When it comes to mental health, community and creativity are key. That was the focus of Saturday's Arts and Health Day at Franklin Park in Bloomington, sponsored by the City of Bloomington's Cultural Commission.
"Arts and health are not separate," said Angelique Racki, vice-chair of the Cultural Commission for the city. "Art is health because it contributes to your freedom of expression."
This is the second annual Arts and Health Day, but the first to take place in Franklin Park. Last year, the day was rained out and had to move inside. This hurt turnout.
The event is part of a nationwide movement, said Faisal Rashid, chair of the commission. Bloomington is the 20th city to join.
When people think about mental health, Rashid said, they often think first of medication and anxiety.
"...which is normal," he said. "But if you show them different types of ways you can cope with health — exercise, painting, coloring — it does make a difference. And that's what we're trying to promote. It's not just a Cultural Commission event. This is something that we want to build a community around so that everyone else can get involved."
The event featured art stations, exercise activities and energizing music. Health related vendors included Chestnut Health Systems, Carle Health and the Center for Youth and Family Solutions. There were also arts and other wellness-related vendors, such as Normal NOW, Darling Threads Crochet, the Bloomington Public Library and others.
Racki said community and collaboration are key.
"Events like this, where we bring everyone together at Franklin Park, and invite the community, they get to see — and feel, and mingle with, and play with, and create with local entities that they may need, or they might know someone who might need, or they might need in the future."
Racki said this helps people know which organizations to reach out to when they need help, and cuts down on feelings of isolation.
"Especially in this community," she added, "where it seems as though everything that we need as humans right now is siloed."
Kalyn Patterson was there representing the Center for Youth and Family Solutions as the nonprofit's community relations manager.
"We serve kiddos zero to 21 who have big emotions," Patterson said. "We get them and their families connected to resources in the community, we provide crisis intervention, we do kind of like those clinically based supports and services."
Patterson said getting out in the community is key to understanding what mental health services are needed. These kinds of family-friendly events are crucial.
In her role at the Center for Youth and Family Solutions, she aims to learn what might be keeping people from receiving the mental and behavioral health they need. She also tries to include the perspective of rural McLean County residents and those in marginalized communities, as they may experience different barriers to access.
"That way, professionals like me and others are able to expand services to really meet the needs," she said. "Meet people where they are and walk alongside them on their mental health journey."
The Franklin Park community was appreciative of the event.
"I like supporting our community," said Caitlin Clyne, who visited with her three-year-old daughter Annie and five-month-old son, John. "This event is happening almost in our backyard, so we decided to walk over with our kids."
Clyne said she was glad to participate in an event to "bring the community together and bring our neighborhood together."
