Sign UpLog InSupport usLook, we've been doing this thing for a longgg time. And I just felt like, if we were going to do anything, it HAD to be to celebrate the incredible Designers and Creators out there advocating and making content around mental health/wellbeing. Together with them, we are The Mental Movement ✊🌍❤️🧠
We are doing the job that governments should realistically be doing - which is making mental health/wellbeing ACCESSIBLE to everyone and just generally giving our heart and soul every single day to take care of our fellow human beings. Because we lovvvvve you 😘
These are my PEOPLE! And so, in our (super last) minute decision to do something for it, we put up some stories challenging them to interpret our name/logo and redesign it in their own way to show off THEIR perspective on mental health.
Why? Because mental health means something different to every single one of us. The lens through which we view reality defines our wellbeing. And calling it “beautiful” doesn’t quite capture it. It can be beautiful, it can be heartbreaking, it can be anything and everything at exactly the same time. But it is ALWAYS special. 🙏❤️✨
So we wanted people to take that internal world and bring it out of them for us and the whole world to see. And that they did!!!!
Without further ado, here are some of our fave submissions! 😍
Kaitlyn’s Design Inspo: The butterfly is a representation for how we are growing and evolving through our journeys with mental health. I also want it to remind us that, no matter where we are in our mental health journeys, we’re already beautiful and valid.The flower is a reminder for us to keep looking for the beauty and little joys in life. The butterfly and the flower together form the How Mental winky face!
Kaitlyn’s Advice: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” - Eleanor Roosevelt.
It’s my favourite quote because I feel like it’s such an empowering statement. In times when I’m feeling beat down, this quote always gives me the strength to keep going.
My Take: OMGGGGGGGGGG is this not stunning?!!!! I’m not normally speechless but I actually have no words. This design absolutely blew me away - like the wind and movement you feel in the artwork. It’s breathtaking, full of heart and soul. Thank you @colormehappii
You are everything! 🤩🤩🤩
Steph’s Design Inspo: The story behind this art is, I guess I wanted to create something filled with info that felt relatable to people and so they felt less alone. I wanted to create more of a dialogue and conversation to do my part in normalising talking about mental health. I hope just one person saw it and thought, okay, I'm not the only one who does these things or needs to do these things. I hope they felt like they have a friend in me through that.
Why does Steph care about mental health?: “I care about mental health because, well, shouldn't we all? We all have a mind and we should all be trying to protect it as best as we can. I think our minds are the most precious part of us, the thing that makes us who we are and which holds all our memories and knowledge. You cannot put a price on it. It's invaluable. We should be treating it as seriously as we treat our physical health and I believe that society is definitely moving in the right direction to making it a more open conversation with less stigma but we have so much further to go. I think if we all talked more openly about mental illness, I think we'd realise it's not such a lonely space after all. I want future generations to come into the world knowing that asking for help is a sign of strength and that no woman or man is an island.”
My Take: Yesssssssssssss Steph!!! Bringing us that PRACTICAL goodness!! I absolutely LOVE this. Steph’s style is iconic, giving me modern yet ancient. Clarity, serenity and power all in one. Thank you my heart ❤️
My Take: Well, theopeninvite alwaysssss delivers!!! Giving us the COMMUNITY element to mental health which is literally the reason I’m still here today - and look at our cheeky wink at the end ;) LEGENDS!!! Thank you @theopeninvite 👌
My Take: Yes Hazellllllll!! Now, are you planning on a career change from therapist to designer?? ;) I absolutely LOVE the way you incorporated our logo with yours, what a beautiful message in the spirit of The Mental Movement and the power of togetherness. Let’s keep growing 💪💪💪
My Take: Come through Abz!!!! I was HOPING someone would really fuck with the colours and shape and make people TRIP and you did just that! 👏👏👏 And how is my mental health. I’m doing just FINE! Wait, wrong answer? You want the truth? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!! :P I love you
Ilona’s Design Inspo: “The design was inspired by something I've seen a lot, which is people discrediting "mental health awareness" as something that is not relevant for those who do not have diagnosable conditions while, in fact, mental health matters for everyone - even for those who are not (currently) struggling.”
Ilona’s Advice: “Asking for help isn't always about admitting that you can't do something alone - it's about recognising when external support can give you the extra boost you need.”
My Take: OK curveball!! We’re getting real over here and I ALWAYS appreciate that @igototherapy! Thank you so much for bringing this holistic perspective to mental health. I’m not sure how many times I have to say this each day but WE ALL HAVE MENTAL HEALTH. IT’S BEING AFFECTED BY EVERYTHING. CDWIFOWIHFWIOHF@ION@DN@O!!!!
*a breath*
Alright, I’ve taken a breath now. ;) But most of all I just love that you included “respect for our humanity” in there. Respect for ourselves, respect for each other and respect for the world around us is absolutely vital to our wellbeing.
On a random note, yesterday I was walking down the street and I heard this mum shout at her son saying “How many times do I have to tell you - stop hitting the plants, they’re living things!!” And if that ain’t the truth 💅 time to apply that to every aspect of our lives haha.
ANYWAY, after all that I have to say that I’m completely blown away by the spirit that was shown this mental health awareness month, the spirit that is ALWAYS there and can be tapped into at any time.
Now that it’s over, it doesn’t mean we just stop. We keep GOING! We make our wellbeing our priority. We create the kind of society that respects us for taking care of our mental health. To all my fellow Mental Designers, Creators, Advocates (or as I like to call you, Madvocates ;) ) I FUCKING LOVE YOU!!! And if there’s anything else you’d like to do to collab, email me on george@howmental.com
Once again, I want to say thank you to Kaitlyn, Steph, TheOpenInvite, Hazel, Abz and IGoToTherapy for their submissions and everyone else for giving to The Mental Movement - now and in future.
Stay Sane 😉
