{"id":423613,"date":"2025-11-20T16:37:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/423613\/"},"modified":"2025-11-20T16:37:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T16:37:15","slug":"denver-nuggets-aaron-gordon-blends-art-wellness-and-wisdom-at-shoe-painting-event","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/423613\/","title":{"rendered":"Denver Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon blends art, wellness and wisdom at shoe-painting event"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\"SolefulSoleful Connections, presented by UCHealth and the Denver Nuggets, brought together 100 pairs of people at ReelWorks Denver to create their own athletic shoe designs. Aaron Gordon, the Nuggets\u2019 6\u20198\u2033 power forward, headlined the event and shared his thoughts on the power of creativity. Gordon, center, poses for a selfie during the Soleful Connections event. Photo: Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

More than 200 sports fans gathered on a recent evening to hear the thoughts of a wise, tall man, a philosopher of sorts.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be creative is to be human. And when you are creating, and when you are human, you connect, and it brings you back to the earth,\u201d the man said. \u201cI can be myself. I can be Aaron.\u201d<\/p>\n

This Aaron, it turns out, is Aaron Gordon, the 6\u20198\u201d, 235-pound Denver Nuggets power forward<\/a> who had dropped 20 points and bullied the boards for 11 rebounds in a win against the Sacramento Kings at Ball Arena the night before.<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron Gordon signed a participant\u2019s Gordon jersey and participated in a panel discussion about wellness and creativity during the Soleful Connections shoe-painting event. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

Now he was headlining the third edition of Soleful Connections, presented by UCHealth and the Denver Nuggets. His size-17s followed in the Soleful footsteps of Nuggets predecessors<\/a> DeAndre Jordan (size 18) and Christian Braun (size 13).<\/p>\n

The Nov. 4 event brought in 100 pairs of people \u2014 chosen by lottery from 5,400 entrants \u2014 to ReelWorks Denver<\/a>. They spent the evening snacking on appetizers, listening to a brief panel discussion on the therapeutic benefits of art led by Altitude Sports host Vic Lombardi<\/a>, and, most importantly, creating art of their own on 100 pairs of shoes.<\/p>\n

Marcus Jimenez\u2019s team from Denver\u2019s Sicario Studios<\/a> again provided the white Nike Air Force 1 Low By You sneakers and art supplies from paint to heat guns to splatter boxes. Each participant had a shoe to paint and ink up as they fancied.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not what you\u2019re painting,\u201d Jimenez told them. \u201cIt\u2019s that you\u2019re painting.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NuggetsNuggets fans enjoyed doing unique shoe designs during the Soleful Connections event. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.
\nArron Gordon: Go for the flow<\/p>\n

And paint they did. As the Denver Nuggets DJ spun high-energy tunes through the venue\u2019s formidable sound system, as loops of hoops highlights splashed across white walls, as Rocky the Nuggets mascot and, later, Gordon himself made the rounds, chatting, joining selfies, signing jerseys\/hats\/shoes, they painted and painted. Many had immersed themselves in what they were doing to the point that they seemed oblivious to the presence of the celebrity walking among them. That\u2019s the whole point, Jimenez says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a connection between the state of flow<\/a> that creativity gives you \u2014 in this case, that brush, those bristles \u2014 and the release of subconscious pressure,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron Gordon shared his philosophy of life: \u201cTo be human is to be creative.\u201d He also took time to greet fans and pose for photos during the Soleful Connections event that underscored the health benefits of art and creativity. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

Among those flowing along were Rachel and Sean Lee-Nakamoto of Lakewood, both attorneys by trade. Rachel wore a Gordon #32 jersey and declared him to be her favorite player. She painted a rendition of her cat Frida on the leather upper just above the sole\u2019s rim (taped blue for paint-protection by the Sicario Studios team) as if Frida were peeking over it. Rachel knits and paints at home, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith my high-stress job, it\u2019s good to have a creative outlet,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to do something with your hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sarah Clough of Englewood had surprised Emily Romo of Centennial with the invite.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to find more stuff to do \u2014 more art,\u201d Clough said. \u201cYou get out of your comfort zone and create something you\u2019re excited about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Romo has been making a point of painting a couple of times a month, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s definitely therapeutic, and, if it\u2019s with someone else, it\u2019s fun to compare results,\u201d Romo said.<\/p>\n

\"NuggetsNuggets fans channeled their creativity, designing unique, colorful athletic shoes. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.
\nThe numbers don\u2019t lie: Art is good for mental well-being<\/p>\n

Dr. Marc Moss<\/a> agrees, and he has the data to back it up. Moss is a University of Colorado School of Medicine<\/a> professor<\/a> of pulmonary sciences and critical care medicine who treats intensive care unit patients at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital<\/a> at University of Colorado Anschutz<\/a>. He and his colleagues\u2019 studies<\/a> on the stresses of ICU work and consequences ranging from burnout to post-traumatic stress disorder led to the creation of the Colorado Resiliency Arts Lab, or CORAL<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Nuggets\u2019 Aaron Gordon, left, joined Dr. Mark Moss, right, for a panel discussion about creativity and wellness. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

The National Endowment for the Arts-funded program combines visual arts, dance, musical, and written-expression therapies and techniques to help providers navigate their own holistic health. It deliberately brings people together to do these activities, creating community during 12 weeks of weekly in-person sessions.<\/p>\n

A study Moss\u2019s team published<\/a> in December 2023 found that ICU workers who received creative arts therapy saw a 28% drop in anxiety, a 36% drop in depression, a 26% drop in PTSD, and a 12% drop in emotional exhaustion compared to a control group who didn\u2019t participate. Some of these improvements persisted for 12 months after the therapy sessions ended.<\/p>\n

A second study<\/a> published in April 2025 extended the work to nonpatient-facing healthcare workers such as researchers, administrators, educators, and support staff. It found a 41% reduction in anxiety, a 29% drop in depression, a 15% drop in emotional exhaustion, and 6% drop in turnover intention compared to the control group. These improvements persisted for a year afterward, Moss says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s interesting is that the stressors that people talked about were different. For example, the stressors in the hospital were dealing with tragedy, with people dying, et cetera,\u201d he said. \u201cThe stresses for people who are administrators are, there\u2019s a lot of pressure on me to balance the budget and make money and make good decisions. With researchers, there\u2019s a lot of stress now around job security and getting grants. So, the issues were different, but the effects of the intervention on people, even with different issues, were similarly significant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NuggetsNuggets fans loved unleashing their creativity by painting shoes and adding embellishments during Sole Connections. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.
\nNext up for CORAL is a study of art\u2019s effect on medical trainees<\/p>\n

CORAL is now preparing a third National Endowment for the Arts-funded study, this one focusing on creative arts therapy\u2019s impact on medical, dental, pharmacy, nursing, physician-associate, physical-therapy, and other students. It\u2019s slated to launch in early 2026. Beyond understanding the impact of art therapy on a generally younger cohort, the idea is to help future medical professionals incorporate art into their lives early, Moss says.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we work with trainees, can we give them these skill sets before they develop problems \u2014 as opposed to treating issues?\u201d Moss said.<\/p>\n

For Aaron Gordon, work is not a stressor, he says. Quite the opposite, actually.<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron Gordon checks out a fan\u2019s shoe design during Soleful Connections. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am fortunate enough to have an occupation that intersects with creativity and artistry,\u201d he said. \u201cI really think the game of basketball is beautiful. I think it\u2019s poetry in motion, so I get to express myself every day through my job, and I feel really fortunate for that. That\u2019s where I get to just completely let my creativity flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Gordon said he recognizes that art in its various forms can provide an important outlet for those \u201cnot able to express the anger, the frustration, the sadness, the despair, the depression, the joy, the gratefulness, the hopefulness \u2014 this cocktail of emotions that can be alleviated through catharsis and through creativity and artistry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron Gordon meets a fan dressed in a Gordon jersey during Soleful Connections. Clarkson Creative Photography, for UCHealth.<\/p>\n

The philosophically attuned basketball star\u2019s creativity and artistry would be on display again the following night against the Miami Heat, and, if the Nuggets\u2019 season goes as hoped, will feature in dozens of games on through the NBA Finals next summer. For those of us who must find artistic flow states beyond the workplace, Moss\u2019s research shows that health care professionals \u2014 and, probably, the rest of us \u2014 have much to gain by seeking flow through our own creative outlets.<\/p>\n

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