> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Upcoming Event: The Role of Art in the Practice of Nonviolence
- URL: https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/upcoming-event-the-role-of-art-in-the-practice-of-nonviolence/
- Published: 2026-11-02T15:29:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-02T15:29:00.000Z
- Description: If you live in the Chicago area, come connect with a community of folks who want to try something new that lowers stress, brings us peace, and just plain feels good!
- Author: Suzanne Ross
- Tags: nonviolence, peacebuilding, neuroscience, gena st david, psychology, spirituality

Here’s a surprising strategy for reducing anxiety you probably haven’t tried yet. It’s especially helpful if you're feeling anxious about [what comes next](https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/three-reasons-we-will-be-okay-after-the-midterms/) for America after the midterm elections!

> The strategy is the **practice of nonviolence.**

 I know it doesn’t sound all that promising at first! Nonviolence research and mental health therapist [Dr. Gena St. David](https://www.genastdavid.com/?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io) was skeptical, too. In her new book, [*The Nonviolent Brain: Unlocking Our Potential to Save the Planet, Animals, and Ourselves*](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H1YCL37F?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io), she wrote about her in-depth study of the impact that practicing nonviolence has on those who use it. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/86/18/8618f0fd-f9d7-4099-9514-46e6d5827ab1/content/images/2026/10/qjij4n6dt9kuq7476mcqkloqtb._SY600_._SL200_._PQ50_._FMwebp_-1.webp)

Here’s how her view changed over the course of dozens of interviews she conducted:

> My premise going into this study was that nonviolence **itself** is stressful. Therefore, I expected to find that, under stress, people would lapse in their nonviolent practices because nonviolence ‘feels’ hard.   
>  
> This assumption turned out to be false.  
>  
> Instead, people told me again and again, ‘I feel my best when I’m practicing nonviolence.’ They said, ‘Nonviolence reduces my stress. It give me relief and peace.  
>  
> Down to a single person, they maintained, ‘I practice nonviolence because it ***feels good***.’ (The Nonviolent Brain, p. 46)

Gena went on to identify **7 nonviolent practices** that reduced stress and left people feeling good about themselves and hopeful about the world. 

The practices are things we already know how to do. Things like staying in touch with our feelings, voicing questions, a willingness to learn from others, imagining a nonviolent world, and experimenting with different strategies to get there. No specialized training or advanced degrees necessary! All that’s required is a willingness to try something new. 

It’s time to face the truth that the path we are currently on as a society has led to divisions, anger, resentment, violence and the threat of more to come. If you’d like to try a different approach to solving the very real problems facing our nation, please join Gena for [a live event](https://the-wicked-truth.ghost.io/events/#7-november-%E2%80%93-livestream-%E2%80%93-the-role-of-art-in-the-practice-of-nonviolence-with-gena-st-david-%E2%80%93-4pm530pm-ct) this Saturday, November 7.

If you live in the Chicago area, you can meet Gena in person, or you can [join the live stream.](https://www.youtube.com/@firstcongregationalchurcho2594?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io) You will connect with a community of folks who want to try something new that lowers stress, brings us peace, and just plain feels good! 

I hope to see you there!

[Register](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0BWepTOzj04rZfqio9h93JkKAUpXwnrdadX-%5F9K2gxqW%5FOQ/viewform?ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)

[Buy the Nonviolent Brain](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H1YCL37F?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback&ref=the-wicked-truth.ghost.io)

[Follow Gena's 'Nonviolence Lab' on Substack](https://genastdavid.substack.com/?utm%5Fcampaign=profile%5Fchips)

🌩️

****I want to know ...** Have you been feeling anxious about the state of our world? What's your anxiety centered on? What practices have you found that help you look to the future with hope? Comment below!

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