Do You Want to Die Not Knowing? One Artist's Leap Into Art as Service and Healing

Have you ever had someone ask you a question that completely changed the direction of your life? In this episode, I talk with commission artist Shawn B. Standley, whose wife asked him exactly that kind of question — and it launched him into a new chapter as a full-time artist dedicated to healing and community service.

Shawn's journey is anything but a straight line — from aerospace engineering student to carpenter, Navy veteran, restaurant manager, and Alaskan wilderness dweller — before finally committing to his true calling: creating deeply personal commission art that captures people's stories, memories, and life transitions.

Now based in Conway, Arkansas, Shawn is partnering with wellness organizations, end-of-life doulas, and medical institutions to bring the healing power of art to people navigating major life changes. He also oversees the urban farming and community garden program at the Faulkner County Library — proof that art and service can take many forms.

In this episode we cover:

(1:42) How Shawn's father discouraged him from pursuing art as a career — and how he found his way back
(11:51) Dropping out of aerospace engineering school and the winding road that followed
(13:17) Moving to Whidbey Island and finding his first real artistic community and mentor
(16:03) Going to art school at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle — and why he left
(18:11) How Alaska got under his skin and changed everything
(22:07) The question his wife Shell asked that became the turning point of his artistic life
(23:54) Discovering the profound emotional power of commission art and creating work that tells someone's personal story
(24:40) Why Conway, Arkansas — and what surprised him about building an art practice there
(28:45) Finding his why through the Artist Inc. fellowship and the Artists in Business mentorship program
(32:15) Partnering with end-of-life doulas, the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences wellness program, and the Arkansas Wellness Network
(37:55) His vision for combining art and healing as a full-time practice

Connect with Shawn: Website: shawnbstudios.com Social media: @shawnbstudios

Connect with me: arthealsallwoundspodcast.com | Substack

Music by Ketsa and Lobo Loco

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