn, connect and grow.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics

02:19 Learning from Cultural Heritage – Growing up in Bulgaria, surrounded by historical objects, fostered Liliana’s deep connection to experiential learning, teaching her to engage with the world through observation, curiosity and reflection.

09:38 Teaching Through Art – "Teaching through art" rather than "teaching about art" catalyzes deeper, shared learning experiences—making abstract concepts more tangible through observation and personal interpretation.

14:37 Object-Based Learning – Through careful observation and multisensory experiences, learners develop critical thinking skills and form deeper connections with content.

18:00 Collaborative Learning and Perspective-Taking – Exercises like "Back-to-Back Drawing" improve communication and empathy by describing and interpreting objects from different angles.

32:39 Learning How to Learn – Developing individual strategies for processing information and engaging with experiences helps to build confidence and adapt to new situations by embracing diverse ways of thinking.

42:43 Reflection and Slowing Down – Slow down to fully engage with an object and allow time for deeper reflection. Creating space for shared insights and dialogue enhances the learning experience.

Resources

About Learning Through Experience

We all want work—and life—to be better. So how do we make it happen? How can we learn from the experience we have to create a future that we want? This is the realm that much of Dr. Heidi Brooks’ work explores. As we navigate the everyday, she invites us to cultivate the capacity to learn through experience, and to apply the wisdom gained to co-create a future that is worth fighting for.

Almost all adults work and experience organizational life. Work is the common connector; it dominates where we engage with the world and where the world engages with us. And for Dr. Brooks, it’s a canvas for the great re-imagining of our humanity. So, what can we do every day to help create an experience of work that people want to be part of? This everyday leadership invitation goes beyond deliverables and tasks into thinking of work as a space that we co-create.

Season Three of the Learning Through Experience podcast echos Dr. Brooks’ course structure, centered on interpersonal and group dynamics. Even at Yale, there is a place for learning through experience—not just books. The answer you seek is not on page 4. Watch and listen as Dr. Brooks meets with colleagues and authorities in their fields about transformative experiences that shape and shift how we learn and listen, feel and connect, reinforcing that experience precedes thinking that challenges our paradigms and assumptions.

In order to challenge the status quo, we need to have experiences that open us up to learning. Are you ready? Join us for Season Three of Learning Through Experience.

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