The Good Fight
Stacey Gillespie
Listen to Stacey's podcast by clicking on any of these platforms
When Stacey was six years old, he experienced a deep sadness for the first time. As he navigated the world, depression punctuated his story, woven into chapters about bullying, sexual assault and feelings of isolation that didn’t match the veneer of normal that defined his life to others. As he grew up, he started looking to fight for anything but himself. It wasn’t until he met healthy mentors that he realized what he really wanted was to fight to help others. Before he could do that though, there was an important lesson to learn.
Find out what happened when he realized he had to fight for himself first.
Participant Reflections
The Good Fight
Stacey Gillespie
Each workshop produces a creative participant reflection – a personal take away from the story they just heard – that is voluntarily shared with the wider community.
We believe that personal narratives have the power to connect individuals across socioeconomic boundaries, and that the rich creative ability of our community is the most effective tool we can wield against the stigma that prevents necessary social change.
Featured Artist
The Good Fight
Stacey Gillespie
Lydia Beauregard
The Edge
Only from the womb of darkness
may you find the light.
Do not be ashamed
of the shadows
you have let yourself wander to;
rather,
acknowledge that
you have given yourself the greatest gift:
you have found the edge of your soul!
The ground on which you firmly stand.
You know where to lift from,
you see you are supported!
Now go, look up,
and spring forth from this place of darkness,
each rung on the ladder
bringing you closer
to the edge of the world,
where both edges
shall recognize each other
and explode in merriment,
the particles of wisdom
raining back down upon those below you.
Now,
be ready for others to reach for you.
Hold out your hands,
and welcome those in darkness
as the light has welcomed you.
Featured Student
The Good Fight
Stacey Gillespie
Ira Kochan
2nd year Practical Nursing, Camosun
"My name is Ira and I am in the second year of the Practical Nursing program. The reason why I chose nursing as a career is the ability to support and build special connections with people at different points in their lives.
This past week I had a chance to hear Stacey's story. It was a story about a young person who struggled with a deep feeling of sadness and thoughts about dying since a very young age. Throughout his teenage years, he had some challenges expressing his emotions, finding people who he felt connected to, and he also faced depression, suicidal thoughts, and some violence and sexual abuse, which had a huge impact on the person he is today.
The story impacted me in many different ways. Stacey's story demonstrated the power of the ability to forgive others has on one person's life. Forgiveness allows people to regain their own power and move on in their life without anger or seeking revenge. Stacey's story also reminded me of the many people's voices who are unable to share their stories about their mental health and suicide challenges, and the inability to find people to relate to because of many stereotypes or assumptions that we have about certain groups of people. We need to remember that depression has no face and stop the stigma in the society.
For the future, I understand the importance of people's childhood experiences and their influence on the way we learn to respond to and deal with various life situations. I feel privileged to have an opportunity as a professional to support people in finding their own power and strength within themselves to move forward in their lives. I also understand the importance of remaining free of judgments and assumptions in order to allow people to feel what they feel and to meet them where they are at in their lives because we never know what people are actually going through. "
Community Ally
The Good Fight
Stacey Gillespie
Colin How
Founder, How Creative
“As a child the storyteller had recurring feelings of shame and guilt that led to acts of violence and anger. I think this was a reality in the past and still exists for most boys growing up in a patriarchal society. If more people see this challenge as a societal issue and work on a solution then maybe one day boys won't need to resort to violence to express themselves. Because violent boys grow up to become violent men."