Dear Andy artwork by Ellawyn Wood
BRITE stands for Building Resilience and Inclusion Through Engagement, and our mission is to promote health and well-being through the arts. BRITE focuses on supporting youth and young adults to create social change around issues they care about.
BRITE is proud to be part of VibeWell Ventura County. Through our on-going VibeWell project, we engage young people in artistic experiences that promote self-expression and well-being. Our goal is to break down the stigma that keeps people from seeking support. Whether through theatre, music, or visual arts, BRITE’s programs give young people space to express what words alone can’t capture while learning about local mental health and wellness resources available in our community.
Spotlight: Dear Andy
One of our art projects asks young people to write a letter to themselves 5 years into the future. Our video “Dear Andy” started as an incarcerated student writing a letter to his future self during one of our Advocacy Workshops held at Providence School. The letter was so moving that we asked Andy if we could create a video with his writing. He agreed but wished to stay anonymous, so we asked a CSUCI student to record the voiceover and paired the recording with inspiring artwork created by a Camarillo High School student. This video is a powerful collaboration between youth and young adults in our community to educate young people about mental health and wellness, reduce stigma, and to promote social justice by changing conversations in our schools and community. Our aim is to shine a light on the real thoughts and feelings of our youth today from all different experiences and perspectives.
Text of the original “Dear Andy” letter:
Dear Older Andy,
You got talent Andy, but you just don’t see it. Growing up people told us we had a lot of potential so why not use it. It’s time to separate yourself from the crowd that always leads you to incarceration so that you can make pops happy. Relationships with friends will be broken but it really doesn’t matter because your relationship with your family will grow stronger. Your family has seen you at your lowest so no matter what your family will always give you that wonderful feeling of unconditional love. Friends have never been true to you so all you can do is shine on them like you were meant to. All I want to tell you is that this beautiful struggle is meant to make you stronger so no matter what keep your head up because there’s always a light at the end of every tunnel. Your unresolved hurt and trauma might never find peace, but you should never put the blame on yourself. Don’t hurt others Andy because you’re hurt, help others so that they don’t get hurt! You need to get sober so that you can pursue your passion. You’re not perfect but we both know that perfect is not what we want to be, so just be you. I hope we work things out with that girl and that everything goes as planned or at least close to good. I also hope that the little ones learn from what you’ve been through. Good luck Andy.
Watch the Dear Andy video here: https://youtu.be/TigG3Tsqj54.
To learn more about BRITE, visit their website: BRITE.