Founder/Director, Hold On Campaign for Suicide Prevention

I am a poet, artist, humanism-in-medicine awardee, and a retired child psychiatrist. I am also a suicide attempt and suicide loss survivor with Bipolar II Disorder. I am the founder/director of the Hold On Campaign for Suicide Prevention. The Hold On Campaign uses the power of art to connect, express, and heal. Services include community outreach, inspiring presentations on mental health, arts & healing workshops, and visual art, song, and film creations on suicide prevention. I am an internationally award-winning lyricist of songs promoting mental health well-being. In addition, I am the director/producer of "Marble Me Free" which is an internationally award-winning short animation of Starlit Swan's poem, "The Marble Block." Starlit has Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. We met when Starlit attended an Arts & Healing Resiliency Center Special Event that I was hosting. The esteemed Poetic Medicine Practitioner, John Fox, was the workshop facilitator. A few days later Starlit and I met again online. As soon as Starlit recited her poem, "The Marble Block," I knew it would make a powerful animation. The animator Lucia Martinez Rojas from Colombia, South America, joined our creative collaboration team. The Marble Me Free Initiative helps break the cycle of pain and suicide. Starlit would also be a guest on your podcast. Depending on her availability, Lucia would also be on the podcast. To learn more, please see www.holdoncampaign.org and www.marblemefree.com. Thank you.