AWI Sanctuary Space presents: PTSD and Me

An ongoing Continued Connections program that creates virtual spaces for students to connect at the intersection of art and mental health.

For this Sanctuary Space, join us as we explore ways we can continually heal ourselves with the help of poetry and creative writing. We’ll be joined by special guest facilitator Erika Renee Land, a PTSD-awareness advocate, an American 21st-century war poet, and 2021 MacDowell Fellow. Together we’ll watch and discuss short films centered around mental health experiences and take part in a collective creative writing activity.


Featured National Resources:

Crisis Text Line
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Trans Lifeline
The Trevor Project
Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)
Black Mental Health Alliance

Art With Impact Resources:
5 Powerful Quotes about PTSD
About Trauma & PTSD

Today’s Special Guest: Erika Renee Land:
Website
Instagram
Watch stage play “PTSD and Me” from 2021

About Erika Renee Land:
Erika Renee Land studied English with a focus in creative writing at the University of Georgia but left in her last semester because of her battle with PTSD. Posttraumatic stress disorder has been Erika’s nemesis since 2005, when she was deployed to Mosul, Iraq.

In 2012 she decided she needed to help herself heal and began writing. Currently she has published poetry books, fiction novels, music and poetry albums, and a stage play. Her struggle with PTSD has been featured on the Texas Public Radio program Worth Repeating and Veteran Affairs Borne the Battle and numerous podcasts. Currently, she travels the country in a RV, performs spoken word wherever she can, educates about PTSD and gives out hugs.

Details

Day:Friday
Date:November 5, 2021
Time:10:00 am - 11:00 am

Workshop Evaluation

100% of participants felt the event created awareness of mental health issues
89% of participants made a meaningful connection with other people
78% of participants gained new tools to support their own wellness
“Experiencing this event helped me to get a first-hand account of PTSD from the perspective of a veteran.” "
-Sanctuary Space attendee

Films Screened

Films screened and discussed at this workshop

Sep
2016
Chained
Jul
2018
A Short Film About Anxiety
View Film Library

Partners

Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission The MHSOAC provides vision and leadership, in collaboration with clients, their family members, and underserved communities, to ensure Californians understand mental health is essential to overall health. MHSOAC holds public mental health systems accountable, provides oversight for eliminating disparities; promotes wellness, recovery and resiliency; and ensures positive outcomes for individuals living with serious mental illness and their families.