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Unsung Extraordinary Hero - Glenn Marsden putting life and heart into Mental Health



The definition of a HERO based on author, Jeff Sanderfer is someone who shapes events, who acts rather than watches, who is creative and brave."(1). When I think of an Unsung Extraordinary Hero, I think of the creator and director behind the highly acclaimed Imperfectly Perfect Campaign. This man epitomizes action, shaping culture - social values, creativity and innovation in his approach to put life and heart into Mental Health.

As I sit pensively waiting for that moment to connect with none other than Yorkshire born, Glenn Marsden, I explore the world of Imperfectly Perfect Campaign.org.  When you launch the web page, one is immediately intrigued by the stories and pictures that resonate a truth.  Instantly you see unfiltered real photographs of influential public figures. The faces bear the grief and hardship of mental illness. These people live amongst us with voices that are neither yelling or screaming but talking, rather frankly and poignantly about their battle. We are not talking about soldiers, but everyday people from all walks of life - rich, poor, destitute, incapacitated, incarcerated, left standing by themselves fighting a dis- ease that is no respecter of where you belong or who you are.  

With a pang of emotion, I quickly regain my composure eager to see the face who is behind the scenes of such a dynamic thought provoking campaign. Who has enough courage and confidence to encapsulate such a heroic journey?  He would not say he is a hero or represent the face such a life changing endeavour.  With a bright, cherrie hello and a cup of tea, Glenn Marsden appears on the screen.


With an unassuming look and humble demeanor Glenn elicits a conversation where we exchange stories about our lives and journeys.  Part of Glenn's story tells of loosing someone to suicide.  If you understand the deem dark dense decay that experiencing a death creates in our soul, you will know the journey it takes to get back.  What is, may I say,  enduring and impressive about Glenn, is that he took his grief and created a passion for Mental Health Awareness and Education.

His grief took an exposay of photographs. These refined pieces of photography as Glenn mentions in his why, were "the very essence of these stigma’s attached to mental health through a single image to create an emotion in people to take action, ..."(2). Lets revisit my reaction, I felt the grief, pain and emotion of what I saw.  This culmination of the capturing the essence of the moment coupled with the story is innovation at its peak.  Why? It does the very thing Glenn is aiming to achieve.

Glenn's message is really simple, his drive is to educate our children and future generations about Mental Health Awareness without the prevalent stigmas we see today.  We do not need to suffer in silence or silently any more.  The time is now to stand up or sit down and have a conversation, raise awareness. As Glenn so aptly put it on his website, "We are thankful for the support. The more it is spoken about the more awareness we are raising."(3)

Through media on his website ImperfectlyPerfectCampaign.org Glenn captures stories through the written word, photography and film.  There aren't words enough to describe the emotions that will surface.  Admittedly I have tried to but it will not resonate sufficiently. You have to experience it for yourself one word, one photograph, one frame at a time.




To contact  Imperfectly Perfect about how you can give, support and raise awareness please email them at info@imperfectlyperfectcampaign.org.



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(1) 1. A Field Guide for the Hero's Journey - inspirational classics and practical advise from a serial entrepreneur and entepreneurial priest. Introduction, Page VI, Paragraph 2, 
(2) The Campaign: My Why, 4th Paragraph. https://www.imperfectlyperfectcampaign.org/campaign
(3) Imperfectly Perfect: Press: SubHeading Text  https://www.imperfectlyperfectcampaign.org/press

 
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