I got the privilege to attend an advanced screening of A Star is Born at AMC Northpark in Dallas! The movie stars Bradley Cooper and Lady GaGa and comes out in theaters on out October 5th - I definitely recommend it. It's emotional, funny, and even has some unexpected twists.
After the screening, Bradley Cooper (who also directed the film) spoke to us and answered questions from the audience and it was surreal! I've luckily gotten to work with a lot of celebrities and musicians and he is by far the most famous person I've been around. I blacked out for half of the questions he answered but what I did realize a topic he hit on was the decline of healthy mental health in our society right now. We've lost so many musicians and celebrities within the last year, and especially within the last few months - Avicii, Kate Spade, and Mac Miller to name a few tragedies. And Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers recently posted on Instagram about how he's been battling depression throughout most of his breakout years as a musician, which is probably a surprise to most of us who are long time fans.
Bradley Cooper also touched on the topic of being famous and how it's not all it is cracked up to be. If you see A Star is Born, you will see how Bradley Cooper's character (Jackson Maine) is such a rockstar on stage, but behind the facade, he's a hot mess. I don't want to give too much away, so I won't go more into the story line but it really got me thinking about the lives we portray to other people, and the lives that we are truly living.
As an outsider, we see celebrities, musicians, and even popular Instagram bloggers seemingly have the perfect life and the is not the case. By no means do I think I am a popular or even remotely famous blogger, but even have felt like I've been giving off a facade on social media and it's something I've struggled with. I want to post more outfit pictures, be more engaging with my insta friends and their posts, and feel like part of the fashion community again but it's SO difficult when life gets in the way. Plus, social media isn't always the greatest for our mental health, self confidence, or a positive influence on our lives.
I would say majority of people don't know what I've been through the last few years, which includes a devastating divorce, moving across states, and having incredible anxiety about money and my future. The last 2 years have been the most excruciating ones of my (almost) 30 years of living and it is something I finally feel (somewhat) comfortable opening up about.
Hi hello Bradley Cooper right there |
The series of events in my life that have unfolded in the last two years has left me feeling empty, unloved and not enough. I can't tell you how many nights I've cried myself to sleep, how many days I've been made myself sick from stress, or had my confidence crushed in more ways than one. Thankfully, I have a loving God that sees the best in me and loves me unconditionally so even in my darkest of days, I know the Almighty One loves me immensely. I've now been blessed with an amazing job that I love, an awesome sister to live with in Dallas, and a life that is more than I deserve!
I am no expert in mental health or healthy living but I have certainly had very strong feelings of depression. I've also had friends and loved ones struggle with thoughts or attempts of suicide so the topic of mental health is very close to my heart. I think one of the first steps is talking about it, so whether you have a best friend you can talk to freely, or whether you need to see a counselor or talk to someone at the suicide prevention lifeline, please do! From my experience, talking about thoughts and feelings with someone is what has saved me from myself in some instances. Talk to someone, write it down, take a boxing class - whatever seems fit as a healthy outlet for you!
I would love to start a dialogue about mental health, hear about your stories of strength, or learn about ways you've dealt with stress or anxiety. If you feel like sharing, please email me or leave your thoughts in the comments!
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