MONTH: Mental Health Awareness Month
Amanda Garcia Miranda
Senior Lighting Designer
HLB Lighting Design
MONTH: May
Every mental health awareness month, I reflect on how much softer and more empathetic I can be towards myself and others. This month is also a time to contemplate what the next best steps are towards breaking and healing from generational experiences woven from trauma, cultural/societal expectations, and the physical health patterns that manifest from that. Unfortunately, many of us are familiar with carrying transgenerational strain on our backs. But it doesn’t have to be this way. When we create space to listen compassionately and uncritically towards ourselves and our peers, we break cycles of shame and guilt. That shared space becomes more open, authentic, and trustworthy over time. We all have the power to heal, break cycles, love ourselves harder, and protect the peace of our bodies, hearts, and minds. We owe it to ourselves. Small steps are still progress. Surround yourself with those who see the positives in you. Sometimes, I think that maybe that’s why many of us are drawn to this ethereal field; we design light because a part of us yearns for it and believes that our communities deserve it. Maybe we want to make everyone’s world, especially those we love, just a little bit brighter.
