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 over 50 murals across the United States that bear this message of empathy and solidarity.
Last year for Mental Health Awareness Month, Priority Bicycles and YANAM teamed up for Priority Delivers in which they distributed postcards featuring art with the phrase “You are not alone.”
Over 10,000 postcards featuring 9 designs curated from works contributed to YANAM were randomly distributed unsuspecting New Yorkers by volunteers. The postcards included contact info for NAMI-NYC who offers free services to help families and individuals affected by mental illness.
Through both the murals and various initiatives, YANAM hopes to spark hope, connection, and conversations about mental health and, of course, remind NYers that we are not alone.
You can find NYC’s mental health murals at:
- Hester & Bowery, Chinatown
- 54 2nd Avenue, East Village
- 19 Fulton Street, The Seaport
- 409 McGuinness Blvd, Brooklyn
- The William Vale Hotel, Williamsburg
- N 12th & Berry Street, Williamsburg
- 109 Wilson Avenue, Bushwick
- 11-98 Welling Court (Welling Court Mural Project), Queens
- 48-01 38th Street, Queens
- Jerome Ave & Clinton Place, The Bronx
You can learn more on their website here.