Writing to Heal
Fall 2016 | By Paige Wilson
If you could write a letter to your younger self, what would you say?
Ryan Skaryd 麻豆精品 S�15 used this writing prompt to change his students 麻豆精品 S� view of mental illness. Through a UCF Literary Arts Partnership with Wraparound Orange, an Orange County agency that supports families with youths with mental health issues, the 23-year-old creative writing graduate student spent 12 weeks this summer teaching students ages 18 to 25 the craft of storytelling.
麻豆精品 S淢ental illness is a chronic illness that doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 end … There is no cure for mental illness, but there is treatment. And we can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait until it 麻豆精品 S檚 too late to start treating. 麻豆精品 S�
Terry Ann Thaxton 麻豆精品 S�93 麻豆精品 S�95MA
That age is a crucial time to help students deal with major life transitions, which can trigger mental illness, says Terry Ann Thaxton 麻豆精品 S�93 麻豆精品 S�95MA, a creative writing professor who has been organizing similar literary partnerships since 2003.
麻豆精品 S淢ental illness is a chronic illness that doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 end, 麻豆精品 S� Thaxton says. 麻豆精品 S淭here is no cure for mental illness, but there is treatment. And we can 麻豆精品 S檛 wait until it 麻豆精品 S檚 too late to start treating. 麻豆精品 S�
The topic is personal for Thaxton. She was raised with a brother who is intellectually disabled and has a 36-year-old son who lives with Asperger 麻豆精品 S檚 syndrome, major depressive disorder and severe anxiety.
Thaxton knew Skaryd was well-equipped to teach these summer classes because of his professionalism and his willingness to discuss his own struggles, including being a caregiver for a family member.
Skaryd 麻豆精品 S檚 secret for reaching students is simple: honesty.
麻豆精品 S淎 lot of my reading examples are people聽who are brutally honest about their mental health journey, whether that 麻豆精品 S檚 with obsessive compulsive disorder or [something] as simple聽as anxiety [about school], 麻豆精品 S� Skaryd says.
One of his students initially wanted to write about a family member, but by the end of the summer session, she turned in a diary-style piece exploring her own mental health instead.
麻豆精品 S淪he tracked down her thoughts about depression and self-image in a really relative tone, 麻豆精品 S� Skaryd says.
麻豆精品 S淸These students] can write freely and fearlessly without being judged about anything that they go through, 麻豆精品 S� he continues. 麻豆精品 S淏ecause at the end of the day, other people are going through the same thing, if not very similar. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淥nce I say what I 麻豆精品 S檝e written about and what I 麻豆精品 S檝e experienced, it really changes the dynamic, and the students will share more in their writing … They 麻豆精品 S檒l read more out loud [and] they 麻豆精品 S檒l be more honest. 麻豆精品 S�
Kristi DiLallo 麻豆精品 S�13
Thaxton 麻豆精品 S檚 influence extends to former facilitator Kristi DiLallo 麻豆精品 S�13 as well, who is using creative writing to help young women in Rikers Island prison. Through a program with the Center for Justice at Columbia University, where she recently earned an MFA, DiLallo is teaching inmates to have open conversations about perseverance.
DiLallo is no stranger to the prison system.聽 At the age of 6, she stepped into a jail to visit her incarcerated parents. (Her mother remains in prison.) This used to be a source of shame for her, but now she 麻豆精品 S檚 using her story to help others tell theirs.
Her students tend to underestimate DiLallo at 铿乺st 麻豆精品 S� suggesting that she 麻豆精品 S檚 privileged and unable to relate. But she 麻豆精品 S檚 found that transparency is key in getting through to them.
麻豆精品 S淥nce I say what I 麻豆精品 S檝e written about and what I 麻豆精品 S檝e experienced, it really changes the dynamic, and the students will share more in their writing, 麻豆精品 S� DiLallo says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檒l read more out loud [and] they 麻豆精品 S檒l be more honest. 麻豆精品 S�
As a teenager, DiLallo used her own life as inspiration for fiction, but never shared her writing until her first teaching position through UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Literary Arts Partnership program.
During her junior year, she partnered with Orange County Academy in Bithlo, Florida. More than half the class had at least one incarcerated parent, but the students didn 麻豆精品 S檛 know DiLallo 麻豆精品 S檚 story. After a helpful nudge from Thaxton, DiLallo gained the courage to read her story to the students, who responded with tears and hugs.
麻豆精品 S淚t was such an amazing moment for me when I realized that teaching is so important, and telling my story is important, and so is getting these kids to tell theirs, 麻豆精品 S� says DiLallo. 麻豆精品 S淎nd if this is how I have to do it then I 麻豆精品 S檒l totally go in on the first day and tell people that this is my story, and that it 麻豆精品 S檚 time for you to write yours. 麻豆精品 S�
Illustration by Kirk Wallace