We love LA, and that's no secret here at Life Clothing Co. LA is the city where people pack up their lives into small suitcases and start a new one with hopes and dreams only this city can offer. Whether near or far, our clothing can impart a piece of the lifestyle into your wardrobe.
However, we'd like to take it a step further from time to time and give you a taste of some of the happenings in our home city. This past week we attended the newly minted WE RISE Festival. Now, this isn't your typical "festival" with girls in face jewels and ten people fighting over a water-filling station before the next set comes on. Instead, this is an occasion where artists, musicians, health experts, and city leaders come together to engage in conversation about mental health.
WE RISE
Mental health has garnered a lot more attention as of late. Many Instagrammers, bloggers, and others in the spotlight have shared their experience with anxiety, depression, amongst others. Yet, it can feel like there's still a stigma attached to it. That's what WE RISE hopes to change.
WE RISE states that they are "A 10-day pop-up immersive experience that brings together LA's diverse community to explore our collective power to live lives of purpose and engagement. Through powerful programming, performances, immersive workshops, and a world-class art exhibition, we seek to embolden individuals and families to find help, reach out to help others and demand systemic change in order to address the critical need for early intervention, treatment, and care for mental wellbeing."
Art speaks
While this can seem like a heavy topic at times, there were so many unique events that fostered a sense of positivity and togetherness. From "Radical Body Love Yoga" to a discussion on "The Healthy Grind: Balancing The Hustle," to a screening of "Heaven is a Traffic Jam on the 405" to the rooftop AfroHaus Brunch, WE RISE utilized art both in physical and spoken form to provoke thoughts and discourse.
Many pieces in the art exhibition seemed to speak to Millennials and Gen Z who are having to come to terms with growing up and the complexities of navigating that "loss of innocence."
Navigating adulthood is no easy feat, and it's natural to feel nostalgic for a simpler time without the constant barrage of notifications, news updates, and over-connectedness.
1-800-Connect, Chase @theartofchase
This artist paints old LA pay phones as an homage to the days before cellphones. He says "I feel pay phones represent a certain time period that was free and innocent in certain ways, without the constant distractions that keep us from being fully present in the moment.
Social media has been instrumental in many positive aspects of our culture. On the other hand, it has been a culprit in the rising rates of mental and social disorders, which is why it was a focus at the festival.
Artist Dana uses figures and diagrams that illustrate the correlation between social media and loneliness and other poignant topics surrounding burgeoning adulthood.
WE RISE hopes to normalize the conversation about mental health and give people the tools to care for themselves and others while giving people a voice through art and other means of expression. Stay tuned to see our next update on what's happening in LA.