by Amy Zellmer
I first became a Citizen’s Advocate with the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance (MNBIA) during the 2016 Legislative session. All the noise and stimulation at the Capitol was a little overwhelming for me at first, but by 2017, I became a regular fixture for “Tuesdays at the Capitol.”
During one of our Tuesdays, several members from the MNBIA were present to help us create our mask for the “Unmasking Brain Injury” project. I was hesitant at first because I just wasn’t feeling very artsy that day. But I knew it was an important project and made my way to the room to work on my mask.
As soon as I started painting my mask with some pink and purple (my two favorite colors), and then added some sparkles to it, I was having a really good time. The art project actually became a bit therapeutic. I had been a writer and a photographer all my life and was good at expressing myself through these two art forms; however, creating the mask opened a whole new chapter for me.
In February of 2017, MNBIA had an exhibit at the Capitol for “Disability Awareness Day” and a reporter from Channel 5 News briefly interviewed me about my mask. My take-away message was that while my injury may be invisible, I am NOT! This has turned into my mantra, and I even began an awareness campaign of my own because of it: #NOTINVISIBLE.
The project gave voice to survivors who may not be able to express themselves more clearly than through art. It gave the public an opportunity to pull back the curtain and see what brain injury means to those living with it every single day. Through the unmasking project, I hope we are able to create a bridge between those living with brain injury and the community at large to help them better understand the daily struggles of life with a TBI.
Moral of the story: Always be willing to share your story, whether that’s through writing, art, speaking, or even creating your own mask. The process can be deeply therapeutic, and you never know whom your story may touch.
—
Previously Published on thebrainhealthmagazine
***
You Might Also Like These From The Good Men Project
Compliments Men Want to Hear More Often 
Relationships Aren’t Easy, But They’re Worth It 
The One Thing Men Want More Than Sex 
..A Man’s Kiss Tells You Everything Join The Good Men Project as a Premium Member today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
A $50 annual membership gives you an all access pass. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community.
A $25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities.
A $12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community.
Register New Account
Log in if you wish to renew an existing subscription.
Username
First Name
Last Name
Password
Password Again
Choose your subscription level
- Yearly - $50.00 - 1 Year
- Monthly - $6.99 - 1 Month
Credit / Debit Card PayPal Choose Your Payment Method
Auto Renew
Subscribe to The Good Men Project Daily Newsletter By completing this registration form, you are also agreeing to our Terms of Service which can be found here.Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo credit: iStock
The post Life Lessons Learned From a TBI appeared first on The Good Men Project.
Original Article
