Artistic creations not only safely contain suicidal emotion and experience but also offer insight and foster empathy breaking through silence, shame, and stigma. Art reminds us that the journey to healing and resilience is a collective one.
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Creativity illuminates the darkness and helps us transform and transcend.
It was creativity in the midst of emotional pain that initiated what was to ultimately become the Hold On Campaign.
In December 2022, Dr. Diane Kaufman, upon learning of the suicide death of Stephen Boss aka tWitch, wrote the poem, “Heartbreak Times Infinity.” The poem inspired the creation of the “Hold On” song.
The song’s heart-rendering emotion and urgent plea to “hold on” by not acting on suicidal thoughts is powerful. "Hold On" won Best Lyric Song at the Euro Video Song Awards and Gold Award for Original Song at the Paris Film Awards.
The "Heartbreak Times Infinity" poem and “Hold On” song together sparked the launch of the Hold On Suicide Prevention Outreach Campaign.
Creative Offerings
Arts & Healing
Videos
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Poem by: Diane Kaufman, MD
Singer-Songwriter: Annabel Hodges
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Best Original Song at Venice Under the Stars International Film Festival
Best Original Song at Paris Awards Film Festival
Best Original Song at Portland Movie Makers Award aka Portland New Alternative VoicesBest Lyrics at Euro Music Video Awards
Best Lyrics Video at Tracks Music Awards
Best Lyrics at Switzerland Film Festival and Screenplay Competition
Best Music at Ethereal Frames Film & Art Awards
Silver Award Best Original Song at Hollywood Gold Awards
Silver Award Best Original Song at Paris Film Awards
Semi-Finalist Best Original Song at FilmHaus (Berlin, Germany)Semi-Finalist Best Original Song at Lonely Wolf International Film Festival
Finalist Best Original Song at the Rome Music Video Awards
Finalist Best Original Song at Nocturna Festival
Finalist Best Music at Ethos Film Festival
Finalist Best Original Song and Lyrics at Euro Music Video Song Awards
Honorable Mention Best Music Video at Oshima International Film Festival
Honorable Mention Best Lyrics Song at Prague International Music Video AwardsOfficial Selection for Best Original Song at Sydney World Fest
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Poem by: Diane Kaufman, MD
Voice Artist: Naomi Burgess
Animator: Lucia Martinez Rojas
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Conquering Disabilities with Film International Festival for Spoken Word
Greenwood Film Festival for Spoken Word
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Inspired by the "Heartbreak Times Infinity" poem by Diane Kaufman, MD
Singer Songwriter: Shan Carballo
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On Christmas Eve, a chance encounter turned this holiday into a particularly memorable one. I was connected with Diane Leslie Kaufman, MD, through Upwork as she was searching for a singer-songwriter/producer to help her turn her poem into a song. This song however, was not just your ordinary song. It was a song to help others who were in so much mental-emotional pain that they were on the verge of suicide - a song to breathe hope and life back into those who were feeling dismally lost and hopeless. I was so moved by Diane’s project that I dropped everything I had on my agenda and picked up the guitar.
The song literally wrote itself like an automatic download from some higher source and was completed within minutes. I found the process immensely inspiring. As Diane and I made plans for sharing the song to those in need, I realized something in myself. This song gave me as much hope and inspiration as we had intended it to provide to others. As I too had immensely dark times earlier in my life where I contemplated the unthinkable. This song was a reminder that life, like the weather, goes through seasons of change, and even the darkest of times never last. What endures however is the beauty and wonder of our potential as boundless creatures gifted with a life of infinite possibilities.
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Best Song at Helsinki Independent Film Festival
Best Lyric Song at the Euro Video Song Awards
Best Music, Lyric, & Indie Videos at Dona Paulo International Film Awards
Best Singer & Songwriter at Dona Paulo International Film Awards
Gold Award Best Original Song at Paris Film Awards
Gold Award Best Original Song Florence Film Awards
Silver Award Best Original Song at International Gold Awards
Silver Award Best Original Song at Milan Gold Awards
Silver Award Best Original Song at International Gold Awards
Honorable Mention Best Lyrics at Voices Rising Film Festival
Finalist Best Lyrics at Munich Music Video Awards
Finalist Best Music at Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation, and Technology
Semi-Finalist Best Music at International Cosmopolitan Film Festival of Tokyo
Official Selection for REEL Recovery Film Festival & Symposium
Official Selection Best Original Song at New York Movie Awards
Official Selection Best Original Song at Hollywood Gold Awards
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Voice Artist: Shan Carballo
Inspired by the Hold On song by Diane Kaufman, MD and Shan Carballo.
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Inspired by the "Heartbreak Times Infinity" poem by Diane Kaufman, MD
Singer Songwriter: Briana Webber
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Inspired by the "Heartbreak Times Infinity" poem by Diane Kaufman, MD and the "Be Still" song by Briana Webber.
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Poem by: Diane Kaufman, MD
Singer Songwriter: Corenia Yoder
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Best Lyrics at International Sound Future Awards
Best Original Song at Portland MovieMakers Awards
Finalist Lyrics Song at Munich Music Video Awards
Finalist Best Narrative at LNDN Music Video Awards
Finalist Advertising/Lyrics//Original Song at Euro Music Video Song
Official Selection Best Lyrics Music Video at Europe Music Video Awards
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Poem by: Diane Kaufman, MD
Singer Songwriter: Mia Stegner
Arranger & Producer: Raymiah Jackson
Animator: Lucia Martinez Rojas
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Best Music Video Golden Earth Film Award
Best Music Video Advertising (Hope & Healing) at Euro Music Video Song Awards
Best Lyric Video at Tracks Music International Contest
Finalist Best Animation Music Video at International Music Video Awards
Finalist Best Music Video Art Film Awards
Semi-Finalist Best Music Video at Aphrodite Film Awards
Honorable Mention at Golden Lemur International Film Festival
Official Selection Best Inspirational Film at Butterfly International Film Festival
Official Selection Best Original Song & Best Music Video at Golden Lemur Film Festival
Official Selection Best Music Video at ARTS x SDGS Festival
Official Selection Best Music Video at The Film Contest
Official Selection Best Music Video at Cine Fern
Official Selection Best Music Video at Bare Bones International Film & Music Festival
Official Selection Best Music Video Direct Monthly Online Film Festival
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Inspired by the "Don't Give Up" song by Diane Kaufman, MD, Mia Stegner, and Raymiah Jackson.
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Inspired by the children's book, Bird That Wants to Fly, by Diane Kaufman, MD with illustrations by Olya Kalatsei. Opera composed by Michael Raphael and performed by Trilogy: An Opera Company (founder/director Kevin Maynor). The audio only version of the opera includes narration by the actor Danny Glover.