Professor Angus Fletcher of The Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, a Professor of Story Science, studies how storytelling, creativity, and imagination affect the brain and emotional well-being.

Parents of children with anxiety are often willing to try anything that might help their kids feel better. Many traditional approaches focus on calming an overactive mind to reduce intense emotions. But Professor Fletcher’s research suggests a different path.

Instead of quieting the brain, his work explores how activating the brain through creativity and imagination-based play may help unlock the brain’s natural ability to regulate itself. In this episode, we discuss how storytelling and creative thinking might be powerful tools for helping children and adults manage anxiety and build resilience.