Creating Space Los Angeles hosted a groundbreaking community mental health event earlier this month in collaboration with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and Rideback Rise.
Over 200 individuals congregated for a five-hour guided mental health session at Rideback Ranch, a creative campus and performance space in LA’s historic Filipinotown. Participants engaged in art and talk therapy, journaling, guided meditation, and an audience Q&A with a distinguished panel of AAPI figures.
The why, who, and need for Creating Space
Fashion designer Phillip Lim founded and co-hosted the initiative to address critical mental health gaps in the AANHPI community following an inaugural event in July at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.
“We are self-healing creations—we just need to make space to realize it. If you don’t have space, you cannot observe, cannot reflect, cannot create and cannot heal,” Lim said. He aims to destigmatize mental health and encourage Asian Americans to embark on crucial first steps in their own health journeys.
Co-hosts Lisa Ling, a renowned journalist and Melvin Mar, a film producer best known for his work on hit shows Fresh Off The Boat and American Born Chinese joined Lim. Dr. Jenny Wang, a clinical psychologist and author of Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health as Asian Americans, facilitated panel and Q&A discussions.
“Asian American identity has always been in evolution. In the context of mental health, our community is currently in a struggle for reclamation and rebirth,” Wang said. “We are working to shed the stigmas of the past that kept us from accessing the growth and healing that our current and future generations deserve.”
Creating Space for everyone
Despite the glossy L.A. venue and high-profile names, the event was not exclusive. Creating Space aimed to extend its reach beyond specific industries, attracting individuals beyond entertainment and AAPI…
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