Artist and Author Rae Luskin Recently Featured on Close Up Radio

DEERFIELD, IL, UNITED STATES, September 7, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- There are people whose presence seems to carry a special kind of light—people who instinctively look for ways to bring more compassion, connection, creativity, and hope into the world. They are the individuals who see possibility, where others see obstacles and who continually ask, How can I make life better for someone else?

Rae Luskin is one of those extraordinary people.

An award-winning artist, author, activist, and creative mindfulness mentor, Rae has devoted more than 35 years to exploring one transformative question: How can we turn life's challenges into meaningful purpose?

Through her work as a transformational leader, Rae helps individuals and teams discover their passion, purpose, authentic power, and creativity so they can become confident change leaders and creative problem-solvers. Through interactive presentations, workshops, storytelling, and creative practices, she provides tools designed to foster self-worth, self-love, healing, resilience, and positive social change.

But Rae's message isn't based solely on professional experience. It was forged through her own extraordinary journey of healing.

As a child, Rae experienced years of sexual abuse by her grandfather. She kept the trauma to herself for years, and its impact eventually emerged through the very place where she had once found joy: her art. Rae had always loved creating beautiful images, but she noticed that her artwork began becoming increasingly dark. Yet no one asked her why.

Then, while attending college, Rae experienced a profound flashback when a nude model entered her art class, reminding her of her grandfather's studio. She could no longer paint. Instead of recognizing the pain behind her struggle, her teacher told her to leave the class and called her a terrible artist.

For the next 12 years, Rae stopped painting.

Eventually, she entered therapy and began confronting the experiences she had carried for so long. She married and raised children, yet internally she continued to struggle. Despite caring for her family every day, she became profoundly depressed and reached a point where she contemplated suicide.

Then came a turning point.

Rae made a list of the painful experiences she had endured and made a powerful commitment to herself: she would do everything within her power to heal. She explored different healing modalities, attended workshops around the world, and learned from influential mentors. But one of her most profound breakthroughs came through something remarkably simple: she began to scribble.

As the pain began to emerge through her artwork, so did her tears. Scribbling became a daily practice, a way of expressing what words could not. Slowly, something began to change. She began noticing the sunrise again. She began laughing with her children. Feeling alive. And other people noticed.

Rae's transformation eventually became a mission.

She began sharing her story publicly, despite the fear that came with revealing something so deeply personal. During one early workshop, she even invited her mother, who had previously been unaware of the full depth of Rae's suffering. After hearing Rae speak, her mother approached her and acknowledged for the first time how deeply she had been hurting.

Then a young woman approached Rae and told her, "You saved my life." For Rae, it was a defining moment.

She understood that sharing our stories of resilience can create a powerful ripple of hope. When people realize they are not alone, healing becomes possible.

Rae came to understand that art and service had saved her life, and she has spent the decades since helping others discover their own pathways toward healing and transformation. She survived. She healed. She created. She served. And kept moving forward.

The Creative Activist Way grew out of Rae’s belief that each of us has unique gifts, a story worth sharing, and the capacity to make a meaningful difference. Her approach is grounded in six guiding principles: curiosity, creativity, courage, compassion, connection, and contribution.

Because Rae believes that everyone is creative.

You don't have to be a painter or musician to express creativity. A cook, gardener, writer, dancer, parent, teacher, or entrepreneur can all create. Rae believes creativity is not simply about making art. It is our innate capacity to imagine what is possible, see things differently, express what is within us, and turn ideas into meaningful action.

Her workshops invite participants to slow down, listen within, and explore powerful questions: “Am I living in alignment with my core values?” “What would I love?” and “What would I love my life to look like three or five years from now?” Through reflection, imagination, and creative expression, participants begin to see new possibilities for themselves and their lives.

For Rae, having a vision means going beyond simply describing where we are today. It means imagining what is possible and then taking creative steps toward it.

Among her favorite practices is "Scribble Your Way to Wellness," a simple creative practice designed to help people reduce stress and burnout and reconnect with themselves. She also incorporates mindfulness, gratitude, bilateral drawing, storytelling, and creative expression into her work.

Since 1985, Rae has kept handwritten gratitude journals, maintaining a practice of appreciation that continues to shape her outlook today.

Her four pillars—mindfulness, creative expression, vision, and activism—have become the foundation of a life's work dedicated to helping people discover their inherent worth and create deeper, more authentic connections.

Rae's activism extends far beyond her personal healing journey. For decades, she has passionately advocated for women and children, including through her leadership and involvement with the National Council of Jewish Women. She has used her creativity as a vehicle for social change—designing artwork for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky's gun-safety campaign, donating her artwork to organizations and causes she believes in, and directing proceeds from The Creative Activist to support Northwest CASA and its work with survivors of sexual violence.

She believes that creative expression can be a catalyst for meaningful action and that every individual has the ability to contribute something positive to the world.

In 2016, Rae received a Woman of Distinction Award and was nominated for a Beauty in Beauty Out Award.

She is also the author of four books, including Art From My Heart, a self-discovery journal; Stuck to Unstoppable Journal; The Creative Edge: 30 Days of Creativity Prompts; and the Benjamin Franklin Award-winning inspirational book The Creative Activist: Make the World Better, One Person, One Action at a Time.

Rae holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Roosevelt University and a Master's degree in Urban Planning.

Today, Rae continues to evolve her own vision while helping others create theirs. Through interviews, workshops, summits, storytelling, and her "Turning Pain to Purpose" work, she continues exploring how adversity can become a catalyst for personal healing, growth, and meaningful change.

Her philosophy is beautifully simple: Discover your gift. Share your story. Create your vision. Take creative action. Make a difference.

Rae dreams of creating a healing house where art, music, meditation, and creativity come together to provide a space for healing and renewal. She believes the need is especially urgent today, when so many people are hurting and searching for meaningful ways to reconnect with themselves and one another.

Her message is not that we can choose everything that happens to us. It is that we can choose what we do with what happens to us. We can create. Share our stories. Help someone else feel less alone. And we can leave the world a little better than we found it.

Rae Luskin is living proof that sometimes the very experiences that threaten to break us can become the foundation upon which we build our greatest purpose.

Her life's philosophy can be summed up in one powerful question: What would you love?

For Rae, that question isn't simply an invitation to dream. It is an invitation to create a life of meaning, connection, courage, and service—and to remember that each of us has something absolutely valuable to contribute to the world.

Close Up Radio recently featured Rae Luskin in an interview with Jim Masters on Thursday September 3rd at 12pm Eastern

Listen to the Podcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/close-up-radio-spotlights-artist-and-author-rae-luskin/id1785721253?i=1000788239625
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-close-up-radio-242020413/episode/close-up-radio-spotlights-artist-and-author-rae-luskin-343318091
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZIm2ljqGpH3349enPpeQ9

For more information, please visit: www.raeluskin.com

Written By: Beatrice Maria Centeno

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
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