Here are some photos we wanted to share from Sent(a)Mental Studios Youth Project
Open Studios Oct. 7th 2010

Alternatives was a great success. I met so many wonderful mental health activists, advocates, and survivors. What an awesome opportunity for Sent(a)Mental Studios and the Mental (St)ealth Project.
We received over 50 submissions to the Mental (St)ealth Project and I hope to be uploading images of some of that artwork soon. In the meantime here are a couple photos from the Open Studio the Sent(a)Mental Studios helped facilitate.

love, dylan

10.07.10 (c) dylan scholinski

i love accidents, mistakes, random creative acts, etc.
i am always collecting beautiful (wabi sabi) type things... that some may call garbage. while it is true that a lot of the things i collect for this series are "throw-away" objects or collected images of what many disregard in there travels -
what i see is treasure, beauty, transition... opportunity.
valuable objects that are worthy of a 2nd look/chance.
today i found this can and thought i'd just try scanning it rather that taking a photo. this is what i got... and i love the random selections of light and focus.

i have been thinking and feeling a lot recently in regards to the recent attention drawn to suicide, bullying, queerness and youth. i am moved by peoples sudden and long overdue interest. however this is not a new phenomena and the solution is not that we need people to sweep in and save us from ourselves. from where i have been sitting on this subject - as a survivor of multiple attempts and thought of suicide over the years - my feelings as a "throw away" youth - and more currently as the witness/founder of the sent(a)mental studios memorial to LGBTIQA suicides and youth projects - we not only need witnesses that will see the value of us as ourselves... but that will also participate in reflecting that value back to us... AT ALL TIMES. protect us from the bullies, celebrate us in our schools and communities, advocate for uni-sex bathrooms... and don't wait for someone to come out as queer or kill themselves in your community to feel its time to start this process. BE AN ALLY NOW.

so i think about this can that i found... and if everyone would witness it as the beautiful thing that it has become - and stop projecting this idea of it being garbage and less valuable... but to see the value of it as itself.... well, wouldn't that be great.

love to everyone.
dylan