Mother earth & Mental Health
Intro & Tell
One of the most sacred and time-honored traditions of Indy Hall is an event with a title that sends one’s heart right back to grade school—Show & Tell. It is our longest-running community event, which takes place every third Thursday of every month. The idea behind it is simple: provide a space for folks our community to give a 10-minute lightning talk on absolutely anything.
Some people give presentations on exciting wins in their careers, speak on a topic that matters to them, or just introduce themselves.
This being my first time attending Show & Tell, I was really curious to see how things would flow, what projects and causes people were planning to share. In the end, I was inspired and in awe of what amazing things the folks around me are doing.
Here’s a little bit about each of October’s awesome presentations…
I can see my planet from here!
First up was coder and self-proclaimed “space nerd” Anthony Colangelo, celebrating the awesome win that is the launch of his latest app, DOWNLINK.
Made specifically as a Mac app, the app allows users to feature that essentially allows users to view a live feed of planet Earth, as seen from weather satellites. The app updates in real-time every twenty minutes or on the hour (the app lets you decide!) and allows you to witness the weather patterns and passing of the sun across this little space marble we call home.
Watching as day turns to night via real satellite images was awe-inspiring, and I had to pick up my jaw from the table as Anthony zoomed in, showing just how high res these dazzling Earth images can get. The satellites capture them in such crystal clear 4K that you could practically count the molecules in the clouds. It was magical to watch, and it made me miss the days of having a MacBook, cause I’d love nothing more than to watch the world turn in the background of my workday.
“They are us”: Erasing Mental Health Stigmas
The second presentation was a powerful one, and not focused on any particular project so much as it was a talk on the importance of a serious issue plaguing millions of people worldwide. Indy Hall staff member Anaia Daigle started her presentation with a meme that too many at the presentation could relate to.
(“if I sit in rice, will it fix me”)
Her talk then steered towards how important it is to normalize the discussions around mental health. This is something that’s vital in order for societies to erase the stigmas that make so many afraid to seek help. She placed emphasis on how treatable most conditions are, while also explaining that not having easy access to care is something that inhibits many who would seek it. And then, after unpacking the fallacies behind many mental health stereotypes, she encouraged those in attendance to realize an important truth. Those who struggle with these conditions “look like us and talk like us because they are us”.
Being someone that has depression and anxiety, it was moving to see someone else speak so candidly about their own challenges and address ways in which others can lift up individuals who are struggling. It was a cathartic experience to get to share with a room full of folks I’m just starting to get to know.
Traveling the world with Mental Health
The afternoon wrapped up with brand new Indy Hall member Megan Murdock introducing herself, by sharing a story about her own personal journey with mental health and traveling the world.
Her talk provided a great follow-up and expansion upon Anaia’s mental health talk, as she shared the intimate details of what it is like living with Bipolar disorder. An educator who has worked to teach English as a second language to students around the world, Megan was able to share what it is like living with a mental illness when away from the comforts of home. She described witnessing the inequality of access to care first-hand, with care facilities for those who were low-income families being understaffed and often neglected.
She also talked about methods of holistic healing that she learned from people she stayed with, which she said helped her tremendously through some of the hardest struggles that she faced while abroad. It was an eye-opening presentation that really illustrated just how much we can all learn from one another when we step out of our comfort zones and into the unknown.
Join us next time!
This is just a small taste of the kinds of awe-inspiring and humbling moments one can find at this monthly event. We like to keep things fresh by featuring new speakers every month, so we vehemently encourage you to sign up and share with us!
The next Show & Tell will be taking place on November 21st at 12pm, and every third Thursday of the month, in the gallery at Indy Hall. Plus, it’s streamed live via zoom to our Slack channel for our online community members to see! We look forward to the incredible experiences you’ve got to share.
We look forward to the incredible experiences you’ve got to share.
