Mental Health Matters event invites community to express themselves through art
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Mental health looks different for everyone, and so does the way it’s expressed.
In an effort to destigmatize mental health, the Colorado Springs-based Solid Rock Community Development Corporation, which invests resources to help local communities, partnered with Colorado College's Mobile Arts Truck to host the annual Mental Health Matters event at Soaring Eagles Park. The goal: To invite people of all ages to express themselves through art.
“Everybody goes through a whole spectrum of emotions through their life, and sometimes we know how to identify it, sometimes we don't, but you know it's OK. It is OK not to feel your very best sometimes," said Hannah Harrington, a volunteer for Solid Rock who's been working on mental health struggles of her own. "Sometimes your best for that day is to get up and take a shower and fix a meal. Sometimes your best is going out and exercising. Everyone is unique. Everybody's best for the day is different.”
At Saturday’s event, the Mobile Arts Truck set up two different activity stations—one with spray paint and another with chalk art and acrylic paint—for participants to choose from. While the event was organized for people of all ages, children were encouraged to participate and create something.
"I think a lot of times, especially for children, when they want to draw a picture, they want to present something happy and cheerful, which is great, but I also think it's important for children to be given the permission to identify and express negative emotions," Harrington said.
In addition to free art supplies, the Mobile Arts Truck brought local artists, like Lisa Villanueva, to the event. Villanueva shared with Rocky Mountain PBS that she had a hard time growing up in the housing projects of Chicago. And while she experienced a lot of anger, art functioned as an outlet for her emotions.
“As I told the kids as they came to paint,” Villanueva said, “what calmed me down was to draw."
According to Villanueva, when people grow up in low socio-economic, minority communities, talking about mental health is stigmatized. “By finding it through art, by focusing, and by being mindful… this helps,” Villanueva said. “When the kids sit at this table, they’re focused. All they have to do is draw their thing, and they’re in another world.”
Naomi Pueo Wood, the Program Director of the Mobile Arts Truck and an associate professor at Colorado College, said events like Saturday are what help bring communities together.
"Talking about mental health is the goal. Bringing art into this space is beautiful," Pueo Wood said. "It's these moments that when we can have interchanges around dance, or music, or around hands-on art activities, is a way people can creatively start sharing their stories more."
Harrington said she was happy with Saturday's turnout and hopes this event will help spark change.
"My hope for people who are struggling is first to identify how to cope with it, whatever they are going through, because it may be something that may never go away," Harrington said. "As long as you know how to stay positive even through the tough times, you'll be OK. For me, it is knowing that things are going to get better.”
Lindsey Ford is a multimedia journalists at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can reach her at lindseyford@rmpbs.org.