9Muses Art Center
9Muses
The place I go to just be. Feeling fickle today, but there I am okay. Driving there today was somewhat challenging. These racing thoughts interfere with my focus. Right on University, I go North and cross Oakland, puzzled and frustrated; the time ticking, tick, tick, tick. Am I going to be tardy to one of my favorite meetings? I arrive during introduction. A deep breath brings composure. I am looking forward to learning something new. My thirst for enrichment and knowledge must be quenched. I am here.
Nancy Cerant
Inspiration doesn’t always hit, but when it does it invigorates the soul. As I found myself sitting In Wham Lab (whole health action management) early Tuesday afternoon I found myself struck with inspiration. After watching several short clips on the power of positivity, hopes and dreams, I knew then what my group from South University would be doing their group project on; mission to hope.
As I sat there listening to these wonderful people from all walks of life sharing their stories I knew that this was the project needed to instill a little hope and a lot of dreaming into these defeated souls. I was told most people run at the idea of hopes and dreams because it’s scary. They don’t want to get excited over a possibility just to have it ripped out from under them. I completely understood.
So, Thursday morning my team and I walked into 9 Muses Art Center and presented our hopes and dreams with the people of the art center. Each individual was given an envelope to decorate however they chose with what made them happy. On the inside each person had a hand stencil and a thought bubble stencil. On the Hand of Hope we had each person write five of their hopes, no matter how big or how small. Then on their thought bubble we asked them to think about their dreams and they proceeded to wither draw out or write about their very own personal dreams. So dreams were to become a wife and mother, to become a singer, one lady wrote of finishing school, another had hopes of seeing his granddaughter graduate. At the end we pulled together their hands and bubbles and pasted them onto a board and stepped back to look at the bigger picture. Upon this board you saw the heart and souls of these amazing, one of a kind people. That despite their short comings, and tribulations, and fears; each of them had a song to sing, A dream to dream and the hope that one day these things will come to fruition. It was beautiful.
This week spent at 9 Muses Art Center has opened my eyes to a new unseen world. Coming into this Mental Health semester I knew little to nothing about the actual background of Mental Health. Chris, the supervisor of the art center was the most passionate man I have ever come across. His passion clearly showed for these people and the community outcry.
Mark Twain wrote, “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” This is a quote I heard today while sitting in Peer Zone. During this group session we watched a TED Talk on overcoming hopelessness by Nick Vujicic. I found myself asking that very question, why was I born. And as I sat there and eternalized I came to the conclusion that maybe just maybe, I was put here to do more for these amazing people life had somehow forgotten about. I will never forget the people that I met here, or their stories, or their beautiful personalities. I will also carry with me the outcry for support in Mental Health and in the community. I will march forward with a flame igniting the way.
Limits Are Not Necessarily Stops Signs
In our mental health community, the subject of limits often comes up. We consumers often talk about our limitations. The larger community either tries to understand our limits or dismiss us because of them. In others words limits are perceived as a negative label. Limits mean we can only go so far. Is that so?
To use driving as an example, limits are not stop signs. The journey may be longer, may wind about so much we might feel lost, but we are still moving toward our destination.
Physical limits may not mean we stop. Jean Dominique Bauby was the Editor-in- Chief of French ELLE magazine who suffered a stroke. He woke up from a coma with Locked in Syndrome. He was mentally aware, but he was completely paralyzed. He could blink his left eye, move his head, this was the only motion he had. But he wanted to tell his story of his everyday experience. Working with assistance he wrote his memoir The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by blinking his eye over 250,000 times to indicate words. The book was a best seller and the movie received acclaim around the world.
Finances may be limiting, but not always. Composer Irving Berlin grew up poor in New York City in the late 1800’, begging on the streets. He had very few skills, very little education, but he could sing. By age 18 he was a singing waiter at a bar where, after closed, he taught himself to play piano. He only learned one key but that was enough to start a career in music. He needed help he could not read nor write music, there was an assistant to write down the songs he created, among them White Christmas. Later he had a piano built that could shift keys for simple modulation. Berlin asked composer Victor Herbert if he should study music. Herbert’s reply was that it was not necessary. Irving Berlin had the skills he needed. He died at the age 101, one of the most successful songwriters of the 20th century.
There are far more stories about overcoming limitations and perhaps more will be told on this site. What is more important is for our community not to see mental health issues and physical disabilities as the end of the road. Despite challenges we still have the freedom to explore, to challenge ourselves to go beyond hardships. We have the right to try and make life better, the right to recover. So why not ride past the limit signs and see where the road goes.
By Richard Aldret
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