Last year, we ran a social media campaign asking our followers to pitch us simple story ideas that we could turn into a short film. We received a range of creative submissions, but there was one response in particular that really resonated with us: “What if emotional pain materialized on the body like a physical wound?”
Over the years we’ve often explored the therapeutic benefits that journalling can have, but this question helped us frame the topic in a new light. We knew that this powerful subject was bigger than our original #MyPaperblanksMovie story challenge: it had the potential to tackle preconceived notions of health and wellness, and hopefully contribute to opening up a conversation about mental health.
Inspired by @olleytheartist’s #MyPaperblanksMovie submission, we talked to health and wellness practitioners as well as members of the Paperblanks community to learn more about this topic. Thanks to this prompt, we uncovered the connections between emotional and physical pain, and how journalling and other mindfulness practices can have positive effects on your mental wellness.
And though the original question was about a wound, what we ended up with wasn’t a matter of pain and grief, but of connection and hope. Watch the video below.
Mental health affects us all. If you or someone you know needs help, you are not alone.
Call 1-800-273-8255 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline in the United States or 1-833-456-4566 for Crisis Services Canada.
Outside of North America, please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for a database of resources: www.iasp.info.
