2. #Poetry4MentalHealth
YOUR FACILITATOR: Olivia
Olivia Buntaine (she/her) is an
award-winning poet, theatremaker, and
general rabble-rouser whose work focuses
on themes of liberation after violence.
Through plays, poetry, and creative
non-fiction, Olivia works most often in the
universes of girlhood, queerness, and
survivorship. She is also the artistic
director of the theater company Project
Nongenue - a company dedicated to
centralizing the voices of women and
marginalized populations in classical
theater, mythology, and history.
4. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HERE’S THE PLAN
1. Define our terms
2. Practice a way of expressing ourselves:
Immerse - Explore - Express
3. Share
4. Panel
5. Evaluation (and a chance to enter to win
a $25 Amazon gift card!)
5. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HEADS UP
● Mental health is personal – YOU are the expert on
your own experience
● Talking about our mental health in relation to our
sexual orientations and genders can be intensely
personal
● We are online - this is a public, shared space
● We are recording this session for internal training
and evaluation purposes
● Please take care of yourself however you need,
including asking for help.
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NEED SUPPORT?
Access mental health support throughout this workshop.
Click Shared Notes
To link to online
resources
Private Chat mental health pros.
They are at the top and have * next
to their names
#1 #2
7. #Poetry4MentalHealth
3 WAYS TO ENGAGE
We welcome your participation
CHAT BOX: Use the
Public Chat to connect
with the whole group
#1
8. #Poetry4MentalHealth
POLL: respond
to a Poll when
prompted
#2
Set Your Status by
clicking on your name
and selecting from
the drop-down menu
#3
3 WAYS TO ENGAGE
We welcome your participation
9. #Poetry4MentalHealth
If you need tech
support, ask…
Look for the person whose name begins with
AWI Support and Private Chat them with any issues.
14. #Poetry4MentalHealth
WHAT IS YOUR CONNECTION TO THE
LGBTQIA+ COMMUNITY?
I’m not connected to the community
I have friends in the community
I am part of the community
A
B
C
15. #Poetry4MentalHealth
THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
We are considering anyone who’s
gender identity is anything other
than cisgender and anyone who’s
sexual orientation is anything
other than heterosexual to be part
of the community.
16. #Poetry4MentalHealth
A None
C
B
D
I mean, a little in
school, maybe?
I’ve written a
bit here and
there...
I write poetry all
the time!
WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE
WITH WRITING POETRY?
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IMMERSE, EXPLORE, EXPRESS
As a group, we will immerse ourselves in 2
short films from our OLIVE Film Collection.
Together, we will explore the themes brought
up in the films through discussion.
Individually, we will express our thoughts
and feelings through writing exercises to
create poetry as a response.
21. #Poetry4MentalHealth
HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
● He seems so alone/lonely and as if he needs to
hide his authentic self from his coworker.
● The inner monologue is powerful. It makes me sad
at how isolated he feels.
● Not sure. Oppressed and freed at the same time
● Biphobia of any kind triggers me in a way,
because of how people see bisexuality let alone
tries to erase it- makes me feel very angry !! as
someone who's bisexual and experienced the same
discrimination as this person in this film !
Immerse
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SCENARIO
Put yourself in the position of our bisexual factory worker.
Explore
CHAT BOX
Your co-worker tells you he doesn’t agree with people being
gay. How do you respond?
● I would ask why he feels that way.
● I would ask my co-worker what experiences they have with gay people.
● How can you agree or disagree with something that just is
● as much as i'd like to say i'd speak up, i might do the same and not say
anything -- for fear of confrontation.
● LGBTQIA+ people are validated and they did not choose to be that way,
also I would ask them directly why. And, if they're homophobic,
transphobic, biphobic etc then I'll confront them
28. #Poetry4MentalHealth
#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Express
They say when you break a glass in two, it is not worth anything
They say if a pencil is split in two, it belongs to the trash
But what they also say is all great things come in two
I am who I am
I am not two but one
I am not one but two
When I see the two broken glass
I pick them up and see it whole
When I see the fractured pencil
I pick it up and sharpen both ends
They say I am separate
That I am a two
I say I am whole
That everyone is perfect just as they are, that there are no errors.
People think they need to "fix" people!
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STAGING FACE
BY STEPH YOUNG, JAKE IVANY & VIE JONES
Voices With Impact 2020
Immerse
Content heads up: discussion of depression, anxiety,
transphobia, misgendering
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HOW ARE YOU, REALLY?
Immerse
● Loved "to tell the truth in drag"
● Pain and healing in this clip.
● I noticed that they found a place that they belong
to, express their queerness without shame!
● I was humbled by their courage.
● The end shows that queerness is very empowering
and gender nonconforminity being a beautiful
thing !
32. #Poetry4MentalHealth
SCENARIO
Think about the struggles
of these three characters.
Explore
It’s taken a lot to reject traditional notions of
gender and find recognition. People hold very
tightly to these traditional ideas.
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SCENARIO
Think about the struggles of these three characters.
Explore
CHAT BOX
Why do we, as a society, resist seeing people’s true selves?
It’s taken a lot to reject traditional notions of gender and
find recognition. People hold very tightly to these
traditional ideas.
● Afraid of judgment
● Vulnerability is terrifying.
● Acceptance is not a value that has been prioritized in society. That has been at the
root of the development of society
● Tradition feels secure for many people. The unknown terrifies many.
● Yes vulnerability is very powerful!!
● Truly seeing others requires that we be willing to be completely open and change
our thinking.
● Being open minded is hard fo some people !
● So they think biased about certain groups without listening to others views
● Society likes to categorize and fit people in pre-existing groups.
● We even teach our children from a young age to categorize and sort
38. #Poetry4MentalHealth
#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Immerse
They see the make-up, the glitter, the lights. I see the truth. My
inside shining through the darkness.
They See my anti-depression pills laid out
They see the panic attack every morning
They see my cigarette smoke rise in the midst of the heavy world
But they don’t see me
They don’t know the beauty of who I am
They don’t know the stage I call heaven
They just don’t see!
Tear off this suffocating mask
Because I can’t breathe
This is me
The glitter in my face
No judgment
No race
The blue and red lights shining down on me
Allow the light to guide my heart and inner self to be free
Now you see me
They see the strength, that I have
everything, decisive about everything,
and know that my sexuality is valid.
But, I see me not having it all, a mess,
sad, afraid to be me without
overthinking whether I should open up
about me at all
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What can we do, both as allies and as members of the
community, to make positive change?
Explore
CHAT BOX
● Tell the truth
● Truly Listen
● Stand up for others
● Advocate and provide safe space
● Make it clear to others that we do not "tolerate" our differences, but love our
differences
● Love the suggestions here! Thank you <3
● Don't put requirements on us because that puts a lot pf pressure on The LGBTQIA
community thinking they have to look and act a certain way( especially those that
are questioning), and also because our community is very welcoming and there
isn't no right way
● Continue to have these spaces in person and virtually and stand up for others
● Invite supportive conversations and LGBTQ+ content and resources into our
courses.
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#Poetry4MentalHealth
Let’s share!
Immerse
What can we do…
Welcome, I see you
No more fear
We are here
Allow your wings to shine
Take off the dark heavy blinds
You and I shall shine
No need for signs
This is your time
You are so divine
What can we do…
Welcome, I see you
No more fear
We are here
Allow your wings to shine
Take off the dark heavy blinds
You and I shall shine
No need for signs
This is your time
You are so divine
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AWI: Continued Connections
Exclusive community events and spaces
Arts-based discussion trainings
Interview and discussion opportunities
Weekly art + wellness prompts
Click the link in the chat to learn more!
44. #Poetry4MentalHealth
MEET THE PANEL
bit.ly/wiw-q-lbcc
Kim Hamon (they/them)
Student Activities Advisor and Advisor of Queer Space, Student Life,
Long Beach City College
Antonio "Nio" Lavermon (he/him)
Youth Services & Transition Coordinator, Youth & Family Services,
The LGBTQ Center Long Beach
45. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Please fill out the evaluation!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org
You can enter for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
If you are receiving credit for attending this workshop, at the end of the
evaluation, you’ll be prompted to add your information to a sign-in
sheet.
Evaluation responses will remain separate and anonymous.
46. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Virtual Mingle/Panel Q&A
Ask a question or share a thought!
You can raise your hand (see image below) to be given
instructions to audio in, use the public chat box, or
send a private message to AWI Support / a panelist.
47. #Poetry4MentalHealth
Stay in touch!
Sign up for Continued
Connections!
...and don’t forget to copy/paste the
resources in the Shared Notes!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org
