The Art Box - Episode 492 — Kate McElderry: Stories, Brains & the Beautiful Ways We Learn

Writer and educator Kate McElderry joins us for a wonderfully wide-ranging conversation about creativity, learning, and the many different ways our minds work. Kate shares how childhood days spent exploring outdoors, sketching, journaling, and growing up around her mother’s art studio eventually planted the seeds for her novel Declan Someone.

We explore Kate’s own nonlinear approach to creativity, her work with young people, and Mind Brain Education (MBE), including how understanding the brain can change the way we think about teaching and learning. Kate also tells us how Declan Someone has moved beyond the page into classrooms, libraries, health centers, and her volunteer book and journaling program at the Baltimore City Detention Center. At the heart of it all are themes that emerged naturally through her writing: belonging, self-worth, resilience, and navigating life’s challenges.

It’s a conversation about writing, education, curiosity—and discovering that there really are many different kinds of smart.

You can find more about Kate at: https://katemcelderrywriting.com/

or on Instagram: @katemcelderrywriter