Storied Mind

Isabella at change therapy was kind enough to include me in a list of Brilliant Bloggers, putting me in some very distinguished company. Thank you again, Isabella!

The pleasant but perplexing obligation that comes with the award is to select at least seven additional bloggers to recognize in the same way. Now making choices like this is difficult given how many amazing blogs there are that I find moving, powerful, funny, quirky and always … brilliant! I think of brilliant in its sense of radiant, shining, bright, clear, like bold colors, a dazzling sunny sky, clear ringing music, all making an unforgettable impact. Those get at the quality of experience in reading these blogs. I could name so many others, but here are some of my bright heroes of the blogging mind universe. They are listed in the unavoidable linear array that has nothing to do with rank, serial number or degree of nobility. They are all amazing and great of soul.

So, cybermates, when you receive this post, you might do the following:

1. Add the logo of the award to your blog
2. Add a link to the person who awarded it to you
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs
4. Add links to those blogs on your blog
5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

My Brilliant Blog awards go to:

Stephany of Soulful Sepulchre for her searching narratives, telling of so many confrontations with a broken mental health system, expressing deep love for her daughter, and always full of startling wisdom and poetry.

Merely Me of Merely Me’s Multiple Synchronicities for superb writing and honesty about her struggles with MS and depression and the impact of multiple traumas in her youth.

Untreatable of Untreatable’s Blog for making so real the tortures of Borderline Personality Disorder, depression, PTSD, self harm, among other conditions, and for such honesty in presenting the story of his work of recovery.

Zathyn of A Never Quiet Mind for the eloquent honesty and depth of his probing stories about the impact of suicide, PTSD, self-harm and other conditions, stories always suffused with the energy of a survivor.

Jennifer of Writing to Survive for her clarity of insight, unfailing honesty and always compelling stories about depression, family life, the struggle to find balance and her own path to the future.

Susan of If You’re Going Through Hell Keep Going for her fearless and powerful writing that confronts so bluntly the worst that depression can throw at her, pouring herself into the writing that keeps her alive.

Dano of Mental Motes for a matchless, at times terrifying honesty about the impact of depression, but her reflections and stories are always presented in language that is deeply evocative, moving and lyrical.

Catatonic Kid for her remarkable writing, full of imagination, quirky humor, wisdom and the pain of struggling against depression, using her poet’s mind and sharp wit to run mental circles around that heavy sledge-hammer illness.

Clinically Clueless for her gutsy and completely open searches through the many painful conditions she has had to deal with and for inventiveness in telling her stories through varied media.

Therese Borchard of Beyond Blue for her generosity of spirit, her close examination of faith and the remarkable video posts that hold back nothing and are so rich in spiritual insight.

Thanks so much to these incredible bloggers for continual inspiration. They have helped make my first year of blogging a powerfu experience. And if I’ve inadvertently given this award to a blog that’s already won it, please accept a small tribute anyway and just remember you’re worth more than any award can capture.