In the words of Born This Way Foundation’s co-founder Lady Gaga, “In order to heal you have to feel.”

It is understood that mental wellness is key to a person’s overall well-being and fundamental to building healthier communities. Born This Way Foundation strives to raise awareness of the importance of mental and emotional health, end the stigma, and provide young people with better access to quality resources that meet their unique needs. That’s why they invited youth designers from all over the world to create a piece of visual art – be it an image, graphic, or short film – that inspires the viewer to prioritize and care for their mental wellness.

Check out the winners below!

 

Escaping The Ghost of Your Past

One thing that I’ve learned and am learning and that is to not be ashamed of what has happened, these are nightmares we call the past. They happened for a reason and at the time you can’t see how. They pass and turn to something good. You don’t think you will ever get through, but if you realize for one split second that if you don’t try then its a certainty that things will not change. Now to be able to say “I am doing it” or “ I did it, I survived” will be the most powerful thing to get you through life. Use the past events and situations as launching pads, make the past your ghost. The deeper you fall the further you can fly, don’t give in and let demons win. Grow those wings and fly.

– Tashi Honnery, United States

You can find Tashi online at www.tashihonnery.com, and on Twitter, and Instagram!

Re-Growth

Mental illness is all about change. You’re constantly pushed to the edge of your well being, and just when you think you’ve hit rock bottom for the last time you rebuild yourself. No matter how many times you face the darkness something new blooms inside of you and regrows what made you so special in the first place. After death, there is always new life. The old you may die but it makes space for your new self to blossom.

– Robyn Thomas, Canada

You can find Robyn’s work on Instagram!

Take a Breather

Take a break and breath in the fresh air out of your window, as our body needs it and so is your mind!

– Marianne Kumanayake, Singapore

You can find Marianne’s work on their website and Facebook!

A Look at How I Look at Things / My Kind (of) Art

I went into this project with the intention of simply filming myself drawing, but it quickly became much more than that. What started as an art project for an organization I believe in and care a lot about turned into a week-long retreat on self-care, appreciation, forgiveness, tenderness, patience, perception, and joy. I believe in beating the odds. I believe in recovery. I believe that people are the living proof. I believe in myself, and I believe in you. This is my #KindArt submission for BTW Foundations #KindArtChallenge for Mental Health Awareness Month. Love and Light.

-Elsa Kennedy, United States

You can find Elsa on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!

The Entropy of Forgiveness

“I say hello to the aliens in my head, because I know there is something extraterrestrial about transforming into being ok again.” ‘The Entropy of Forgiveness’ is a collaborative spoken word film that follows the words of Angelica Poversky who explores the process of overcoming mental health challenges and forgiving the ugly sides of ourselves. Everybody who worked in any capacity on the project is under the age of 24. The music, words, and film are all original. Original concept + lyrics by Angelica Poversky. A film by Merissa Victor. Produced by Moses c.c. Vocal accompaniment + musical direction by Rhé.

You can find more on the artists below:

Angelica’s website, Facebook, and Instagram!

Merissa’s  Youtube Channel and Instagram!

Moses c.c’s SoundCloud and Instagram!

Rhé’s SoundCloud and Instagram!

Reach for Help

This is a drawing that represents that all people need help. There are over 450 different types of mental illnesses, and many people who suffer from them never ask for help. Sometimes these mental illnesses can be suffocating, and if you don’t ask for help, you will feel like you are drowning. The bright balloons represent happiness, and the dark ones represent the disorders and common emotions people feel when they have them.

– Suhanja Yogalingam, Canada

Promoting Mental Wellness

When I was 17, I was diagnosed with PTSD. I am 23 now, and for the past few years, I have suffered not only from PTSD but also from depression, anxiety and panic disorder. I didn’t let it bring me down though. I learned to prioritize my mental wellbeing and take care of myself. I am at university now, and most of my work focuses on the theme of mental health. I am working hard to not only reduce the stigma but also promote the importance of our mental wellbeing. When I saw this brief, I immediately decided to do an animation as the theme is exactly what I am fighting for. Not only that but by working on this, I also learned how to use After Effects 🙂

– Sophia Ppali, United Kingdom

What you gotta do Music Video

Raising awareness about the importance of mental health. A video depicting the struggles of depression and anxiety and the willpower to aim for change and redemption.

– Jasmine Asgari, United States

You can find more on the artists below:

Yasaman (Jasmine) Asgari’s website, SoundCloud,  Youtube, Facebook, and Instagram!

Joseph Miller’s  Youtube Channel, SoundCloud, Instagram, and Twitter!

Sona Bayrami’s artistic Instagram and their personal Instagram account!