Purpose Hosts “Stories Over Stigma”

On May 28th Purpose hosted “Stories Over Stigma” to mark Mental Health Awareness Month with an evening of storytelling about mental health. One in four Americans lives with a diagnosable mental health disorder — yet stigma still prevents millions from speaking about, and connecting over, these shared experiences. The aim of the event was to highlight artists and innovators utilizing the power of storytelling to break down stigma, inspire hope, and spark important conversations.

The evening featured performances by storytellers Peter Aguero of the Moth and Daisy Rosario of NPR, who shared stories and personal lessons from their own experiences grappling with mental health.  Aguero performed a piece from his one-man show “Daddy Issues;” his story highlighted and explicitly called out the powerful effect of sharing stories that are hard to tell:

“Every one of our memories and experiences are inside of us.  And sometimes we put ‘em in, like, a file cabinet, we hide ‘em behind old furniture and stuff, because we don’t like to look at the things, but they’re all in there.  And when you start to tell your stories, you start to shine a light on those . . . parts of your life and those things don’t own you anymore. You start to own them.  And it’s…magical.”

Photographer Jenn Ackerman presented a selection from her series Trapped, a visual narrative on mental healthcare inside Kentucky State Prisons. The evening also featured the cast of NYU’s The Reality Show, a gritty musical sketch comedy about the lives of NYU students as they experience confounding and confusing issues that often arise during college.

The evening’s Q+A centered around the need for honest, resonant storytelling to shed light on these topics. Purpose is in the process of exploring how we might contribute to the critical efforts of those working in this space. If you are interested in learning more and exploring a partnership, please contact David Chernicoff, Senior Strategist: david.chernicoff@purpose.com.