Breathing is sometimes the most courageous thing one can do, believes Jovanny Varela Ferreyra, a Mexican-American artist, mental health advocate and the creator of the global online support community, The Artidote.
Since its inception in 2015, the few million-strong platform has shown the introspective and revelatory power of art as antidote, at times saving lives and starting discourses hitherto absent from the virtual space.
He recently visited India for the fourth time and says his visits to the country have altered him greatly. “It is not an understatement. Just getting exposed to so much potential has given me the drive to do my part. There is an extraordinary energy in India’s youth to bring about a change but at the same time, I am aware that this is one of the most depressed countries in the world.
"And the more I interact with people, the more I understand why that is.”
He attributes it to the growing rift between generations, the India of the past worn out by the strife of struggle and India today, bombarded with possibilities of a different, better life.
“I think the current generation realises that the values and systems that worked for their parents and grandparents will no longer work for them. This is likely creating a lot of mental conflict and pressure among young Indians,” says Jovanny.
Recognising it as a malaise haunting a larger collective and ardent to append his influence in the right direction, Jovanny is planning to move to India and work at the grassroots.
“Creating The Artidote community chapters in cities across the world is my road map for the next five years and the first one is going to be in India, in Bengaluru. So for most of 2020, I plan on engaging with the youth here.”
His novel project has taken off with two of his recent events in the country.
The first, an important personal endeavour, the three-hour session he calls, The Artidote Moment, in Kochi and the other being the Under 25 Summit held in Bengaluru where he was a speaker.
The Artidote Moment is Jovanny’s attempt to foster dialogue on topics often unspoken, to prompt catharsis through conversation.
The session starts with him as the initial interlocutor, opening up to the audience, often by narrating an experience that is peppered with both happiness and challenge.
“At first, I look for one person from among the crowd to speak. It immediately gives permission for everyone else to do the same and share.
"I call it a ‘Moment’ because whatever happens is not structured. I didn’t want to put a label that implies performance. It is supposed to be organic like the multitude of moments we chance on every day. It is very human and intimate,” says Jovanny.
As someone who has encountered multiple situations that are all too real, Jovanny is conscious of appeals that he does not have the answers to.
“In almost every session, there is something to which I am unequipped to give a reply because I either lack experience or knowledge. This is when I ask the audience to take over because I see myself as a facilitator and not an advisor.”
Over the years, Jovanny has curated visual and written compositions from every corner of the internet piecing together an idea that evokes innate empathy, bonding and awareness towards oneself and others.
Now a leading influencer and a phenomenon, the 32-year-old tours the world driving the belief that ‘mental health is over every damn thing’.
Recognising mental conflict as a malaise haunting a larger collective and ardent to use his influence, Jovanny is planning to move to India and work at the grassroots