Free Event | RSVP Required (available on Feb 24th at noon)

Lead and created by local artist Sara Tang, this workshop is a guided creative exercise for participants to chart personal experiences (mental illness, madness, chronic illness, disability, childhood, medical, traumatic, or positive experiences, etc) in a map format, and then to create an expressive art piece and visual poetry piece based on their experiences. Through using a creative medium to think about their experiences in a new way, participants can connect their mental health experiences with other events in their lives and how those may relate to one another.

This workshop is part of Inside Our Minds’ Radical Mental Health Series, sponsored by the Opportunity Fund. Learn more at www.insideourminds.org/radical-mental-health.

About the Creative Facilitator

Sara Tang is a Pittsburgh-based artist, creative facilitator, and illustrator. She is a member of the notwhite Collective, an affiliate member of the Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators, and has worked with those affected by cancer and other complex life experiences in creative therapy excavation. Learn more about Sara’s work at www.draw-me-in.com.

Accessibility and Venue Information

The Millvale Community Library is accessible for wheelchair and mobility device users by a permanent ramp at the side of the building (from Grant Avenue). ASL interpretation will be provided. There will also be earplugs on hand at the workshop for anyone who would like some. Please message the Inside Our Minds page with any questions.

Doors at 6:30pm | Performances begin at 7:00pm | Free Event

This special Anonymous Open Mic will feature readings from the teens from Creative Nonfiction’s Writing Away The Stigma program!

We will also be accepting anonymous and non-anonymous submissions from the general public. Submit your story here: https://goo.gl/forms/ojXcVE9cLedjIuN33

Host and Event Information

Anonymous Open Mic is a storytelling project working to build a community narrative around mental illness in Pittsburgh. Pittsburghers affected by mental illness can submit a short story, poem, or spoken word piece anonymously online. Community members can then volunteer to perform the anonymous works in front of a live audience.

Live sound and recording will be provided by The Social Voice Project, Inc., an innovative public interest media company. Learn more at http://thesocialvoiceproject.org.

Writing Away The Stigma is an opportunity for project fellows to write about how mental illness has affected their lives and then combat the shame and stigma surrounding mental illness. Learn more at www.creativenonfiction.org/stigma. The Writing Away The Stigma project was made possible by the Grable Foundation.

Inside Our Minds is an organization that works to elevate the voices of people with lived experience of mental illness and madness in Pittsburgh. Learn more at www.insideourminds.org. Inside Our Minds is fiscally sponsored by New Sun Rising.

FAQs

Is this event accessible?

The Millvale Community Library is wheelchair accessible and has accessible indoor restrooms. Our event will take place on the back porch and outside in the backyard. To enter the backyard area, you can enter from two locations: 1) from the front of the library on Grant Ave (partial stone path) or 2) in the back from Farragut Street (there is one large bump in this direction).

ASL interpretation will be provided by Sign Language Interpreting Professionals. Earplugs will be available for anyone who would like them. Please email contact@insideourminds.org with any additional questions.