Saturday, February 12, 2011

our first video!

Hello lovely Love Out Loud-ers!
Today our group had a photo-shoot with the wonderful Brandon Smith. It was a fun hiking/photo experience that we will be sharing with you later.

The real point of this post, however, is to tell you that Amazing Aubrea finished her first video for the Love Out Loud Campaign!

Take a look, it will only take a minute of our time (literally).
Click here for the link to our YouTube channel. (I was going to embed it, but I was having technical difficulties...)

Also, tickets are now on sale and can be purchased by contacting one of the women on the Love Out Loud board, or online via our PayPal account.

We love you and all your support!!

Remember...
You are beautiful.
You are wonderful.
You matter.
You are loved.
With love,
Rachel E.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Kindred Soul

     As you may or may not know, the Love Out Loud campaign was founded by two English majors—Rachel Dulaney (myself) and Carly Smoot. Upon hearing that Dr. Brad Campbell would offer a Madness in American Literature class, we began to wonder if it were possible for us to do something more than just a paper for our senior project. Enter the Love Out Loud campaign. Both of us have been personally affected by the issues addressed in this campaign—depression, self-injury, and/or suicide—and because of our history with these issues, we wanted to do something that would make a difference, that would change the way people view these struggles and the people who face them. We also, however, wanted to bring to the forefront the healing power of artistic, creative expression, our particular vein being written art. We had been able to express in writing that which we could never express verbally—and being able to produce a tangible product out of the seeming mire was satisfying and cathartic.
Once we were officially approved to do this slightly risky yet thoroughly exciting project, Carly and I got together to write the mission statement for the campaign, which was originally called the “From Ashes to Beauty” campaign. Here’s part of what it said…
The From Ashes to Beauty Campaign aims to raise awareness about the depression, suicide, and self-injury that affect our generation. The goal is to use creative mediums as a means for outreach and awareness to bring a face to the nameless and countless thousands who have struggled with depression or thoughts of suicide, so that it is neither misunderstood nor greeted with scorn…This project, rooted in hope, encourages people to meet one another where they are at so that love may spring up everywhere.
Though this project has grown and changed drastically since these words were written, its core principles and goals have not. Much like the tree in our logo, we may no longer look like the seed we were when we first started; but our heart is the same.
            That being said, I wanted to share with you all a bit of writing by a man named Clifford Beers, who was hospitalized for insanity in the early 1900s and later wrote this autobiography, titled "A Mind That Found Itself," of his time spent in an insane asylum. This moving work ends with some of the most powerful words about hope and unity that I’ve ever read regarding mental illness. As I read through this work for our Madness in American Literature class, I couldn’t have been more thrilled to see the same soul and vision in this man’s words from a century ago as I see in our campaign today. Be inspired!
By this time two paramount questions have no doubt arisen in the mind of the reader: First, is there in the problem of managing and treating the insane an inherent difficulty which will forever prevent the correction of such abuses and deficiencies as have been discussed in this book?...An emphatic answer to [this] question may be given. No inherent difficulty stands in the way of the universal correction of all abuses and deficiencies of treatment complained of in this book—unless it be the inherent apathy of a public which for centuries has failed to do its duty by the insane…For bringing about the reforms which, of necessity, must precede any such correction of century-old abuses, the interest of every right-thinking person in this country must be enlisted. Few, indeed, are endowed with great riches. Few are able to convert their best impulses into an acceptable medium of exchange. But every man and woman can lend a hand, or at least speak a word. Our subject has for generations been neglected. It is the discussion of it that will create and mold Public Opinion, and Public Opinion, vigorously expressed, will, more than any other factor, tend to correct the evils I have denounced. Has my story utterly failed of its purpose? If it has stirred your sympathy it is your duty to give expression to this aroused interest, not to me, but to everybody within your sphere of influence. Continual and sincere expression will wear away that rock of indifference against which the distressed souls and abused bodies of the mentally ill have been bruised for centuries. Has my story—not as the story of my life, but as representing the experiences of thousands of others still living and of thousands whose terrible secrets died with them—has this story, I say, aroused within you the healthy desire to contribute at least your influence to the corrective and overwhelming force of Public Opinion? If so, your duty is plain.
And what duty would that be? I think Beers states it perfectly: Every man and woman can lend a hand, or at least speak a word, and it is the discussion of these issues that will create and mold public opinion. Continual and sincere expression will wear away at that rock of indifference and apathy against which the distressed souls and abused bodies of the mentally ill have been bruised for centuries. The Love Out Loud campaign aims to do just that: to a lend a hand to those who have fallen, a shoulder to those who are crying, a smile to those who are sorrowful, an encouraging word to those who are hurting. We are, I believe, continuing the fight that Beers started a little over a century ago, and will keep fighting until all of our energy and love is expended. These are the things that define a generation; these are the moments we—and our children, even—can look back on and be proud of. So now the only question is: Will you, too, love out loud?




With love,
Rachel D.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Introduction

Hello everybody!

For those of you who don't know, the Love Out Loud Campaign is a campaign started and run by students, reaching out to students and the surrounding community of San Luis Obispo.

The Love Out Loud Campaign aims to raise awareness about the depression, self-injury, and suicide that affects our generation. According to the University of Michigan, one in seven college students suffers from depression, and it has become the number one disability in the world. Suicide has also become the third leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Our hope for this campaign is to encourage communication, creative self expression, and create a safe environment where students and other community members feel safe to share their personal struggles, thoughts, and experiences about these issues.

Through this campaign we hope to educate, inform, and transform the Cal Poly campus and community into one that is knowledgeable, tolerant, and supportive; a campus which doesn't simply accept what they have heard about these topics, but one which changes the norms surrounding depression, suicide, and self-injury. By opening communication and encouraging creative outlets, the Love Out Loud Campaign will help those who may feel hopeless or alone to find and establish a foundation of safety and love.

Though this begins with Cal Poly, our hope is to create a larger community that reaches out and touches the hearts of anyone who either deals with these matters personally or has experienced them with friends, family, co-workers, or any other person in their lives. This project—rooted in hope—encourages people to come together, no matter where they are at in life, so that love may spring up everywhere.

From now on we will be posting updates, videos, comments, and any sort of thought that comes to mind on this blog. Please feel free to leave love and support (or comments and constructive criticism) for us on this blog.

We love our supporters and can't wait to see what this campaign, along with these six amazing women, can accomplish.

Please visit our website at www.LoveOutLoudCampaign.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheLoveOutLoudCampaign

Let us hear from you! And remember, you are loved!!

With Love,
Rachel

Monday, November 22, 2010

Welcome to the Love Out Loud Campaign!

Welcome to the Love Out Loud Campaign blog! This blog will tell you about different events, activities, and updates having to do with the campaign.

Last week we officially launched our Facebook page. It has only been up and running for five days, but we already have 436 "fans". If you haven't already, you can "like" our page here: The Love Out Loud Campaign.

Stay tuned for updates on our campaign, events, and other organizations that we think you will enjoy.

We also love to hear from you, so any ideas or thoughts you have, let us know.

Remember, you are beautiful, wonderful, and loved. You matter!