The Sticky Note Project has begun!

Hello friends!

My goodness, it has been a while! How are you? What's new?

You may have wondered, "Why the heck did Mary fall off the face of the planet?" An excellent question. I have been hard at work on a new initiative, The Sticky Note Project.

The Sticky Note Project (SNP) is an initiative that seeks to eliminate stigmas surrounding mental illness and promote mental wellness in the general population. The SNP creates real and virtual arts-based opportunities in order to enable and further discussion on mental health issues.

To explain the name: remember that cool debut CD I released last September? On the cover, I'm under an umbrella hiding from the storm of sticky notes raining down on me.

Then, when you open up the CD, you get to see what all those sticky notes say: it's all the ideas floating around in our heads, making us feel unworthy, unaccomplished, and unhappy.

Hence, the name. Pretty great, right? And now, I'm sure you want to know how you can get involved!

As it happens, The Sticky Note Project has an event coming up on August 15th in Waitsfield, VT at the Vermont Festival of the Arts called In My Head: A Music and Arts Event on Mental Health. There will be live music throughout the day, as well as paintings, sculptures, and so much more! Additionally, we will have a giant mural made of sticky notes ... submitted by you!

How can you submit? It's easy! Follow these simple steps:

1. Create your own sticky note! The note should be some idea that repeats in your head like a broken record, placed there by society, family, friends, or even just yourself. (ex, "Lose some weight", "Win all the prizes", etc.)

2. Visit thestickynoteproject.com and click on "Submit Your Own Sticky Notes!

3. Take a picture of a sticky note you've made, or make one on your computer. (I recommend using this image as a template if you need one.) Then upload it using the form called "Upload Files".

4. Under "Content", create a title for your sticky note post and give us some background on what meaning the sticky note has for you.

5. Click on "Preview", and if you're happy with your post, click "Send". The post will be up on the site after a short moderation period (usually just a day or so).

We will also happily accept poetry, stories, or drawings, with or without a sticky note.

That's it! Just five easy steps and you can be part of an amazing community art project that takes all that negative energy and turns it into something beautiful. Have fun!