TalkingStick

Bridging Mental Health Support for Indigenous Communities

 

TryCycle Data Systems reached out to me to help create a video for TalkingStick, their Indigenous peer support tool. The goal was to tell the story of a platform designed to connect Indigenous and First Nations communities with free, anonymous mental health support. From the start, I knew this project was different—the stakes were incredibly high, and the work needed to feel deeply authentic to earn the trust of the communities it aimed to help.

Client: TryCycle Data Systems
Role: Writer/Director, Creative Director
Creative Collaborators: Cultivator Labs

The Challenge

Indigenous and First Nations communities face significant cultural, historical, and geographical barriers to accessing mental health care. The video’s goal was to foster trust and authenticity, ensuring it resonated deeply with the intended audience while respecting cultural traditions. Missteps could harm trust and prevent the tool from reaching those in need.

The Approach

  • Extensive cultural, historical, and artistic research including the study of Woodland Art.
  • Listened and learned directly from Indigenous community members about the mental health crisis they face.
  • Crafted a script and visual approach that were reverent, informed, and free of appropriation, ensuring the work felt authentically Indigenous.
  • Partnered with Cultivator Content Labs to bring the vision to life.

The Results

The final video was met with powerful feedback from Indigenous community members, who shared that it “felt like us.” Hearing that TalkingStick is successfully connecting with its audience and making a real impact was a deeply humbling outcome.

This project is a testament to the importance of curiosity, humility, and collaboration in creative work. I’m honored to have played a role in helping TalkingStick support those in need.