Hello readers, I hope you’re all doing great!
Today, I’d like to talk to you about The Artidote community and how social media can help us “bond and heal through art.”
The Artidote was created by artist Jovanny Varela-Ferreyra. According to this interview from Peoplefolio, Jovanny was born in Guanajuato, Mexico. He then moved to Chicago, U.S.A when he was 10, and then finally moved to Munich, Germany.
I was first introduced to The Artidote via Facebook, and then I started following them on all of their other social media accounts and I’m glad I did. It’s a place where you’ll find artwork that reflects and talks about success, failure, love, passion, mental illness, and other challenges that we may face in our lives.
It’s a place where you’ll also find inspiration to learn, grow, and heal through art.
I’m going to focus on The Artidote’s Snapchat account today and I would like to thank Jovanny for letting me share these snaps with all of you!
Now, before I share some of these, I have to warn you that some of the snaps below talk about sensitive topics such as suicide, abuse, self-harm, depression, and anxiety.
Each image below has various other images behind it that tell a story.
Click on the first image to open up a full-screen window and then scroll through the images at your own pace.
When I started following The Artidote on Snapchat, people were sending in snaps in response to a question from Jovanny – “what time is it there and what are you thinking?” He also encouraged followers to mention where in the world they were sending these snaps from.
From that simple question above, The Artidote’s Snapchat community suddenly became a place for people to share their stories, their deepest darkest secrets, their struggles and their challenges with complete strangers. I was blown away by how all these strangers came together and were so supportive of each other; they empathized with one another and understood each other’s struggles.
They shared advice and coping strategies that worked for them during similar struggles.
This one gives me goosebumps! But it was SO NICE to see how complete strangers came together to help another stranger!
Each one of us has a story to tell. If there’s something you’re keeping inside, something that’s bothering you, share it with someone. Share it with your close friends or family members, or share it anonymously with Artidote.
BONUS PET EDITION!!!!!
Follow The Artidote on:
Snapchat
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
Tumblr
If you ever feel overwhelmed or suspect something isn’t right, please seek help and take advantage of these wonderful resources we have both on and off campus.
On-Campus:
UVic Academic Advising – 250-721-7567 ext. 6
UVic Counselling Services – 250-721-8341
UVic Health Services – 250-721-8492
Campus Security and Personal Safety Coordinators – 250-721-7599
Resource Centre for Students with a Disability – 250-472-4947
Residence Services – 250-721-8395
Off-Campus:
Vancouver Island Crisis Line –1-888-494-3888
HealthLinkBC – 8-1-1 (Non-Emergency)
BC Mental Health Information Line – 1-800-661-2121
Take care and stay safe! I’ll see you next time 😀
– Akshay
I LIVE for comments, let me know you stopped by, share your thoughts, and be thoughtful of others.
6 Comments
The views expressed in this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or views of the University of Victoria. I monitor posts and comments to ensure all content complies with the University of Victoria Guidelines on Blogging.
I’ve never seen anything like this before either. Thanks for sharing. I’m always surprised by how many ways there are to help people heal. I’m glad snapchat can serve such great purpose! Hope everyone in the world finds their own way to heal and love themselves!
i’am in love with The Artidote <3
Hey Oitri, thanks for your comment. I am really happy that you found the Artidote and I 100% agree with you – it’s magic!
I just found it. Right now. I’ve never felt this good before. Words or magic? 🙂
Thanks for reading Rebekah! The Artidote is a wonderful community and I wanted more people to know about it! 😀
I had never heard of the Artidote before, thanks for sharing – I’m amazed at the online community of support they have created!