Mojo Mental Health

The footage in my submission for this video is a collage of moments from video diaries that I filmed in 2014 and 2015. I put them together in the way that I did to show the hope I had even though my mental health was declining at the time. This footage reflects to me the beginning of my journey of self-determination that lead to where I am now. With the time constraint I could only show the tip of the iceberg in this video, however I hope that people see the way sadness and humour can exist together. I also hope people viewing this can see that “what makes you happy that you wont find in a psych ward or pill” is something that anyone who’s been newly diagnosed will be questioning and experimenting with.

My goal through my mental health advocacy is to make room for each individuals experience of mental distress to be heard, questioned, and validated as a real and human experience. When we support each other with these values and begin to look after ourselves with these values real wellbeing can grow from places that may have, at times, felt incredibly dark and inescapable. I could not have got to the place of living a for filling and meaningful life by myself however the work I did on myself and for myself to get to where I am now is my biggest achievement in life. I am proud of myself not only for the healing I have done but also for the knowledge I sought out so that I now view my wellbeing as a daily balance rather than a pursuit of happiness.