Final Intervention

 Erik Narvaez 

 

Mental Health

Mental health is an important part of overall well-being. It encompasses emotional, psychological and social well-being and affects how people think, feel and act. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and stress can have a significant impact on a person's life and interfere with their ability to perform daily activities. That's why it's important to find ways to eliminate them and promote positive mental health. In this essay, we  discuss the importance of finding a way  out of mental health problems with relevant quotes. First, mental health problems can have serious consequences if left untreated. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health disorders account for approximately 14 percent of the global burden of disease. In addition, people with mental health problems have a higher risk of developing chronic physical diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. In addition, the costs of untreated mental illness are high, with  annual costs estimated to exceed $200 billion in the United States alone (Insel, 2008). Therefore, it is very important to seek treatment for mental health problems and find ways to get rid of them. Second, overcoming mental health problems can significantly improve an individual's quality of life. For example, research shows that depressed patients who receive treatment have a greater chance of  significant improvement in  symptoms (NIMH, 2018). In addition, people who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and practice mindfulness techniques show less anxiety and stress (Katz et al., 2017). Therefore, finding ways to deal with mental health problems can help people live happier and healthier lives.  Third, seeking help for mental health problems can reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems. Unfortunately, there is still a significant stigma associated with mental health problems that can prevent people from seeking help. However, by talking about mental health and seeking help, people can reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems (Corrigan et al., 2015). Therefore, overcoming mental health problems can benefit not only the individual, but also society as a whole. In conclusion, mental health is an integral part of overall well-being and finding ways to address mental health issues is crucial. It is important to seek help for mental health problems because they can have serious consequences if they are not treated. In addition, overcoming mental health problems can significantly improve an individual's quality of life and reduce the stigma associated with mental health problems. Therefore, we should promote positive mental health and encourage people to seek help when needed.

Knowing all of this I conducted a survey having different people answer question about their mental health and how they procced to go about this mental health problems. This also form a part to acknowledge the fact that people have mental health problems and the different ways that they can cope with it or try to understand why those feelings come and go through there lives.

If anyone else is interested in having a check up for themself here's the link to the mini survey;

https://forms.gle/JuqrXDLefxHoEshv6 

Karen's Final Intervention

Intervention 3: Generational Trauma

 

 

For my final intervention I decided to tackle generational trauma one last time, but with a twist. Because I’m a Media major and I’m extremely into cinematography, I have decided to create replications of film posters that discuss this concept. I have decided to create three versions of these posters. Activism on generational trauma is important for me to speak on because it acknowledges the lasting effects of these traumatic experiences and seeks to promote healing and justice for those affected.

 

In the Art of Activism there’s a quote that says, “when our goal is to work with others to change the world, a focus on having noble intentions is not enough (pg. 259).”I feel like this is one of those long-lasting issues that need to be acknowledged back-to back in order to make a difference and that’s why this quote resonated with me. One of the primary reasons why activism on generational trauma is so important is because trauma can have lasting effects on individuals and communities. Trauma can manifest in a variety of ways, including anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, and other mental health issues. Additionally, generational trauma can also affect the social and cultural fabric of communities, leading to issues such as poverty, violence, and intergenerational conflict. By myself raising awareness of the lasting effects of trauma, activism acts can help to promote healing and address these issues further.

 

Activism on generational trauma is also important because it can help to promote justice and accountability for past wrongs. In many cases, generational trauma has been caused by systemic oppression, such as racism, colonialism, or imperialism. By acknowledging and addressing the root causes of trauma, activists can work to dismantle these systems of oppression and promote a more just and equitable society. For instance, in the Art of Activism its mentioned briefly that “by experimenting with our own pieces and working with others who have different tactics and strategies, we increase the possibility of all of us having a greater impact (pg. 258).”

 

 

Another reason why activism on generational trauma is important is because it can help to promote intergenerational healing and resilience. When trauma is acknowledged and addressed, individuals and communities can begin to heal and move forward. By promoting healing and resilience, activists can help to break the cycle of generational trauma and create a brighter future for future generations, or in other words fix the cycle.

 

Finally, activism on generational trauma is important because it can help to promote understanding and empathy between different groups of people. For example, in page 61 of Kimberly Drew’s “This is What I Know About Art”, she mentions that “our activism, like any other part of ourselves, develops into something bigger than a singular experience.” While trauma, as well as activism can be a deeply personal and isolating experience, it’s also a part of a collective. We are all interconnected. By acknowledging and sharing stories of trauma, individuals and communities can come together and find common ground. This can help to promote understanding and empathy between different groups of people and promote healing and reconciliation.

 

In conclusion, I hope to build this form of activism on generational trauma in hopes to address the legacy of trauma, so we can then create a more just and equitable society for future generations. 

 

Some of the artists that inspired me for this final intervention are as follows: 

Patrisse Cullors, an artist and activist, that is also best known as one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. Her art focuses on racial justice and has featured anti-gentrification and prison abolitionist programming during the pandemic and protests. Cullors’s reimagines art spaces as sites of care and community. 

 

Liu Ye - Chinese painter best known for his colorful, stylized images. He often depicts young children standing before paintings and the Dutch cartoon character Miffy. Liu’s work does not focus on the political and economic changes in China, but rather seeks to depict his own playful imaginings and interests. 

Titus Kaphar - Titus Kaphar is an artist whose paintings, sculptures, and installations examine the history of representation by transforming its styles and mediums with formal innovations to emphasize the physicality and dimensionality of the canvas and materials themselves.

Zanele Muholi - Muholi self-identifies as a visual activist, and their development as a photographer is deeply intertwined with their advocacy on behalf of the LGBTQ community in South Africa and beyond.

 

                                                                           Works Cited

Drew, Kimberly. This Is What I Know About Art. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2020.

Duncombe, Stephen, and Steve Lambert. The Art of Activism: Your All-purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible. OR Books, LLC, 2021.

Kooness, https://www.kooness.com/posts/magazine/most-popular-contemporary-artists. 

“Discover, Buy, and Sell Fine Art.” Artsy, https://www.artsy.net/. 

Ryder, Gina. “Intergenerational Trauma: How It Affects Families.” Psych Central, Psych Central, 15 Apr. 2022, https://psychcentral.com/lib/how-intergenerational-trauma-impacts-families. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intervention 3: Final Project

 

 

For our final, we have continued to work on the topic of anti-hostile architecture. We’ve decided to work on this topic for the entire semester because it’s something that impacts people every day, even if we aren’t directly seeing it happen. This type of architecture happens in direct response to gentrification and that is an issue that we see rapidly increasing in our city. Journal Square and Downtown look almost unrecognizable if you compare them to what they looked like 10 years ago. There are new condos, restaurants, and people moving from New York to live here. All of these things sound great, but ultimately, they only benefit newcomers and push out the people who already live here since it is too expensive. "For some, stepping off the curb may be like an epiphany, a blinding moment of clarity in which the injustices of the world are dramatically revealed, while for others it may be a slow awakening, learned indirectly." p.18 (Steve Duncombe & Steve Lambert). This quote perfectly words our experiences with seeing gentrification slowly taking over Jersey City. It was a slow awakening as new developments appeared every other month. Eventually, painting a bigger picture.

This projects topic isn’t one that really fits our professional aspirations and portfolio since it is the first time we’ve ever created something like this. As two separate musicians, we often speak about our own personal experiences and memories. In my own personal work *Angelica*, I’ve written and uploaded a song based on domestic violence. Someone from South Korea who happened to be following me came across it and used the song in their student final a few years ago so that was great. It made me realize that talking about more political topics was worthwhile in my own efforts and moved people emotionally. 

 For our first step, we decided to actually post our music video to YouTube. At first, we didn’t but after our second intervention’s success, we decided it would be a good idea. Our song talks about the world being a better place if we were to show more kindness to the people around us. We also show various locations in Jersey City that have hostile architecture. In the Art of Activism, Steve Duncombe and Steve Lambert note, "Storytelling tactics are powerful and effective tools for artistic activists." p.194. This particular quote stands out to us because it's the same idea we had for creating a song. We wanted to tell a story not only through our words but through the video. It's the city we live in and we see that these changes are impacting people. We also created a sticker (found at the beginning of this post) that we would like to hand out during our presentation and leave around on campus. This is a simple and effective way to get people involved. What we would hope to see is our stickers around the campus and throughout the city. So far only this class and our families have seen our project. One of Royer’s friends even said our video looked like it could be on the news one day. Lastly, we decided to create a blog that we will continue to run even after our time in this class is over."After a few months of research, I decided that I should start my own blog. (I am still at a loss for where I got the confidence to do so, but I a forever grateful to the version of myself that said yes. Yes to learning more about Black art. Yes to making things that I knew I needed to see in the world." p.20, Kimberly Drew. Just like Drew, we figured the best way to keep up with any updates on hostile architecture, gentrification etc. is through a blog. We will also be posting our own original posts of our stickers in various places around Jersey City. Our overall message we’d like to share with our audience or whoever happens to stumble upon our work is just to be a little more empathetic and aware of their surroundings. Acknowledge the changes you see happening in your neighborhood and know that there are people who suffer from these changes.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Blog : https://www.tumblr.com/humilityoverhostility

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration: 

https://www.reddit.com/r/therewasanattempt/comments/cmwb44/to_stop_homeless_people_from_sleeping_in_this/ : This is an image that began circulating on reddit of a man sleeping on a mattress on top of spikes. Its super inspirational because it shows this man combatting society's ignorance by still making himself a comfortable place to sleep in a place where they wanted him out. 

https://theworld.org/stories/2015-07-22/group-artists-found-perfect-way-protest-anti-homeless-spikes 

This group goes around protesting hostile architecture by placing mattresses on top of spikes and putting small bookshelves to transform the hostility into a small livable space.  

War: This group is a huge inspiration to us for our project. Their song "Why Can't We Be friends?" showcases how silly it is to judge others based on differences and we should accept one another. We shdould understand each persons struggles because we are only human after all. That is a message that we hope to share with whoever encounters our work.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Their album “Infest the Rats Nest” is entirely a work of activism as they speak about the changes the world is undergoing with climate change and gentrification. They also discuss how the rich only benefit from these changes.  

 

Resources:

This is What I Know About Art, Kimberly Drew

The Art of Activism, Steve Duncombe & Steve Lambert.

As NJ experiences development boom, gentrification concerns grow among longtime residents, Andrew Ramos. 

https://pix11.com/news/local-news/new-jersey/as-nj-experiences-development-boom-gentrification-concerns-grow-among-longtime-residents/

Gentrification changes Jersey City, Amy Espin. 

https://uachsvoice.com/5186/opinion/gentrification-changes-jersey-city/

NYC Mayor Eric Adams begins his clearance of 150 homeless encampments across the city after saying the Big Apple has become a national 'laughingstock' because of crime, Harriet Alexander.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10662405/NYC-mayor-begins-clearance-150-homeless-camps-claimed-city-laughingstock.html

 

 

Intervention III Final Project

 "Wash Day" by Simone Briscoe

Wash day for my 4c hair, a ritual that’s both love and care. A journey to my roots, my soul, and a way to embrace and make me whole. I’m never quite sure how my hair will turn out, but I know that I'll put my all into making it look the best it can be. I can't help but think about the Crown Act and what it means for people like me. As society’s expectations continue to haunt my mind. With my products and my tools, I start to lather and rinse, to wash away the dirt and sins. And as I feel the suds and bubbles flow, I can’t help but let my spirit glow. The Crown Act protects my hair, my heritage. A shield that says my curls are beautiful, and to love them is to never hide. My hair defies gravity, reaching for the sky, a symbol of my strength, my resilience, my pride. It's a testament to the strength and resilience of my ancestors who refused to conform to societal norms and embraced their natural beauty. The natural hair movement has also played a significant role in my journey towards self-acceptance. Seeing other people with hair like mine embrace and celebrate their curls, kinks, and coils has given me the confidence to do the same. It's a movement that reminds us that our hair is not a problem to be fixed but a part of who we are. As I continue with my wash day routine, I'm filled with gratitude for the progress we've made towards acceptance and inclusivity. My hair is a symbol of my identity and a reminder of the strength and resilience of my ancestors. My hair defies gravity, and I'm proud of it.

"Wash Day" - Simone Briscoe

 My project is a monologue about my 4c hair that touches on the Crown Act, accompanied by a video of me washing my hair while speaking the monologue. I posted the video on YouTube as a form of outreach to engage with a wider audience about the importance of embracing natural hair and the need for legislation like the Crown Act. I chose this topic because as a Black woman with 4c hair, I have experienced discrimination and microaggressions surrounding my hair texture. The Crown Act is a piece of legislation that prohibits discrimination against natural hair in schools and workplaces, and I wanted to raise awareness about its importance. By combining the monologue with a visual of me washing my hair, I aimed to show that 4c hair is beautiful and worthy of acceptance. My message for the audience is that natural hair should be embraced and accepted in all spaces. Discrimination against natural hair is a form of racism that needs to be eradicated. The Crown Act is an essential step in achieving this goal and needs to be implemented nationwide. To reach an audience, I published the project on my YouTube channel.

This project fits into my professional aspirations because I have dreams of being an actress and a social media content creator. This project put together both if my interests while also touching on a topic that is extremely important to me as well. I believe that art has the power to change hearts and minds and that artists have a responsibility to use their platforms to speak out against injustices. The Art of Activism: Your All-purpose Guide to Making the Impossible Possible by Stephen Duncombe and Steve Lambert and This Is What I Know About Art by Kimberly Drew have both influenced my thinking about the intersection of art and activism and have inspired me to create work that challenges the status quo. In Kimberly Drew’s This is What I Know about Art, she states “The most effective art is that which is rooted in truth and speaks directly to the experiences of its audience” (Drew).  This is why I chose my topic. My natural hair is my truth and a lot of other black and brown girl’s truth as well and it should not be assimilated. In The Art of Activism, the authors state, “Artistic activism can be an effective way to reach new audiences and engage them in social and political issues” (Duncombe & Lambert). I think that a lot of people are extremely unaware of the discrimination of black people due to their natural hair. This is why my video is so important. I think seeing my hair in its natural state doing such a mundane task will essentially humanize natural hair to audiences who have no idea what we go through. 

Research has helped me inform this project by providing me with information about the Crown Act and the history of discrimination against natural hair. It has also helped me understand the importance of representation in the media and the need for more positive depictions of Black women and their hair. In conclusion, my project is a monologue and video about my 4c hair that touches on the Crown Act and the need for acceptance of natural hair. I posted the project on YouTube to reach a wider audience and promote awareness about the issue. The project aligns with my professional aspirations as an artist and activist and has been informed by research and inspiration from other artists and activists.

4 artists/activists who inspired me and this project

1. Myself because I have had a continuous battle between loving myself and my natural hair no matter what my family says

2. Angela Davis who is a prominent Black Panther and natural enthusiast who was a part of the natural hair movement. She wore her afro proudly as a symbol of black power. 

3. Gothic Curls is a curly hair club that I have been a part of since my freshman year of college. The club aims to destigmatize natural hair in society and help individuals embrace their natural hair.

4. Kimberly Drew is an activist whose book we read this semester and I was inspired by her. I love reading about women of color who are strong in their activism. It inspired me every day. 

Works Cited/ References

Duncombe, Steve. Lambert, Steve. The Art of Activism. OR Books, 2021. 

Drew, K. (2020). This is what I know about art. Penguin Workshop.

https://www.thecrownact.com/