The Clark County Regional Support Network's annual Visions of Recovery Poster Contest aims to promote mental health recovery and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. Research shows that people with a mental illness can and do recover and this display provides an inside look at what recovery can look and feel like to someone with a psychiatric diagnosis or those who love them. All of the entrees were submitted either by individuals with first hand experience with mental illness or their family members. Five top entries were selected through public voting and are available as reproductions free of charge. All 15 original entries are available for public display. If you are interested in hosting a display of the artwork, obtaining a reproduction of one of the winning entries, or in information about future poster contests, please contact: Melanie Green |
| Poster (each poster is a link to a larger image) |
Title |
Message |
Winner |
Big changes | A volcano gives indications that we can observe before a big change happens. When we set goals, we can make small steps that others can see. Recovery is a series of small steps that lead to big changes in our lives. |
Winner |
Flowers on the brain | As a saying goes, I have flowers on the mind, or insane, sadness, sorrow and trauma, drugs, alcohol, ad many other thoughts. To portray this idea I've chosen the physical brain literally and a visual thought that brings comfort beauty and thoughts of love to the mind, "flowers". Everyone relates to nature, especially a beautiful flower. In some of my darkest moments, I've visualized flowers, it brought comfort and a more positive direction in thought. Participating in DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) classes, I've learned to visualize and improve the moment such as "Flowers on the brain". |
Winner |
Leap of hope | In the piece I have created it explains how much "hope" can affect someone. In the piece there is an individual to the left holding up a "question mark". This represents someone lost and out of place in their mind or physically. In the middle is the word "Hope" on a brick wall, the brick representing a huge and tuff obstacle it can be to overcome being outlawed or lost. But with hope and confidence, in the self pretty much anything can be overcome and this explains the individual now to the right in the piece with n exclamation mark showing confidence for what HOPE has brought. |
Winner |
Mending a broken heart |
Recovery for me is mending a broken heart. Recovery was picking up the pieces of a broken life. Recovery is accepting help from friends, my lovers, my parents, strangers, professionals, agencies, God, government, like some strange puzzle. The result is a colorful, interesting and diverse, beautiful trial and error mess. |
Winner |
Transformation |
Recovery & finding who you are really not what you or others had been seeing you as. "The moth (mental state of mind) emerged from the darkness into the light revealing its true self." |
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Even the darkest of times can bring you into recovery | Even the darkest of times can bring you into recovery. The darkness is a representation of feeling angry for the damage caused. The light is a representation of reaching out for help and getting the process in recovery and healing started. |
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Walk away | This poster represents recovery from an addiction. |
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Hope | My message basically is to show that there is hope out there if you look inside of yourself and find it. |
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Faith and hope | There's always light at the end of the tunnel. |
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Recovery is heavenly so | Out of the muck and despair into clear skies is recovery, heavenly so. Recovery is possible. I have been in recovery for years with the right meds, (managing meds well/counselor/prescriber/support groups) Out of the fog of despair is self discovery and discovery of the world around you. Getting to know others is a joy. It shows rising above the muck of despair (depression, anxiety, so on) to clear skies of your mind to live a happy life. |
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Everyday there is recovery and hope! | In recovery I have hope everyday! "Do not give up your hopes and dreams and keep on trying and keep on going in your life!" |
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With counseling there is hope | Before counseling I could hardly get along or smile. Through counseling at Columbia River Mental Health with Yuan Bai, Dr. Perlstein, RN Sandra Noonan, and Jared Tomohlen, I have learned coping skills needed to communicate, work, get transportation, exercise, and eating proper. So, I can succeed and live a better life. This is the answer to my prayers. |
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A glimpse of the mountain | It mimics memories in my mind about resurrection strength in our minds of victory and hope. Prayer and the moments of great creations. Intunement with Earth and God and when endangered, safety from all social insecurity. Honesty and effort and a balance of strong works. |
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Island in the sun | Recovery to me means being in a healthy relaxed state of mind. I decided to show this literally with a brain. To me an island in the sun is a relaxing place. |
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Recovery | Recovery is a way you choose to live. My path was to write a poem. My recovery is happening in so many ways. |
