I’ve got a confession to make. It’s a tough one to share publicly, but it’s true and I’ve always been a big believer in the truth.
So here goes … I’m mentally ill.
That’s crazy
OK, now I know you’re all like, that’s insane, why would you share that in a work blog for a marketing company?
Well, for a couple reasons.
- People deal with this every day
- I deal with this every day
- My employer deals with this every day
- (And most importantly) ’cause this team has been so supportive.
It’s Mental
A little over a year ago, before I joined the Dc Design House team, Dc was involved with the making of This Video about reducing stigma in the community around mental health disorders.
Spearheaded by Amelia Curran and Roger Maunder (a regular collaborator) at the design house, this video was meant to be a one-off initiative that would have an impact because of the famous faces in the video.
Just … Nuts
But after the video Amelia, Roger and Dc realized they weren’t done. People started coming out of the woodwork to share their stories. They were heartbreaking, and they realized that a bit of attention wasn’t all they wanted for mental health concerns in our province. I joined in and shared the belief that we need better mental health policies, better promotion of resources to those who need them, and a stronger mental health care system with more resources overall.
Oh the Insanity
Dc came up with the slogan, which has since become a name: It’s Mental.
From there came a logo, a brain with a heart inside, a website featuring the video, and doubling as a place where people could share their stories and experiences with the mental health care system.
In the fall, Amelia and Roger will head out on the road across the province and all of Canada, where she will talk and he will film the tour. The resulting documentary will explore mental health care concerns in Canada.
In the cuckoo’s nest
Meanwhile, here at the Design House and in workplaces, schools and everywhere, we keep moving along. We talk to each other, we take care of each other and we deal. And you know what, that’s the sanest thing we can do.
Visit itsmental.ca to share your story, sign up for the newsletter and learn more about mental health care resources in Newfoundland and Labrador.
