On May 16th, 2024, I sent an email to a production company with an idea about a podcast exploring mental health stigma in a diverse variety of faith communities. Twelve months later I completed a six part limited documentary series streaming on all platforms. Sometimes the creative process was life giving. However, I am a recovering addict with a diagnosis of bipolar type 1 and I was certainly my worst critic. This is the story of my creative journey in making the Our Stigma Podcast.
Imagine me, alone in an Airbnb in Pittsburgh, after a long day at a conference and after a chance meeting with a podcast producer. I neurotically and obsessively crafted these words late one night:
“Dear Mitch, Interestingly, prior to my trip to Pittsburgh, I developed a podcast pitch. This project was sparked by my recent feature on MPR’s Minnesota Now. After my interview, I noticed a surge in bookings for my faith and mental health workshops as well as speaking engagements. My recent work has struck a nerve.
I see a developing need for mental health education and dialogue in local faith communities. I would like to discuss the possibility of a limited six episode 22 minute documentary podcast exploring the intersection of faith and mental health. The project would feature a variety of voices, identities, cultures, religions and experiences in the Twin Cities Metro. Please let me know if your team would consider receiving my pitch.”
I never expected them to say yes, but they did. To anyone out there in recovery— Whether from addiction, a mental health condition, or anything else that ails you: If you’re getting your feet back on the ground, shoot your shot at every chance you get.
Over the past two years, since going public with my mental health diagnosis as a pastor, I have sent numerous emails to news outlets, production companies, publishers, literary agents, magazines, and producers. An overwhelming number of these queries receive no response. Some get rejected. However, a slim minority end up getting a positive reply. I am proof that you should never give up.
If you’re getting your feet back on the ground, shoot your shot at every chance you get.Sometimes, I have to be careful for what I wish for. Addiction and mental health content creation is an extremely crowded market. The lived experience of mental health and addiction is all about telling your story. In my 15 years in recovery, I’ve heard a lot of stories. As more people gain confidence in recovering out loud, more podcasts, memoirs, blogs, and social media accounts are created. This past year of creating has been plagued by self-doubt—wondering if I could actually make something original. Somehow, I overcame the barriers I put in front of myself.
I discovered a solution to my inner critic. Just start creating! I carefully crafted and planned the six episode summary and overview on paper. I researched community partners and organizations in the Twin Cities Metro. As I drove in my car I was constantly mulling over how I could tell the stories that were out there. I started listening to other content in the genre I was going to create. Any spare moment I had over the past twelve months was given to discerning how this podcast was going to come together. Finally, pieces of the script were formed on some Google docs that I shared with the producer.
The first day I recorded audio for this project was both a relief and a burden. “Great,” I thought, “Now I’ve recorded 2% of my podcast, and none of it is edited, mixed, or assembled in any way.”
Multiple times over the course of this year, I hit creative walls where I wanted to give up. A major creative crisis came when I listened to the first edited segment. I quickly listed a host of problems such as: I don’t like the sound of my own voice, no one will listen to this, I’m never going to finish and this whole thing is a waste of time. Little did I know, this was all part of the creative process—it just felt amplified by my mental health condition.
Overcoming the creative crises I faced in this project happened gradually—one small step at a time. Momentum was the main factor. Many folks that live with a mental health diagnosis, particularly folks like me who live with bipolar disorder, often struggle when they get caught in a loop of anxiety and procrastination. I cannot count how many times I hit a creative wall and retreated to the couch. Every single time I was stuck I found one way out of the rut. I did one thing. I completed one task. Pretty soon I had shaken off the rust and I was creating again.
Since October 2024, I have interviewed people in rural communities, African American communities, East African communities, Indigenous communities, and Hmong communities. Each person I spoke with shared their unique perspective on mental health and addiction recovery. We discussed and compared how cultural and religious stigma affected us within our respective backgrounds. All of these stories were then carefully edited, compiled in one place, and released for Mental Health Awareness Month. It was a journey with many highs and lows—but it was worth it.
If you are in recovery, have a mental health diagnosis, are a trauma survivor, or are a caregiver, there will be times when your mind—or your circumstances—tell you that you’re not enough, or that you can’t create something new or ambitious. It is my hope that this article gives you hope that you can try new and ambitious things. Many people like us will hit the creative wall and not envision something on the other side. However, I am excited to tell you that many amazing things await you if you give it enough time.
The Our Stigma Podcast is streaming on all major platforms. Find all the links at ourstigma.com.
Seth Perry (he/him/his), an ELCA Pastor, devotional blogger, and mental health recovery educator, embraces his journey of living well with Bipolar Type 1. He works to reduce stigma where faith, mental health, and personal growth intertwine. Pastor Seth currently serves Elim Lutheran Church in Scandia, MN. His website is: www.ourstigma.com.