I am excited about this month’s DBSA Positive 6 cartoon. I really like this cartoon and I think it’s the funniest cartoon to date. If you’re not sure what the +6 is, please read over The DBSA “Positive Six Campaign” blog post. Then check out JUNE: Positive Change Challenge and the JULY – Give It a Try Challenge cartoon.

Once you’re caught up, you will understand this cartoon more and each month’s challenge after this one. So, here is August’s cartoon for the DBSA, and the challenge is: to make new friends.
New Connections Challenge

Reach out to four (+4) individuals this month to make a small gesture (start a conversation with someone you’d like to cultivate a friendship with. phone call, email, note, etc.) connect with a new friend or acquaintance….or reconnect with an old one you’ve lost touch with.

I’m going to make my NEW CONNECTIONS by visiting each of Psych Central blogs and then trying and leave a valuable, coherent comment. That is my goal this month. Why not come and join me for some blog hopping?  Check out the links below.

Chato’s Going Blog Hopping – Come Join Me and Visit Some of My Favorite Blogs.

Addiction Recovery
(Day visited: 8/9/12 Left a comment: 5 Therapies To Try Before Giving Up On Recovery – Retweeted post @

#BlogHopping @psychcentral: 5 Therapies To Try Before Giving Up On Recovery psych.ly/M9jXuI

— chatobstewart (@chatobstewart) …

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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.