Almost 11 years ago, I was just a joyful Black girl on her way to her first therapy session because sometimes I felt more than just a little sad. I left that session diagnosed with depression.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After being diagnosed with Depression, I was confused on how a joyful person such as myself could have depression and what does that truly mean. After talking to my peers I found out that I was not the only one who felt this way.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀I quickly realized that it’s okay not to be okay but what’s not okay is not doing anything about it so I created a blog, self-titled, Morgan Brittani.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀However, in May 2016, after sharing my story with a friend. I was asked how I’ve been through this much and still have so much joy. My answer was simple because "everyday is a JOYDAY." I quickly wrote the word JOYDAY on a sticky note.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Since it was mental health awareness month, I decided to create a scheduled conversation on twitter where people with mental illnesses, people who just want to learn about mental health/illness and everyone in between had a space too vent. This quickly turned into a bi-weekly twitter chat that birthed JOYDAY.At JOYDAY, We help people understand what’s going on with their mental so they can heal and better cope with their day to day. We do this by educating through action oriented resources and community-based experiences. We envision a world where no matter the mental state, people have the tools to make it through. We do this by making people feel joy daily.
The first time many people felt they needed help coping with their day to day was when they were in grade school. Our project will reimagine the school photo experience but this time instead of just stopping at taking a photo to capture a moment in time we will be sharing the real and raw stories of those behind the photos. We are creating this document-series to help others see that mental wellness looks different for everyone. At the same time, we are allowing those that view a chance to hear someone else's story. This space will help us set the scene so we can best tell that story.
Peerspace is on a mission to bring people together. We believe it is impossible to achieve that goal unless we also fight for equality and access to resources in the communities we serve.
Having a space to gather, create, and exchange ideas is an important part of any movement. In order to magnify voices that are often quieted, Peerspace will sponsor venues for people who challenge prejudice and fight for social justice and equality.
Each quarter, we will sponsor space for three projects that are relevant to our community. These projects can range from fundraisers and educational initiatives to art exhibits and photo series.
