Today I want to highlight another organization that is tied to mental health – This is My Brave. Most of today’s information comes from their website, www.thisismybrave.org
This Is My Brave shares that storytelling saves lives. Their mission is the following: to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues by sharing personal stories of individuals living successful, full lives despite mental illness through poetry, essay, and original music, on stage in front of a live audience, through stories submitted and published to our blog, and via our YouTube channel.
This Is My Brave was started in 2013 and 2014, so it has not been around all that long, but it has already produced over 50 unique shows in the United States. In 2017, This Is My Brave went international, with shows in Australia as well. Although the number of shows has increased, This Is My Brave notes that they are doing this one person and one story at a time.
Personally, I have been to a This Is My Brave show, and it was amazing. The stories are so personal, and the performances are moving. I support This Is My Brave and the work they are doing to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and I encourage you to catch a live show and check out their online content. The more stories the better in my opinion, and the more we talk about mental health the less stigma there will be. I look forward to seeing this organization continue to grow.
How about you? Have you heard of This Is My Brave? If not, are you interested in learning more? If you have heard of them, have you seen or viewed any of the performances? What did you think? Have you considered being a performer yourself? What story could you share with others?