Spoken Word

Format

111 segments in this format.

Segments

• Performer Closing Remarks – Art, Community & Mental Health An unidentified drummer and performer closes out the segment with reflective remarks on the power of drumming, art, and community, drawing on their personal journey from street per… · 2025-10-31
• LM Designs 8 – Drip & Energy Queens Runway with AR & Poetry LM Designs 8 closes out their runway segment with a collection of expressive fashion pieces, including kimonos and vacation-ready boots, accompanied by an acrostic poem titled ‘My… · 2025-10-31
• Felicia’s Opening Remarks – Serenity Gallery & SYT Fashion Show Introduction Felicia, the curator of the ‘Serenity’ gallery exhibit, opens the My Fit Speaks fashion show by describing how she chose to transform a solo exhibit into a 29-artist collaborative… · 2025-10-31
• Zach Sandler Shares Bipolar Disorder Story and Musical Journey Zach Sandler, a Broadway musical theater actor and composer known for playing piano in Wicked, delivers a deeply personal spoken-word narrative chronicling three psychiatric hospit… · 2025-07-13
• Artie Fox Performs ‘This Is Not’ Spoken Word Spoken word artist Artie Fox (Arthur) opens with an impromptu reflection on mental illness and the X-Men as a metaphor for shared human difference, then performs his piece ‘This Is… · 2025-07-13
• Brown Paper Doll Performs Spoken Word on Identity and Healing Brown Paper Doll, a member of the ‘Rap is Poetry’ collective, delivers a raw and layered spoken word piece exploring her lifelong experience with neurodivergence, childhood trauma,… · 2025-07-13
• LM Designs 8 Performs ‘Beam Bright Butterfly’ and ‘Pride LM Designs 8, a self-described ‘healing multi-dimensional artist,’ performs two original spoken-word pieces at SYT Annapolis 2025. ‘Beam Bright Butterfly’ delivers an affirming mes… · 2025-07-13
• Lyrical Kingfish Performs ‘Can You Hear Me Out There Lyrical Kingfish (performing under the alias ‘Just Ice’ / ‘Fish’) delivers a high-energy spoken word and hip-hop performance of ‘Can You Hear Me Out There,’ a piece exploring theme… · 2025-07-13
• MC Commentary After ‘What If’ Poem Malcolm McFadden briefly takes the mic after an extended spoken-word piece by a textile artist, applauding her performance and reflecting on the ‘What If’ poem’s sweeping vision of… · 2025-07-13
• Felicia Reed Performs ‘What If’ Spoken Word Felicia Reed takes the stage at SYT Annapolis 2025 to perform her spoken word piece titled ‘What If,’ introduced by the MC following a comedic interlude. The transcript captures th… · 2025-07-13
• Nia Taylor Performs Poem and Shares Mental Health Journey Nia Taylor takes the stage to perform an original spoken-word poem written in February 2020 that explores anxiety, self-doubt, and the tension between internal struggle and externa… · 2025-07-13
• Sean McGuinn — Suicide Survival Story Sean McGuinn, a kindergarten environmental educator in Anne Arundel County and first-time SYT attendee, delivers a raw personal narrative about surviving a suicide attempt by hangi… · 2025-07-13
• Ms. TK — ‘Mysterious Girl’ (Spoken Word) Ms. TK, an art wellness coach and spoken word artist who lives with mental illness, performs her poem ‘Mysterious Girl’ — a piece about identity, social judgment, and the tension b… · 2025-07-13
• Personal Testimony: PTSD, Veteran Experience, and Closing Community Call A speaker describes the raw, hidden reality of PTSD — sitting in tears on the phone begging for help, hypervigilant driving behaviors, eating a meal in seconds, and viewing everyda… · 2025-05-17
• Educational Testimony: ”What Happened to You?” — Trauma-Informed Advocacy’ A speaker describes a trauma-informed approach to a patient who identifies as Satan, reframing the clinical question from ‘what’s wrong with you?’ to ‘what happened to you?’ The me… · 2025-05-17
• Rap: Ancestral Wisdom, Trauma, and Positive Paradigm Shift A performer delivers a rap or rhythmic spoken piece about keeping an open mind, honoring ancestors, and choosing to play the cards dealt in life. The piece culminates in affirming… · 2025-05-17
• Personal Testimony: Sobriety Miracle and Stage as Transformation A speaker shares the ironic encounter of meeting a friend from their early sobriety days right before the event. They describe August 2019 as a miraculous turning point, crediting… · 2025-05-17
• Spoken Word: Personified Addiction — ”I Am Addiction A powerful dramatic monologue delivers addiction’s perspective in the first person, declaring omniscience over the addict’s movements and commanding control. The piece uses personi… · 2025-05-17
• Spoken Word: ”Still” — Poetry of Perseverance and Isolation A poet delivers a dense, imagistic piece about a chipped tooth from a playground incident, the act of writing as survival, and how movement through pain becomes hope against isolat… · 2025-05-17
• Spoken Word: Performing for the Voiceless — Family Dedication A performer dedicates all future poems to their family, articulating that their stage presence is an act of collective advocacy for those who couldn’t speak for themselves. They de… · 2025-05-17
• Personal Testimony: Military Service, Purpose, and Grief A speaker shares a personal narrative montage touching on returning to non-profit work after military service, growing up in Annapolis, and a meditation on grief and love’s enduran… · 2025-05-17
• Opening Spoken Word: Self-Worth, Rejection, and Childhood Wounds An unidentified spoken word artist opens the highlight reel with a poem about childhood trauma, a mother’s abuse, the terror of rejection, and rage as a coping mechanism. The piece… · 2025-05-17
• Fitness, Eating Disorder & Wanting to Be a Dad An unknown speaker delivers a candid spoken-word piece about managing multiple psychiatric medications, sobriety, suicidal ideation, and recovering from an eating disorder. He shar… · 2024-08-04
• Kasper — Spoken Word: ”They Say I Exceeded Expectations Kasper performs an original spoken-word poem reflecting on resilience, self-reclamation, and redemption after incarceration. The poem uses vivid metaphor — rope given to induce hop… · 2024-07-30
• MC Breathing Exercise & Closing Reflection David Idemudia serves as MC between segments, offering a brief moment of grounding by leading the audience through a breathing exercise called the ‘ocean breath’ (also referred to… · 2024-07-14
• Eileen Gaffney — ‘Cloaks, Coats & Christianity’ Poetry on Childhood Abuse Eileen Gaffney delivers her first-ever public poetry reading, performing ‘Cloaks, Coats & Christianity,’ a raw and unflinching spoken-word piece confronting childhood sexual abuse… · 2024-07-14
• Sensei Steve — ‘Humanity’ & ‘Vices’ Spoken Word Sensei Steve, a spoken word artist connected to the ”Millennials vs. The World” podcast, performs two original pieces: ”Humanity,” a reflection on the loss of basic human kindn… · 2024-07-14
• MC Hype & Final Performers Announcement David Idemudia energizes the crowd as MC, rallying audience energy and announcing that three more performers remain. He collaborates with a co-host to call the next artist, ‘Sensei… · 2024-07-14
• MC Reflection on Courage to Speak Truth David Idemudia, serving as MC, offers a brief reflective interlude between performers, affirming that it takes courage to speak one’s truth and that sharing—whether through song, w… · 2024-07-14
• MC Transition After Sister Fran David Idemudia serves as MC, transitioning between performers after Sister Fran’s segment by calling the next name from the lineup. He navigates a lighthearted moment when performe… · 2024-07-14
• Sister Fran — ‘Battlefield on the Brain’ & ‘Onward and Upward’ Poetry An unknown speaker identifying herself as ‘Sister Fran’ performs two original spoken-word poems at SYT Annapolis 2024. The first, ‘Battlefield on the Brain,’ recounts her 2018 psyc… · 2024-07-14
• Lauren Jewell — Story of Addiction Recovery & Mind-Body Healing Lauren Jewell delivers an unscripted personal narrative about overcoming 12 years of opiate addiction and five years of alcohol dependency, culminating in a sobriety date of August… · 2024-07-14
• MC Reflection on Addiction Monologue & Breathing Exercise David Idemudia reflects on the emotional weight of the preceding addiction monologue, offering an impromptu group breathing exercise to ground the audience. He articulates how addi… · 2024-07-14
• Shannon Garrett — ‘Introduction to the Enemy’ Theater Monologue on Addiction Shannon Garrett performs a chilling dramatic theater monologue titled ‘Introduction to the Enemy,’ delivered from the first-person perspective of addiction itself — personifying th… · 2024-07-14
• MC Introduction of Theater Performer David Idemudia serves as MC, wrapping up applause for the previous performer and building anticipation for the next act — a theater storyteller — by teasing the theatrical, immersi… · 2024-07-14
• Artie Fox — ‘I’m Going Home’ Spoken Word Tribute to Grandmother Spoken word artist Artie Fox delivers a heartfelt tribute to his recently deceased grandmother, prefacing the poem ‘I’m Going Home’ with a vulnerable personal account of nearly not… · 2024-07-14
• MC & Malcolm Gratitude Moment for SYT Community Malcolm McFadden shares a heartfelt moment of gratitude with the SYT audience and organizers, revealing that a friend’s suicide is among his personal motivations for MCing the even… · 2024-07-14
• MC Reflection on Dr. Elliott & Coping Through Arts David Idemudia serves as MC, reflecting warmly on Dr. Ashley Elliott’s longtime dedication to Speak Your Truth — including her legendary appearance shortly after giving birth at th… · 2024-07-14
• Spencer Tau — Veteran’s Story of Rage, PTSD & Healing Master Sergeant Spencer Tau delivers a raw, personal account of his post-military crisis, describing the overwhelming rage, suicidal ideation, institutional abandonment, and over-m… · 2024-07-14
• MC Commentary on Therapists & Mental Health Workers David Idemudia delivers brief MC commentary following a moving spoken-word performance, affirming that therapists and mental health workers have often faced personal struggles them… · 2024-07-14
• Anna Sharpina — Story of Resilience, Loss & Recovery Anna Sharpina, a Ukrainian-born military veteran and mental health specialist, delivers a raw and powerful personal narrative spanning immigration, combat deployment, the loss of h… · 2024-07-14
• Brown Paper Dog — Spoken Word on Neurodivergence & Identity An artist performing under the name ‘Brown Paper Dog’ delivers a raw spoken-word piece for Women’s History Month, weaving personal experiences of late-diagnosed ADHD, lifelong iden… · 2024-07-14
• LM Designs — ‘Ancestors Walking’ Spoken Word LM Designs performs an original spoken-word piece titled ‘Ancestors Walking, a poem about breaking generational chains, reclaiming personal identity, and drawing strength from ance… · 2024-07-14
• Janice Lynch Schuster — Poetry Reading Janice Lynch Schuster, a poet and mother who has experienced grief, depression, and hospitalization, performs four original poems at SYT Annapolis 2024. Her readings weave together… · 2024-07-14
• MC Introduction & Event Kickoff David Idemudia and Malcolm McFadden (Justice the Genius Child) co-host the opening welcome for the 8th Annual Speak Your Truth event in Annapolis, introducing themselves to the aud… · 2024-07-14
• Welcome & Opening Remarks by Tyler Calabrese Dr. Tyler Calabrese, co-founder of Speak Your Truth, delivers opening remarks for SYT 2024, welcoming returning and first-time attendees, reflecting on the event’s growth into a fo… · 2024-07-14
• Valerie Bacharach Reads Poems About Grief and Loss Valerie Bacharach, a poet whose son Nathan died from opioid addiction in 2009 at age 26, performs three original poems exploring grief, loss, and the search for peace — from a harr… · 2023-07-15
• Post-Show Wind Down A brief post-show wind-down segment capturing informal backstage conversation among crew or performers as microphones are exchanged and the event wraps up, followed by several minu… · 2023-07-09
• Closing Remarks – Tyler, Malcolm, and David Tyler Calabrese, Malcolm McFadden, and David Idemudia deliver closing remarks for Speak Your Truth 2023, thanking vendors, performers, and the audience for their vulnerability and… · 2023-07-09
• Scribe (Aaron Yieldhall) – Personal Story on Music, Anxiety, and Community Aaron Yieldhall, known by the alias ‘Scribe,’ shares a candid personal story about using music and songwriting as a coping mechanism for severe social anxiety since adolescence, an… · 2023-07-09
• Artie Fox – Spoken Word ‘Malabar’ on Mental Labyrinth Spoken word artist Artie Fox performs an original piece titled ‘Malabar, using the metaphor of a mental labyrinth to describe the disorienting experience of living inside an overac… · 2023-07-09
• Raffle Drawing with MC Commentary and Joe Gagliardi Art Donation David Idemudia hosts the SYT 2023 raffle drawing, calling winning ticket numbers and distributing prizes including gift cards, a wellness basket, and sponsored items from NAMI and… · 2023-07-09
• David MC Reflection After Carly’s Performance David Idemudia briefly transitions the audience from Carly’s performance into the raffle segment, serving as MC to maintain event momentum with an energetic call to action. · 2023-07-09
• Brown Paper Doll – Poetry on ADHD, Rejection, and Identity A spoken-word artist performing under the name ‘Brown Paper Doll’ shares two original poems exploring her late ADHD diagnosis at age 32, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, emotional… · 2023-07-09
• Juice Box (Trevor) – Spoken Word on Fear and Recovery Trevor, known as ‘Juice Box,’ delivers an impromptu spoken word piece on fear and recovery after being asked to fill in for another performer the day before. He reflects on how fea… · 2023-07-09
• Hillary Thompson – Poetry on Childhood, Trauma, and Life Hillary Thompson, a poet diagnosed with bipolar II disorder, delivers three original spoken-word pieces exploring childhood, maternal trauma, inner turmoil, and the daily re-discov… · 2023-07-09
• Sarah Kitlowski – Story of Recovery and Hope Sarah Kitlowski shares her personal recovery story, describing how a stranger’s 40-year-delayed letter of amends — discovered during her own early days of heroin addiction recovery… · 2023-07-09
• Tancredi Calabrese – Personal Story on Addiction and Recovery Tancredi Calabrese, brother of SYT founder Tyler Calabrese, delivers a candid personal narrative about years of high-functioning addiction as an attorney, a near-fatal overdose, fe… · 2023-07-09
• David MC Reflection on Openness and Storytelling David Idemudia offers a brief reflective MC moment encouraging the audience to be open and welcoming, emphasizing that every person’s story and path to healing is unique. The segme… · 2023-07-09
• Patrick Finn – Personal Story on Faith, Identity, and Mental Health Patrick Finn delivers a deeply personal spoken-word testimony at SYT 2023, sharing his journey through bipolar disorder with psychotic features, PTSD, an eating disorder, self-harm… · 2023-07-09
• Steve Hall (Gray Smith) – Spoken Word on Addiction and Recovery Steve Hall, performing under the artist name Gray Smith, delivers a raw and visceral spoken-word piece drawn from his lived experience of addiction, incarceration, bipolar disorder… · 2023-07-09
• Victor — Visual Art and Isolation Story Victor, a visual artist and graphic designer, shares a vulnerable and candid account of being roughly four months into recovery from addiction and depression, describing how art se… · 2023-07-09
• MC Introductions & Ground Rules — Malcolm & David Malcolm McFadden (aka Justice the Genius Child) and David Idemudia open the 7th annual Speak Your Truth! event as co-emcees, welcoming the audience to a safe and supportive space f… · 2023-07-09
• Tyler Calabrese Opening Remarks & Personal Story Dr. Tyler Calabrese opens the 7th annual Speak Your Truth! event by welcoming returning and first-time attendees, acknowledging NAMI as the evening’s beneficiary, and sharing a dee… · 2023-07-09
• Joy Sherelle Brown — Story of Schizoaffective Disorder and Filmmaking Joy Sherelle Brown, the final speaker of the evening, shares her personal journey living with schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type) — from a first psychotic episode at 18 and two… · 2022-07-17
• Innocence — Spoken Word and Children’s Book ‘A Case of the Zachleys A performer going by ”Innocence” delivers a two-part set: first, a raw spoken-word poem depicting the desperate realities of poverty, addiction, and survival as a young mother; t… · 2022-07-17
• Nia — Original Poems and Impromptu Song Nia, an unknown speaker, performs two original spoken-word poems exploring anxiety, self-doubt, and internal struggle, then spontaneously transitions into an impromptu vocal perfor… · 2022-07-17
• Liza Roe — Spoken Word Poems from ‘The Sober Poet Liza Roe, spoken word poet and self-identified recovered alcoholic, performs three poems from her catalog: ”Feel It All” (forthcoming in ”The Egoic Poet”), ”My Demons,” and ‘… · 2022-07-17
• Beans Lee — Spoken Word and Poems on Mental Illness and Chronic Pain Beans Lee, a regular open-mic attendee living with manic depression, anxiety, fibromyalgia, Lyme’s disease, and chronic pain, delivers a deeply personal set of spoken-word pieces i… · 2022-07-17
• David Idemudia — Original Spoken Word Poems on ADHD and Mental Illness David Idemudia, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, performs two original spoken word poems at the 2022 SYT event. The first, ‘Six Years in the Making,’ uses sharp humor and vivid p… · 2022-07-17
• David Ross (Native Son) — Spoken Word on Legacy and Love David Ross (also known as ”Native Son”), a spoken word artist and therapist, performs two pieces at the 2022 SYT event: the first meditates on legacy, mortality, and the lasting… · 2022-07-17
• Janice Hijerica — Spoken Word on Grief and Release Janice Hijerica performs three original spoken-word pieces exploring the journey through grief and loss, from the raw weight of pain woven into daily life, to finding small moments… · 2022-07-17
• Brown Paper Doll — Spoken Word on Identity and Emotional Authenticity Brown Paper Doll, a spoken word artist from Triangle, Virginia, delivers two original pieces exploring identity, emotional authenticity, sensory overload, ADHD, and the exhaustion… · 2022-07-17
• Patrick Finn — ‘My Dark Parrot’ Spoken Word Patrick Finn, a NAMI Maryland facilitator and peer-to-peer counselor living with bipolar disorder (with psychotic features), PTSD, and a recovered eating disorder, delivers his spo… · 2022-07-17
• Gray Smith — Rap Performance and Glass House Recovery Presentation Gray Smith (Steve) delivers a raw rap performance touching on addiction, homelessness, grief, and recovery, then transitions into a spoken presentation alongside his partner Sarah… · 2022-07-17
• Carter Flay — Spoken Word on Schizophrenia and Belief Carter Flay delivers an introspective spoken word piece in which he discloses his schizophrenia diagnosis and shares a series of wide-ranging personal beliefs — from spirituality a… · 2022-07-17
• Laura Pimpo — Spoken Word on Hope and Ukraine Laura Pimpo delivers a spoken word piece on behalf of her friend Alyssa, an artist currently doing humanitarian work in Ukraine, connecting the mental health strains of war to broa… · 2022-07-17
• Kenneth Stone: Veteran, TBI Survivor, and Founding ”Soldiers on Single Track Kenneth Stone, a 34-year-old Army infantry veteran and TBI survivor from Oregon, shares how years of post-service struggle with reintegration and mental health led him to rediscove… · 2022-07-16
• Renee Ruin: ”Wounds Volume 2” — Writing as Catharsis and Mental Health Advocacy Renee Ruin, a poet, podcaster, and mental health ambassador diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder, introduces her poetr… · 2022-07-16
• Dr. Ashley Elliott: Spoken Word on Mental Illness, Grief, and Parenting Dr. Ashley Elliott, a clinician and spoken word artist also known as Dr. Vivid, delivers a deeply personal performance exploring her lived experience with anxiety, major depressive… · 2022-07-16
• Kelsey Boyer: Snowboarder, Brain Surgery Survivor, and Mental Health Journey Kelsey Boyer, competitive snowboarder turned non-profit founder, shares her six-year mental health journey following forced retirement due to multiple concussions and emergency bra… · 2022-07-16
• Closing Remarks and Goodnight Malcolm McFadden closes out SYT 2021 with warm, humorous remarks, publicly crediting Tyler Calabrese for organizing the event and inviting the community together, before signing of… · 2021-07-09
• David Idemudia - Closing Reflections and You Are Not Alone David Idemudia delivers closing reflections sharing his own experiences with racial trauma and emotional vulnerability, before affirming to the audience that they are not alone and… · 2021-07-09
• Malcolm McFadden - Personal Truth About 2020 Pandemic Struggles Malcolm McFadden, the event’s MC, steps out of his usual host role to share a deeply personal account of his 2020 pandemic struggles — including contracting COVID-19, a torn Achill… · 2021-07-09
• D’Angelo - Without You Song and NASCAR Spoken Word D’Angelo performs a live vocal rendition of ‘Without You’ by Breakavenger, weaving in a spoken-word piece that draws on his personal experience being incarcerated in juvenile deten… · 2021-07-09
• Nia - Bipolar 2 Hospitalization and Recovery Story Nia, an unidentified speaker diagnosed with Bipolar 2 and ADHD, shares an unscripted, deeply personal account of her mental health journey — including two psychiatric hospitalizati… · 2021-07-09
• Lydia - Nigerian Front-Line COVID Experience and Humanitarian Work Lydia, a Nigerian front-line worker and humanitarian advocate, shares her personal experience of being stranded in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health toll of is… · 2021-07-09
• Kim Kozak - Disability Advocacy and Workplace Accommodations Kim Kozak delivers an impromptu spoken advocacy segment about navigating workplace disability accommodations with mental and physical health conditions, drawing on her background a… · 2021-07-09
• MC Intro for Dr. Ashley Elliott Malcolm McFadden serves as MC, transitioning the audience from the previous performer (‘Stevie J’) with energetic crowd engagement before enthusiastically introducing Dr. Ashley El… · 2021-07-09
• Stevie J - The Girl You Used to Know Poem Spoken-word artist ‘Stevie J’ delivers an original poem, ‘The Girl You Used to Know,’ preceded by a candid personal introduction about her experiences with suicidal ideation, subst… · 2021-07-09
• MC Commentary on Cam Isaiah Malcolm McFadden delivers brief MC commentary between acts, praising first-time performer Cam Isaiah for only being on his second performance, joking with the crowd about backstage… · 2021-07-09
• Cam Isaiah - Social Anxiety Story and Rap Performance 18-year-old Annapolis rapper Cam Isaiah shares a candid personal story about lifelong social anxiety, depression, and the isolating experience of never feeling truly accepted, befo… · 2021-07-09
• MC Reads Message from Sally Calabrese MC Malcolm McFadden briefly reacts to the previous spoken word performance (‘Dark Parent’ by Patrick Finn) and reads aloud a remote message from Sally Calabrese, who watched from h… · 2021-07-09
• Patrick Finn - My Dark Parent and Heather’s Poem Patrick Finn performs two spoken-word pieces: his own poem ”My Dark Parent,” a visceral metaphor for bipolar disorder and PTSD written during a PTSD attack, and a poem by his abs… · 2021-07-09
• Jenna - Vinyl Scrap Art and Meditation A speaker named Jenna shares her vinyl scrap art created from recycled boat-graphics materials and speaks about how discovering meditation has been healing in her mental health jou… · 2021-07-09
• MC Commentary on Joe Gagliardi Malcolm McFadden delivers brief MC commentary following Joe Gagliardi’s set, recapping a humorous self-deprecating joke from Gagliardi’s performance before transitioning the audien… · 2021-07-09
• Christina - Bipolar, GAD, and BPD Poems Christina, a former NAMI facilitator, shares a set of original spoken-word poems written as personal coping tools, each addressing a specific diagnosis: Bipolar Disorder, Generaliz… · 2021-07-09
• Intermission Audio - Documentary Clip An intermission documentary clip plays during the break, featuring an unidentified individual describing life circumstances tied to substance use and a neighborhood park with a his… · 2021-07-09
• MC Intermission Announcement David Idemudia leads a lighthearted MC intermission announcement, directing in-person attendees to food, restrooms, and artwork bidding, while playfully engaging the virtual audien… · 2021-07-09
• Jillian Amodio - Postpartum Depression Letter Jillian Amodio, founder of Moms for Mental Health, delivers a candid spoken-word personal testimony about her experience with postpartum depression, culminating in the live reading… · 2021-07-09
• Julie Larkins - Three Decades of Mental Health Self-Talk Jackie, a community coach, advocate, and founder of Revealing Colors, delivers a powerful spoken-word performance titled ‘Three Decades of Self-Talk’ — an unfiltered, age-by-age jo… · 2021-07-09
• David Idemudia – ‘ADD’ Spoken Word Performance David Idemudia, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, delivers a spoken word performance titled ‘ADD,’ exploring themes of mental health, attention, and personal identity through poet… · 2020-06-25
• Patrick Finn – ‘My Dark Parrot’ Slam Poem and NAMI Connections Malcolm McFadden performs an impromptu spoken-word piece titled ‘ADD, a humorous yet candid exploration of living with Attention Deficit Disorder. The segment opens with Malcolm an… · 2020-06-25
• Patrick Finn: ”My Dark Parrot” Slam Poem Patrick Finn performs his original slam poem ‘My Dark Parrot,’ a visceral spoken-word piece using the metaphor of an invisible parrot to personify PTSD, intrusive thoughts, and sui… · 2020-06-25
• Reed Chancellor: ”Hardcore Anxiety” — Punk Rock and Mental Health Reed Chancellor, comic book artist and author of ”Hardcore Anxiety: A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health,” shares how his journey through punk and hardcore culture was… · 2020-06-25
• Aaron Settichrom: ”Social Anxiety” Poem Aaron Settichrom performs his original spoken-word poem ‘Social Anxiety, a first-person account of navigating social situations while masking anxiety — hiding in corners, faking ha… · 2020-06-25
• Renee: Living with BPD, Bipolar Disorder, and Finding Therapy Renee, a blogger, poet, and music industry professional, shares her lived experience with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. She t… · 2020-06-25
• Laura Ther: ”Out of the Blue” and ”Still” Visual Art Presentation Local Annapolis visual artist Laura Ther presents two original paintings: ”Out of the Blue,” a visual representation of intrusive thoughts as a symptom of OCD and anxiety heighte… · 2020-06-25
• Chris Haslam: Skateboarding, Mental Health, and Losing a Friend Professional skateboarder Chris Haslam shares how the failure of his independent board brand in 2019 thrust him into his first serious experience with depression, anxiety, and isol… · 2020-06-25
• Randy ”Preach” Atterson: Spoken Word Performance Randy ‘Preach’ Atterson delivers a spoken word performance at the SYT 2020 Annapolis live stream event. The transcript for this segment is unavailable due to auto-caption artifacts… · 2020-06-25
• Steve Thomas: COVID-19 Recovery and Mental Health Steve Thomas, a law enforcement officer, shares his firsthand account of contracting COVID-19 with bilateral pneumonia and spending seven days in the hospital, including two in the… · 2020-06-25