These Mental Health Murals Around NYC Are A Reminder That You Are Not Alone

In 2019, three murals popped up in Brooklyn with a simple yet powerful message—You are not alone.

The mural was created by Samantha Schutz, author of I Don’t Want To Be Crazy and artist Annica Lydenberg, known primarily for Dirty Bandits, to increase mental health awareness. Thus, You Are Not Alone Murals (YANAM) was founded, to which artists and advocates from all over the world have contributed designs and talent. Now, there are now 35 murals across the United States that bear this message of empathy and solidarity.

For this year’s Mental Health Awareness Month, Priority Bicycles and YANAM are teaming up for Priority Delivers in which they are distributing postcards featuring art with the phrase “You are not alone.”

Over 10,000 postcards featuring 9 designs curated from works contributed to YANAM will be delivered by four Priority Bicycles that have been custom painted by YANAM artists. Twice a week during May, volunteer bikers will randomly distribute two postcards to unsuspecting New Yorkers—one to keep and one to pass the message along. The postcards also include contact info for NAMI-NYC who offers free services to help families and individuals affected by mental illness.

Priority Delivers is broadening the reach of the message behind these murals into new communities and recreating the emotions of encountering the murals in person—surprise, feeling seen and connected—but on an intimate scale with one-on-one interaction.

Through both the murals and the postcards, YANAM and Priority Bicycles hope to spark hope, connection, and conversations about mental health and, of course, remind NYers that we are not alone.

NYC’s murals are located at:

• N 12th & Berry Street, Williamsburg
• The William Vale Hotel, Williamsburg
• Hester & Bowery, Chinatown
• 54 2nd Avenue, East Village

Priority Delivers can be found this Friday, May 27, from 2p.m. – 4p.m. at Battery Park.