What an AWESOME 2010 Mental Health Awareness Month Cartoon-a-thon!!!  First, I want to thank all the heroes from the bottom of my heart for being brave enough to let me draw them!!! We had so many Mental Health Heroes, I felt bad I was only able to draw 31.  I want to “thank” all the heroes for their support and for making this cartoon-a-thon such a success!!!  (Keep up the great work all Heroes…you make a difference!!!)  As I mentioned in past posts, I only started teaching myself to draw caricatures over the last year.  Mostly, from online resources and a few books.  I did take an hour class once but it was real basic; plus an hour drive.

Let’s review the month.  It started out in Chicago at the 2010 DBSA’s 25th Anniversary Conference.  I was given an opportunity to be in attendance to some incredible lectures and workshops.  The event started out on April 28th with DBSA 2010 Chapter Leadership Forum, affectionately called “The Party With Our Peers.” My three biggest personal highlights (besides just attending).. attending Scott Nychay’s art therapy workshop…(He is a fellow cartoonist and Illustrator…well, there is a huge difference between our art styles… He is a professional.  I’m just a guy with a pen and some paper. Still, I hope the he and I can work together on a future mental health project!!)  The second and third highlights were finally meeting David Granirer – in person that is!! (He leads the Annual DBSA Comedy Show.)  My biggest personal achievement…being a last minute stand-up comic in the Stand-Up For Mental Health Comedy show.

What an Awesome week at the the DBSA 25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago!!! The Eaglewood Golf Resort and Spa was a bit Bipolar… It had its ups and downs! One of the ups I loved was my room!

Getting to it was another thing.  I had to walk the distance of 4 football fields just to get to my room! No kidding… FOUR!  I should have known cause a lot of other guests were upset, too.  Walking across the nicely trimmed green grass, I kept hearing other resort guests yell FOUR!  I mean, they were really mad… They even HAD CLUBS in their hands!!!

Anyway, the conference had so much going on that for a few moments, I had to take a “time out” of an event and just relax in my room.  Fear not, I will be posting a LOT of my highlights, videos, photos, and other unwanted stuff, here on my blog.

Going along with that, I wanted to share with you some photos taken by a few of my friends at the event.

Last night for the VERY first time in my life, here in Chicago “celebrating” the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance’s 25th year of peer support, I did STAND-UP comedy!!!.

I want to thank David Granirer from Stand-Up for Mental Health for giving me a chance to bomb.  I had 24 hours to write a set of jokes about living with mental health.  All the other students had a three month course that Dave does with them to work out their jokes.

Still here in Chicago “celebrating” the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance’s 25th year of peer support.  It’s the last night of  the conference.  I have so much information.  I’ve gone to so many lectures, breakout sessions and Key Note addresses –  my brain is about to melt!

Last night, I went down to watch the David Granirer rehearsal for Stand-Up for mental health comedy night.  Saw about 9 people getting  ready for tonight’s performance.  I wanted to participate but, the class was full.  So, I asked if I could just watch.  While I sat there,  I started to write a few jokes down.  Then as the rehearsal was ending, I asked Dave if I could do a set.

The day is over and now let me give you a quick review of the Chapter Leadership Forum.

Here is my Chapter Leadership Forum Evaluation.

DBSA Chato Stewart Stand-Up For Mental Health 2010

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[DBSA] 2010 Conference with Mental Health Humor’s Chato B Stewart. April 28th Flight Plan