Sarah Ticho and Niki Smit are the creators of SoulPaint, an innovative virtual reality (VR) experience designed to make emotions visible and help people connect with their bodies and feelings. Here are the key takeaways from their conversation:

• Origin Story: Sarah's personal experience navigating the healthcare system and feeling unheard led her to explore VR as a tool for expressing complex emotional states. She discovered body mapping, a process where individuals draw their emotions on a physical body outline, and saw potential in translating this to VR.
• Collaboration: Sarah and Niki met while working on a breath-controlled VR experience called Deep. Their collaboration on SoulPaint began when they discussed combining Sarah's healthcare insights with Niki's game design expertise to create an immersive experience where users can paint their emotions onto a 3D avatar in VR.
• Innovative Features: SoulPaint allows users to express emotions through painting and embodiment in VR. The experience leverages the visual and associative nature of human thinking to bypass language barriers in describing emotions. Users can paint their feelings onto a 3D avatar and then reflect on their creation, providing a new way to understand and communicate emotional experiences.
• Therapeutic Benefits: The platform aims to address challenges in communicating complex emotional experiences, particularly in healthcare settings where time is limited. By using play and embodiment, SoulPaint helps users access their subconscious feelings in a freer and more instinctive way.
• Future Vision: The creators envision SoulPaint as a tool for mental wellbeing and emotional regulation, leveraging the engaging nature of VR and game design to create healthy behaviors.

--- About Soul Paint - www.soulpaint.co

Niki Smit is an interactive artist creating playful experiences at the intersection of art, science and education. As co-director of Monobanda he has directed several award winning experiences including Explore Deep, Remembering, In My Absence and The Shape of Us. In 2020 he was awarded the Dutch Directors Guild award for Best Digital Storytelling.


Sarah Ticho is a multi-award-winning artist, strategist, and entrepreneur. She is founder of Hatsumi, a multidisciplinary agency dedicated to advancing human-centred experiences at the intersection of immersive art, scientific research, and healthcare. As co-director of the XR HealthAlliance, she supports the equitable adoption of immersive technology for healthcare across strategy and policy. Her work is featured in Forbes and BBC, and she speaks at festivals and institutions globally.

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