DeStigmatize Me was a music + arts event that took place on May 7, 2016 at 1904 Music Hall in downtown Jacksonville, Florida. This event was created in efforts to help raise awareness and provide resources for mental health in the community. All proceeds raised went directly to the NAMI Jacksonville (National Alliance on Mental Illness). It was truly sponsored by the community, for the community.

I led the creative direction and design on the board of DSM, creating marketing and promotional materials for the event. We reached out to a class at out alma mater, Flagler College, and worked with a graphic design class to create an interactive installation for the event. I couldn't have asked for a kinder group of young, accepting individuals to have been alongside in putting together such an impactful experience for our community.

DeStigmatize Me is an idea born out of frustration. We, the board of directors, are a group of close-knit friends with a wide array of talents, experience, and motivations. Most of us work in social services, arts, or mental health related fields. No one needs to be told about the severe lack of resources and funding for mental health services in the Jacksonville community because we’ve seen it firsthand. Our community cries out for more resources and assistance daily, not just with words, but with actions. It is our goal to create a platform that provides members of our community with as many resources and as much information as they need to move forward with their healing.

DeStigmatize Me is an idea born out of empathy. All of us have had a multitude of both personal and professional experiences with mental illness. It has touched our lives, individually, in profound and sometimes heart breaking ways. One of the biggest challenges facing the mental health community today are the stigmas, shame, and the guilt that often accompany mental health issues. It is our goal to work towards ending these stigmas and to begin to drag these problems kicking and screaming out into the light. To say: “It’s OK to talk about this. It’s GOOD to talk about this. Everyone needs help”.

Destigmatize Me is art. We are a group of young adults and all around us, our peers are creating. They’re looking for outlets, trying to cope, and often trying to heal. Art uniquely manages to span the gap between demographic groups; it touches all ages, all cultures, and all socioeconomic classes. For this reason, we’ve chosen art as the medium for this mental health event. It is our hope that people will come together under this format to express themselves, and find something more: Resources. Community. Acceptance.