Thank you Steve and Brandalyn for opening our eyes to the true story of mental illness. God has given you a story to tell and thank you for being so brave and obedient and doing it so well.

From Adriana Bravo, Tornillo TX Im speechless, she is so smart no one would have thought if we had an encounter with her yet she is so, so brave for putting herself out there. I am here wondering why you were not in my path at another time of my life, I think I took you for granted I could have learned so much from you. I did not know how big you were and believe me before I had read and seen this work you were already one of the most influential persons in my life.

This was great!! Very courageous And honest Brandi. I learned so much about mental illness just from this. I love how you embraced this illness and helped others You've always been a friend...much respect, TLV

Your story touch me to my core! Well done my dear friend. By Sharing your story I hope that more people gain more understanding about mental illness! Thank you for sharing your story with the world!!! Your friend always '

Great job. Congratulations for the courage, insight and gift of articulation. Visually expressive as well. Ursula

I was blown away by the clarity and cohesiveness of this video's message and its seamless expression through voice, music and visuals. This piece is sincere and courageous. The very existence of this project is evidence of the way she has already enriched our lives through her work, patience and witness. I've gained a better understanding of the nature of mental illness and its prevalence in our society. Isolation is not an acceptable default. Thank you and congrats to Steve Morris, also, for a thoughtful and inviting production.

Beautiful & poignant. The honesty of this film brought me to tears. A truthful and dignified explanation of a brave woman.

Beautifully done. This is nothing short of real, raw and very inspirational. This gives a look straight into what mental illness really is and helps to fight the stigma society has placed on it and those who suffer. As a sufferer of mental illness myself and from growing up around those suffering from it, I'm so appreciate of this brave, beautiful human sharing her story and spreading truth. When we share our story, we not only heal ourselves but we help others heal. Thank you!

Absolutely incredible. Such brutal honesty and delicate vulnerability. This is mental illness. Life in all its complexities and intricacies - painfully beautiful. Bravo to Brandlynn for her strength, compassion and perseverance. Thank you for airing this!

I really appreciated the message Brandalyn shared on the video. It is a message that takes alot of courage to share and it also a message that needs to be heard by many people. Thanks for making us more informed and I hope less judgemental. Thanks to Steve and the studio for the production.

This video brings a very well produced story that would engage so many to help them understand about mental illness. Traverse City is not immune to this conflicted disease and would benefit from a program to inform.

Very excellent and important presentation! We all need a more clear understanding of these issues. Very few of us know much about mental issues and Brandelyn's presentation helps put a calm and sane approach to a very complex and misunderstood topic. Thanks for putting the program together for all to see and hear. Joe & Marilyn Dressel

Very sensitively and powerfully said, Brandolyn. I can never know your struggle, but I have a deeper appreciation for you as a person. The video work was beautifully created, Steve. It moved through Brandolyn's life story providing emotion, strength and depth. I'm glad you left the trailer on the end; it gave me a sense of real-time transition.

Brilliant! Another excellent piece of work by SM. So many good points are made in this show; should be required watching for anyone interested in mental health. So proud to have this giant of a woman, human being, in our community. Show ties with the TC Human Rights Commission's educational forum on mental health issues May 9, 2017 at the TC/GTC Gov. Center, 400 Boardman, TC 49684 7pm-8:30pm Free Everyone welcome! Big thank you! Susan Odgers

This was stunningly insightful and informative, not only in explaining cognitively the issues of mental illness - what it is and what it is not - but also exemplifying the gifts of one who is given this special gift, and who shares it so patiently yet firmly with those who watch this film. This is an act of love of Brandalyn, first by herself in inviting us to know her, and second by Steve, her husband and filmmaker, in giving us all glimpses of the woman he finds so natural to love. His use of two complementary modes of exposition, the first meandering and childlike and the second linear and authoritative was, I thought wonderfully effective. Bravi! And kudos to UpNorth Media for being an incubator of such talent as these two.

Wonderful! What wisdom, courage, and love this took to produce. Let us hope this goes nationwide along with awards to Steve for his production.

We'll done. This is a very informative, first hand look, at a world that we intermingle with daily, and that most of us know nothing about. Thank you Brandylin for sharing your story with us!

This is so very heartwarming and true and you, B, are an inspiration to so many by opening up. Well done! Much love and light to you

The story behind this short docu project is that I just didn't want it to be a talking head sort of thing. So we had to film it in out of the studio both summer and winter at the civic center-- because we had no car and could only carry the equipment so far. A playground seemed a fitting backdropor we made it fit. But after we filmed some of the playground captures in winter, they tore down the playground because of the lead in the paint that was used in building it. Thus, the swingset, just a ways away, up close, in the following summer. It's more narrative than camera work, of course, but trying to excuse the sound difference was a problem. It didn't jive because of needing a studio voice-over track with all the wind in the mic at the swingset. So I used the speech and an out-take to compensate/kind of explain without outright saying so. As is typical with what I do, the words matter as much as the visuals. Brandalyn's story is the story of manyand an important one, one not given what we both felt was much needed attention and understanding. These details in communicating the story just seemed important. The editing is flawed, but the message should not be. Understanding mental illness is like trying to comprehend the incomprehensible. What can be an answer is like trying to nail jelly to a wall; it is like trying to cure war and all ills still prevalent in our modern world. What is being asked is to not separate mental illness from the rest when it is convenient for a current event or news story.