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Artist Recovery Podcast Ep. 40 | ER Nurse to Egg Tempera: The Inspiring Dual Life of Lora Arbrador
In this episode, we sit down with the incredible Lora Arbrador — a trailblazing artist, nurse, author, and co-founder of the Society of Tempera Painters — for a raw, emotionally rich journey through a life shaped by creativity, compassion, and resilience.
WATCH TILL THE END for unforgettable moments about LSD trips in the '60s, surviving the AIDS epidemic as a nurse, and how a humble watercolor class in a basement launched a fine art career recognized by Cornell, Publishers Weekly, and art collectors worldwide.
Timestamps (for easy navigation):
00:00 – Intro to Lora Arbrador
02:50 – Lora’s Bronx childhood & feeling “not talented”
07:00 – Immigrant roots, poetry, and “poisonality” photography
14:00 – Discovering art late through a basement class
26:00 – LSD, Berkeley, counterculture & dropout days3
6:00 – Falling in love with egg tempera (life-changing moment)
46:00 – Becoming a nurse & nursing during the AIDS crisis
1:10:00 – “Ways of Dying” art series & creative healing
1:18:00 – Art and love: Europe, communes, and heartbreak
1:27:00 – The struggle of balancing art and survival
Key Highlights:
~"Not a Prodigy": Lora opens up about being dismissed as “untalented” — and how she proved everyone wrong.
~Egg Tempera Epiphany: Hear how a mandatory college assignment led to a lifelong devotion to a nearly forgotten painting medium.
~Love & LSD in the '60s: Wild stories from Berkeley’s heyday — communal vans, Janis Joplin at the Fillmore, and spiritual midwifery communes in Tennessee.
~Healing Through Art: Her award-winning series Ways of Dying was born out of heartbreak, grief, and frontline work during the AIDS epidemic.
~Double Identity: How she channeled her medical career into powerful artwork that won her recognition and gave voice to marginalized stories.
~Book Feature: Don’t miss talk of her acclaimed book Art and Love, chosen as Editor’s Pick by BookLife Reviews.
You’ll love this episode if you’re into:
~Healing through creativity
~Unconventional artist journeys
~60s counterculture and communes
~Art history, egg tempera technique
Connect with Lora Arbrador:
https://www.arbrador.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arbrador
FB: https://www.facebook.com/lora.arbrador
Lora's New Book:
https://a.co/d/fMXnh6q
Get Noticed and Be a Guest through @PodMatch_com :
https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery
#LoraArbrador, #ArtistRecovery, #EggTempera, #AIDSEpidemic, #NurseArtist, #ArtAndMedicine, #CommuneLiving, #60sCounterculture, #ArtistJourney, #CreativeHealing, #ArtTherapy, #ArtAsSurvival, #JanisJoplin, #DropoutToArtist, #LoveAndArt, #BerkeleyHippieEra, #ArtistResilience, #MentalHealth, #WomenInArt, #LateBloomer, #ArtSchoolRejection, #WaysOfDying, #EmotionalArt, #SpiritualMidwifery, #BookLifeEditorsPick, #ArtistPodcast, #HealingThroughArt, #NYtoCA, #FreeClinics, #NursingAndCreativity, #ForgottenArtForms #podmatch #podmatchguest @PodMatch_c
Support the show
Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright
Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com
Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com
Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com
Connect:
X
TikTok
View all episodes
By Rich WrightIn this episode, we sit down with the incredible Lora Arbrador — a trailblazing artist, nurse, author, and co-founder of the Society of Tempera Painters — for a raw, emotionally rich journey through a life shaped by creativity, compassion, and resilience.
WATCH TILL THE END for unforgettable moments about LSD trips in the '60s, surviving the AIDS epidemic as a nurse, and how a humble watercolor class in a basement launched a fine art career recognized by Cornell, Publishers Weekly, and art collectors worldwide.
Timestamps (for easy navigation):
00:00 – Intro to Lora Arbrador
02:50 – Lora’s Bronx childhood & feeling “not talented”
07:00 – Immigrant roots, poetry, and “poisonality” photography
14:00 – Discovering art late through a basement class
26:00 – LSD, Berkeley, counterculture & dropout days3
6:00 – Falling in love with egg tempera (life-changing moment)
46:00 – Becoming a nurse & nursing during the AIDS crisis
1:10:00 – “Ways of Dying” art series & creative healing
1:18:00 – Art and love: Europe, communes, and heartbreak
1:27:00 – The struggle of balancing art and survival
Key Highlights:
~"Not a Prodigy": Lora opens up about being dismissed as “untalented” — and how she proved everyone wrong.
~Egg Tempera Epiphany: Hear how a mandatory college assignment led to a lifelong devotion to a nearly forgotten painting medium.
~Love & LSD in the '60s: Wild stories from Berkeley’s heyday — communal vans, Janis Joplin at the Fillmore, and spiritual midwifery communes in Tennessee.
~Healing Through Art: Her award-winning series Ways of Dying was born out of heartbreak, grief, and frontline work during the AIDS epidemic.
~Double Identity: How she channeled her medical career into powerful artwork that won her recognition and gave voice to marginalized stories.
~Book Feature: Don’t miss talk of her acclaimed book Art and Love, chosen as Editor’s Pick by BookLife Reviews.
You’ll love this episode if you’re into:
~Healing through creativity
~Unconventional artist journeys
~60s counterculture and communes
~Art history, egg tempera technique
Connect with Lora Arbrador:
https://www.arbrador.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arbrador
FB: https://www.facebook.com/lora.arbrador
Lora's New Book:
https://a.co/d/fMXnh6q
Get Noticed and Be a Guest through @PodMatch_com :
https://www.joinpodmatch.com/artistrecovery
#LoraArbrador, #ArtistRecovery, #EggTempera, #AIDSEpidemic, #NurseArtist, #ArtAndMedicine, #CommuneLiving, #60sCounterculture, #ArtistJourney, #CreativeHealing, #ArtTherapy, #ArtAsSurvival, #JanisJoplin, #DropoutToArtist, #LoveAndArt, #BerkeleyHippieEra, #ArtistResilience, #MentalHealth, #WomenInArt, #LateBloomer, #ArtSchoolRejection, #WaysOfDying, #EmotionalArt, #SpiritualMidwifery, #BookLifeEditorsPick, #ArtistPodcast, #HealingThroughArt, #NYtoCA, #FreeClinics, #NursingAndCreativity, #ForgottenArtForms #podmatch #podmatchguest @PodMatch_c
Support the show
Always remember, Listen to your Heart and Be Kind to Your Mind! -Rich Wright
Follow us here: https://www.theartistrecovery.com
Join the Community: https://www,artrecroom.com
Listen Weekly at: https://www.artistrecoverypodcast.com
Connect:
X
TikTok