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YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Hello May, I hear that you are Mental/Emotional Health Awareness Month. My friends @youarenotalonemurals have created a forum for artists to help spread the word about issues and resources relating to mental health and asked a some folks to create artwork with the words “You Are Not Alone.” (I've made this into a limited edition silk screened print, which is now available to buy- see the 4th slide in the picture gallery for details).

 

Those of you who have been following me on Instagram for a bit know that my work here is directly tied to my experience of having lost a loved one to suicide. Recently, I was reminded by a friend who had gone through a similar experience about how difficult it can be to express thoughts and emotions about our experiences to people we know because we fear being burdensome, depressing, broken records, etc. And conversely, many friends of suicide survivors refrain from asking questions in fear that they will trigger unwanted, traumatic memories. So, we all keep quiet in order not to alienate ourselves and those around us, while suffering internally. It’s a bit of a conundrum.

 

That said, I simply want to urge people to talk, ask questions, be open to some sadness and uncomfortable moments amongst your friends and loved ones, as it will help to create a stronger bond between us all. If you know someone who’s been through some shit, let them know you’re there to listen if they need you. Even if that person went through that shit decades ago, it is still most likely very much a part of their day to day & shapes many aspects of how they interact in the world.

And anyone who could use the support of a friend or stranger, feel free to reach out to me.

 

✍️: I’ve spent a long time playing with fancy letters in order to put myself in a good headspace to deal with trauma. These days, those letters offer less and less to me in terms of meditative practice but the creation of ornate, symmetrical illustrations has taken over and a lot of what you’ll see from me in the coming months will be my exploration of that kind of work. Side note: the mural at the end of the slides is a mock-up of the art on a stock photo from the ‘net. To see more artists’ work on this subject and actual murals, please check out @youarenotalonemurals , mkay?

©2024 Nim Ben-Reuven

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