Revealing Voices

My sister Suzanne came over this morning to do a recording of a StoryCorps interview.  The focus was on discussing my mental health journey. We touched on faith, advocacy, self stigma, and building trusting relationships.  This is something that I’ve been talking about recording for over a year.  It was good to dig into the StoryCorps app and understand how it works.  It was basically one hour of preparation to understand the app and create questions, then 45 minutes to record (45 minute recording is the max!) Some things that I learned:           The person who is doing the interview has to be the person who has the official StoryCorps account (basically, you can’t record yourself)           There are many prepared questions, but there is also a way to make custom questions           Prepared questions aren’t necessary, but they can help hit on key points (Suzanne ...

We are halfway between the day we committed to starting Revealing Voices and our launch date of March 1.  Some days it feels overwhelming, other days it feels like we’re almost there.  In reality, we are making slow but steady progress.  On “The Show Runner” podcast, there are over 100 episodes that are essentially dedicated to the business of podcasting.  A quick review of the episodes (e.g. “Podcasting Lessons from a Psychotherapist”, “How to Create a MVP (Minimum Viable Podcast)”, “How to Execute Engaging Podcast Interviews”, etc.) demonstrates how much there is to consider in developing a successful show. Side Note: For anyone interested in Indiana University basketball, the co-host Jerod Morris is also the host of “The Assembly Call” podcast about Hoosiers basketball! We are lining up a local photographer and music producer who are friends of mine to help with our logo and show opening/closing.  These are key branding details which we need othe...

Several podcasts touch on mental health. Others bring up topics of faith. None of these offer a faith-based, peer-led perspectives we need and believe others need to maintain wellness. Revealing Voices (RV) will dig deep and share honest stories of ways faith and mental healthcare can work together to promote healing. RV also offers humor. We don't take ourselves too seriously. Like the Apostle Paul on lithium or Sigmund Freund at a week-end revival. Who We Are We are two men with vibrant faith who live with bipolar disorder. Eric earned a B.A. in History and an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship from Indiana University.  His life took an unexpected turn in 2008 when a devastating flood led him to become a community case manager. After the experience, he wrote a book called  Watershed: Service in the Wake of Disaster .   In preparation for the 10-year anniversary of flood recovery, Eric has been asked to co-lead the "Pleasant Grove Project" to turn a flo...

Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. (Ephesians 4:15) 11.16.17 I discussed The MouseDriver Chronicles with Tony. It is a fun account of two MBA graduates leaving school to start a company that imported computer mice from China that were shaped like the head of a golf club driver.  Move over Narnia. Seriously, I described the journal-like quality of Mousedriver to Tony.  It's a raw description of the creative process.   I promised Tony that I would do something similar and start writing a journal of our experience.  I will be revealing Revealing. Our account will capture the escapades of starting a podcast.  I think if I can embrace the mundane and know that it will be heavily edited, I am willing to go through the writing process. Especially since my computer is actually keeping up with my typing speed now. Hallelujah! Tony is an accomplished b...

This post marks the unveiling of a new mission. In March of 2018, a podcast will debut called, Revealing Voices: The Mental Health Podcast That Raises Unanswered Questions and Shares Unanswered Prayers.  My co-host Eric Riddle and I share a firm faith in Christ and we both wrestle with a bipolar disorder. Our show will include stories related to faith and mental illness, news and views in the media, podcast reviews, inspiring quotes and Scripture verses, as well as interviews with folks who have a mental illness, families and loved ones, church leaders, and mental health professionals. Our goal in "Revealing Voices" is to offer hope and break down stigma. It is to reveal the voices of those often silenced. To give voice to revelations often hidden for fear of judgment. And to face honestly what is yet to be revealed to us. Embarking on this mission has required much soul-searching and devotion on our part and we still wonder if we are up to the task. One thing is cl...