92 items with this tag.
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 the brief on-stage banter and introduction leading into her performance, though the audio of the poem itself was not captured in the transcript.
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 societal healing. His short transition comment underscores the communal spirit of the event before moving to the next segment.
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 themes of substance use as a coping mechanism and the desperate need to be heard and understood. The segment closes with post-performance crowd interaction, host commentary, and an intermission announcement.
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 message of visibility, self-worth, and cosmic empowerment, while 'Pride' celebrates resilience, inner light, and collective elevation over envy and self-doubt.
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, rejection, and the intergenerational cycle of emotional harm. She weaves personal narrative and poetry together, ultimately arriving at a message of self-worth and liberation directed at her daughters and herself.
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 Not'—a raw, layered poem navigating suicidal ideation, anxiety, grief, and a hard-won acceptance that 'it's okay not to be okay.'
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 hospitalizations related to his bipolar disorder diagnosis, spanning from a manic episode at Yale in 2006 through a third severe episode in DC in 2019, and culminating in the triumphant 2025 premiere of his autobiographical musical 'Inside My Head' at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
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 audience, hyping up the crowd, and orienting attendees to the venue's food and raffle offerings.
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 loss, embodiment, love, and the act of writing itself as a means of processing what cannot be left behind.
LM Designs performs an original spoken-word piece titled 'Ancestors Walking, a poem about breaking generational chains, reclaiming personal identity, and drawing strength from ancestral heritage. The segment opens with an MC transition that reminds attendees they are not alone and encourages them to seek support from on-site therapists if needed.
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 identity masking, childhood trauma, and the journey toward self-worth. Her performance blends candid autobiographical context with poetic verse addressing neurodivergence, rejection, and the message of self-liberation passed on to her daughters.
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 her fiancé, a multiple sclerosis diagnosis, and a suicide attempt on December 12, 2022. She chronicles her path from her lowest point to recovery — including therapy, a return to purpose helping veterans, and hiking to Everest Base Camp — closing with a meditation on grief, love, and resilience.
David Idemudia delivers brief MC commentary following a moving spoken-word performance, affirming that therapists and mental health workers have often faced personal struggles themselves before entering the field. He leads the audience in a round of applause for mental health professionals and military personnel, and briefly spotlights Tyler Calabrese before introducing the next performer.
Master Sergeant Spencer Tau delivers a raw, personal account of his post-military crisis, describing the overwhelming rage, suicidal ideation, institutional abandonment, and over-medication he experienced after nearly 20 years of service — including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He closes with a meditation on grief, lost peers to suicide, and the painful but necessary transition away from a combat identity toward healing.
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 the first event — and transitions into an uplifting message about the many ways art, music, dance, and movement offer pathways to coping with anxiety, depression, and stress.
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 event each year. The segment captures a mutual exchange of appreciation between Malcolm and the event founders before transitioning into housekeeping announcements.
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 attending the event due to grief, and of stepping up to speak at her funeral when no one else could find the strength. The performance weaves together themes of grief, the redemptive power of poetry, and a spiritual journey toward healing and self-acceptance.
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, immersive nature of the second half of the show.
Shannon Garrett performs a chilling dramatic theater monologue titled 'Introduction to the Enemy,' delivered from the first-person perspective of addiction itself — personifying the disease as a controlling, predatory force that isolates, manipulates, and ultimately destroys its victims. The piece culminates in the revelation 'I am addiction, and I command it,' creating a visceral, unflinching portrait of the grip of substance use disorder.
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 addiction and mental illness disrupt lives and expresses gratitude for the shared humanity present in the room.
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 2019. She shares how post-sobriety anxiety and depression led her to explore mind-body healing — including subconscious reprogramming, movement, and emotional embodiment — as alternatives to pharmaceutical management.
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 psychiatric hospitalization for OCD and PTSD, drawing on Oprah and Dr. Bruce Perry's trauma-informed framework; the second, 'Onward and Upward,' traces childhood trauma rooted in abuse and charts a healing journey through therapy and spiritual faith.
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 performer Yelena is not present, joking with the crowd before introducing the next act, Eager Carter Flay.
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, word, or story—is an act of liberation and connection. He transitions the audience with light crowd engagement before introducing the next segment.
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 Steve,' to the stage.
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 kindness and the karmic nature of energy we put into the world, and ''Vices,'' an introspective poem about the seductive pull of unhealthy habits and the personal agency required to overcome them.'
Eileen Gaffney delivers her first-ever public poetry reading, performing 'Cloaks, Coats & Christianity,' a raw and unflinching spoken-word piece confronting childhood sexual abuse by trusted community and religious figures in the 1960s. She prefaces her performance with personal context — her age, her cancer survivorship, and her vulnerability as a first-time public reader — before delivering vivid, visceral imagery of violation, cover-up, and lasting trauma.
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 as the Darth Vader breath), while affirming that every person's story matters and that no one is alone.
An unknown speaker delivers a candid spoken-word piece about managing multiple psychiatric medications, sobriety, suicidal ideation, and recovering from an eating disorder. He shares how fitness and yoga became tools of self-directed healing, ultimately driving him to become a fitness professional and motivating his recovery by the desire to be a present and healthy father.
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 around the theme of serenity, connecting it to the founding mission of Speak Your Truth and NAMI. She closes with a personal reflection on how fashion and self-expression are tied to mental health, identity, and surviving cultural trauma.
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 Ancestors Walking' and original music composed in BandLab. The designer speaks to the multi-sensory, augmented-reality experience layered into the show, framing their work as a holistic expression of identity and energy.
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 performing in DC to appearing on America's Got Talent. They emphasize the importance of mutual support and self-governance within community as a counterweight to systemic neglect of the arts.
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 deeply personal story about his brother Tim's battle with a serious mental health struggle — including his own failures as a supportive family member and his journey toward hope through therapy and the SYT community.
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 for people facing mental health challenges, introducing themselves, and laying out ground rules including a five-minute speaker limit, food and vendor logistics, and a note that authentic self-expression — including strong language — is welcome.
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 serves as his primary mode of emotional communication. He reflects on the isolating nature of his mental health struggles and expresses genuine gratitude for the communal atmosphere of the SYT event, noting that being surrounded by people feels like family to him.
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, and long-term recovery. As CEO of Glass House—a recovery treatment center for artists in Ellicott City—he frames his performance with personal context before diving into a lyrical narrative spanning juvenile detention, IV drug use, suicidal ideation, grief, and eventual resolve.
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, gender identity exploration, and multiple suicide attempts, ultimately arriving at a faith-centered understanding of identity and purpose. His narrative threads together loss, spiritual crisis, transgender identity, and Christian faith as interlocking forces that shaped his recovery and self-conception.
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 segment transitions into light, unscripted banter with Malcolm McFadden about the seven-year tradition of improvised hosting at SYT events.
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, felony indictment, and his path to recovery through therapy, NA meetings, family support, and sobriety. He closes with a direct call for audiences to destigmatize addiction and encourage loved ones to seek help.
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 — gave her the first glimmer of hope she needed. She connects her journey through addiction, mental health struggles, and art-making to her current work owning a mental health facility, framing public recovery as a gift of hope to others.
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-discovery of a will to live. She shares candidly that she arrived unprepared to perform and reads from her phone, grounding the segment in raw, unfiltered vulnerability.
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 fear has governed his self-worth and behaviors, and celebrates 375 days of sobriety from drugs and alcohol as evidence that he is actively reclaiming power over his own narrative.
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 dysregulation, masking, and the pressure of others' expectations. Between poems she speaks candidly about her journey toward self-understanding, people-pleasing, and learning to embrace her authentic self.
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.
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 Crofton Yoga. The segment is punctuated by a highlight moment in which vendor Joe Gagliardi (Ethereal Marine Art) presents a donated spray-paint artwork and shares how his work as a Marine veteran and full-time artist serves as a metaphor for moving through depression toward growth.
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 overactive, undiagnosed mind. He closes with a personal address to the audience encouraging self-acceptance and the active pursuit of individual happiness.
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, and reflects on a period of deep personal struggle during which an unexpected outpouring of community support revealed how many people cared for him. The segment closes with remarks from the host affirming the courage it takes to speak publicly about mental health.
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 courage. Tyler expresses gratitude to Malcolm and David for their emcee work, and all three celebrate the collective effort that made the seventh annual event possible.
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 minutes of ambient audio with no structured content.
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 broader themes of anxiety, depression, and stigma reduction. She shares a short original poem wrestling with despair and closes with an affirmation that hope can be self-created even in the darkest circumstances.
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 and cosmology to social ideals — framing his divergent worldview as a source of identity and wonder rather than deficit. He acknowledges the need for ongoing self-monitoring and community check-ins while inviting the audience to engage with his journey on their own terms.
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 introducing Glass House Recovery — a Maryland-licensed, Joint Commission-accredited treatment facility designed specifically for artists, musicians, and creatively-wired individuals navigating substance use disorder.
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 spoken-word poem 'My Dark Parrot' — a visceral metaphor for intrusive trauma, suicidal ideation, and ultimately resilience — which he originally wrote during a PTSD attack.
Brown Paper Doll, a spoken word artist from Triangle, Virginia, delivers two original pieces exploring identity, emotional authenticity, sensory overload, ADHD, and the exhaustion of masking one's true self for social acceptance. Drawing on personal experiences with her son's sensory processing challenges and her own trauma, she weaves raw, journal-style poetry about loneliness, self-concealment, and the ongoing search for an unrestrained sense of self.
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 of joy that sustain survival, to a final piece titled 'Release' about relinquishing expectation and discovering unexpected hope. Her work traces a personal arc from being overwhelmed by grief to a place of earned acceptance and peace.
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 power of words, while the second is a heartfelt tribute to his mother and stepfather''s 20-year marriage, exploring enduring love, sacrifice, and resilience as a model for how to live and love well.'
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 personal anecdotes to demystify ADHD, reframing the condition as a source of improvisational creativity rather than pure disorder. The second, 'Spoken Unheard Words,' shifts to a raw and serious tone, capturing the isolating silence and invisible suffering of mental illness and the stigma that muffles those who struggle.
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 including a reading on the paradox of anxiety and depression, a poem about her 2020 voluntary psychiatric hospitalization ('Sitting'), and a poem about the invisible daily toll of chronic illness and mental health stigma ('Sidelines'). She closes with a candid personal reflection on losing multiple friends to suicide and her gratitude for still being alive.
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 ''High On Life'' (from her published collection ''The Sober Poet''). The poems explore emotional suppression, inner criticism, the rejection of comparative culture, and the transcendent joy of sobriety and self-reclamation.'
Nia, an unknown speaker, performs two original spoken-word poems exploring anxiety, self-doubt, and internal struggle, then spontaneously transitions into an impromptu vocal performance of an uplifting song about elevation, manifestation, and resilience — offering a hopeful counterpoint to the vulnerability of her poems.
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; then a reading of her original children''s book ''A Case of the Zachleys,'' a story about self-acceptance and imperfection aimed at building self-esteem in young children. She also shares her personal history of childhood sexual trauma, family estrangement, and four years of sobriety from a dual diagnosis.'
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 hospitalizations, to channeling her experiences into filmmaking, culminating in her short film 'NOS' premiering at the Real Recovery Film Festival and now streaming on Amazon Prime, with a new feature film in development about borderline personality disorder.
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 journey through her mental health struggles from childhood through her 40s. Speaking as her own inner voice at ages 8, 14, 16, 30, and 42, she chronicles hospitalization, self-harm, medication cycles, identity, and ultimately a hard-won self-acceptance, closing with a direct message to the audience about worthiness and help-seeking.
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 of a letter she wrote to her husband during her darkest period. She frames the piece as a call to destigmatize maternal mental health struggles and to reassure other mothers that it is okay not to feel okay.
David Idemudia leads a lighthearted MC intermission announcement, directing in-person attendees to food, restrooms, and artwork bidding, while playfully engaging the virtual audience and encouraging them to order pizza to the venue. The segment also points guests toward a 'message of hope for 2021' activity and an art auction.
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 history of gun violence, followed by ambient audio that appears to be music or soundscape with repeated lyrical fragments including 'longing' and 'my heart is sad.' The transcript is heavily fragmented, suggesting significant audio dropout or auto-caption failure during the documentary playback.
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, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The poems use vivid, introspective imagery to convey the internal chaos, identity fragmentation, and emotional exhaustion of living with these co-occurring conditions.'
Malcolm McFadden delivers brief MC commentary following Joe Gagliardi's set, recapping a humorous self-deprecating joke from Gagliardi's performance before transitioning the audience to the next performer, Jenna.
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 journey, offering a practical, accessible description of her personal meditation practice and encouraging the audience to explore it.
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 absent friend and NAMI co-facilitator Heather, which explores depression, identity, and collective resilience.'
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 home and praised the bravery of all performers sharing their personal stories.
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, before performing an original rap song written at age 16 about heartbreak and self-reliance. The segment marks one of his first public performances, framed as a full-circle moment of vulnerability and artistic breakthrough.
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 perks, and transitioning the audience to the next performer, Stevie J.
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, substance use, a BPD and bipolar diagnosis, and ultimately finding recovery during the COVID-19 quarantine. The poem celebrates her transformed identity and imminent move to Charlotte, North Carolina as a new beginning.
Malcolm McFadden serves as MC, transitioning the audience from the previous performer ('Stevie J') with energetic crowd engagement before enthusiastically introducing Dr. Ashley Elliott to the stage. The brief segment captures the live event's electric atmosphere and communal energy.
Kim Kozak delivers an impromptu spoken advocacy segment about navigating workplace disability accommodations with mental and physical health conditions, drawing on her background as an ADA consultant and her personal experience with misdiagnosis, neurosurgery, ADHD, GAD, and a self-trained psychiatric service dog. She offers practical, HIPAA-informed guidance on communicating functional capacity deficits to employers rather than disclosing diagnostic labels.
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 isolation and uncertainty, and how she channeled her passion for service into volunteering with disabled and mentally ill individuals while calling for stronger institutional support systems for front-line caregivers.
Nia, an unidentified speaker diagnosed with Bipolar 2 and ADHD, shares an unscripted, deeply personal account of her mental health journey — including two psychiatric hospitalizations (2017 and 2018 at Shepherd Pratt), self-harm, a prior abusive relationship, and the barriers of insurance-limited therapy access — before reflecting on nearly three years of recovery and growth by 2021.
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 detention at age 13 and frames life's struggles through a NASCAR metaphor — urging the audience to recognize their own inherent worth and race only against themselves.
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 Achilles, the death of his grandmother, and job loss — which together triggered an unfamiliar and overwhelming depressive episode. He closes with a direct message of encouragement, especially to Black men, urging the audience to lean on loved ones, speak their truth, and reject the stigma of emotional vulnerability.
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 inviting collective gratitude and a closing meditation to decompress.
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 off with his signature rule: ''Get the fuck home safe.'' Tyler briefly takes the mic to affirm the audience''s stories as the source of hope and connection that makes the event possible.'
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 ICU. He describes how emotional support from his ICU nurse, his family, and his department's peer support network were critical to overcoming concurrent depression and achieving both physical and emotional recovery.
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 (Norwegian subtitle credits replacing actual speech content), so thematic and CHIME-D analysis cannot be derived from transcript evidence.
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 isolation — and how the sudden suicide of his friend and fellow skater Ben Ramers became the catalyst for redirecting his brand toward mental health education and advocacy within the skateboarding community.
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 heightened during the pandemic, and ''Still,'' which explores the dual nature of living with mental illness through the multiple meanings of the word ''still.'' The segment ends with a brief host commentary noting the novelty of integrating visual art into the virtual format.'
Renee, a blogger, poet, and music industry professional, shares her lived experience with borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. She traces her journey from a childhood marked by abuse and emotional suppression through turbulent early adulthood to transformative psychotherapy and a stable, managed life today.
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 happiness, and deploying learned social tricks to avoid detection. The poem closes with a hard-won acknowledgment that social anxiety is not an ally, and must be accepted rather than accommodated.
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 intertwined with discovering his mental health struggles, ultimately challenging the DIY ethos to advocate for seeking therapy, building a support system, and recognizing that recovery is never something you have to face alone.'
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 suicidal ideation. Following the poem, Patrick briefly shares that he wrote it during a flashback episode and explains how externalizing his pain through art helps him reclaim control over his trauma.
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 and others brainstorming ideas for future virtual open-mic events before Malcolm steps up to fill an unscheduled gap in the program with his original poem, which closes with a powerful message of self-acceptance and identity reclamation.
David Idemudia, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, delivers a spoken word performance titled 'ADD,' exploring themes of mental health, attention, and personal identity through poetic expression. The piece draws on his decade of experience in crisis intervention and advocacy in Anne Arundel County.