Mental Health Awareness Week: Anna Dellaria
I met Anna Dellaria last year in LA. I connected so much with her story and her songs. Three days ago, she sent me her new music video for her song "Break Me Down", a record that touches on mental health. I didn’t have to watch to know it was going to be something I will deeply connect with. This music video and this song made me cry. I am truly thankful to know artists like her. She's not afraid to express her vulnerability and her emotions in her songs. She’s inspiring and empowering, brave and beautiful. We need more of that in this world, especially right now.
I keep hearing artists saying things like "I want to make people feel less alone with my music". Sometimes it sounds so cliché because everybody says it, but it's true (most of the time). Music is so powerful and can make a positive impact. And it's even more true when artists like Anna releases something that personal, poignant and real. In fact, I don’t believe this song/video was released for the sake of getting more likes, streams, followers and views - it’s here to share an important message. Knowing we have records like "Break Me Down" is making me feel less alone and I know it’s also helping others.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
As the world is going through these challenging times, Anna released a music video directed by Anthony Sugarmann, starring the incredible dancer Emily Figueroa.
“I had my first depressive episode after graduating college; Everything felt… numb. I didn’t recognize myself, who I was in my relationships, and my will to work had disappeared. I tend to “ride things out” so I thought if I waited long enough it’d just pass. It didn’t. The process of finally reaching out for help was so much more vulnerable than I would’ve guessed. “Break Me Down” was written right before I finally did just that. At the time, I had no idea why I felt so unlike myself or how I’d get through it, but I made a vow not to let this darkness define me. Strangely enough, I think the world is experiencing a similar feeling amongst COVID. This invisible darkness has pushed us into a paralyzing state of uncertainty & loss of connection. My hope is that “Break Me Down” unites us - alone together - in recognizing our resilience as a human race. Although we may be unsure of where we’re headed, we too can vow to rise + uplift in the face of uncertainty: To not allow this time to rob us of our identities, but embellish them with new layers of strength," expresses Anna.
As you know, mental health is a very important topic to me. I know these feelings of depression, anxiety and loneliness all too well and I want to do my best to help people feel less alone, not just today - but every day.
Today marks the first day of Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme for this week is kindness.
So I asked Anna to record a little message :) Thank you so much Anna for this message, for “Break Me Down” and thank you for what you do.