I am nominating You for the Leibster Award because I think you have an amazing blog! Please accept if you’d like and read directions below. ❤ ❤

I have been nominated for the Leibster Award by Moze Pray http://mozepray.com/ I am honored and I thank you so very much!

The rules of this award are:

Here are the rules:

Each nominee must have under 200 followers

Thank and link to the nominating blog

Answer their 10 questions and propose 10 new ones for your nominees

Nominate 10 blogs and tell them that they’ve been nominated

Write a post containing the questions

Include these rules in the post.

Here are the questions Moze Pray sent me and my answers.

1. What would you like to accomplish with your blog?

I would like for other people with mental illness to know that you can survive, live and even have wonderful moments in your life even if you do have a mental illness. Also I want to categorically remove the stigma that exists about mental illness by sharing my stories and bringing them into the light. I want to remove the stigma by not cowering in shame in the dark!

2. How often do you post to your blog?

Almost every day, sometimes less.

3. Do you still read the newspaper?

I don’t read the paper as in paper printed with ink, but I do read the New York Times, and others online.

4. What’s your stance on fighting stigma regarding mental illness?

I absolutely want to fight stigma. I know mental illness can be scary and difficult to understand by people, it is so for us, people who have mental illness as well. But mental illness is really a physical illness of the brain and as such should be talked about, given due consideration, such as sick leave, and people should realize that a person who has mental illness has an illness of the brain. Also for us, the people who have these god awful illnesses, it should not be about being ashamed. Do people who have heart disease or cancer feel ashamed?

5. What is one place you would like to travel to in the world?

Bali. I’ve seen those dome shaped grass pavilions that stand in the ocean. Oh so amazing!

6. Name something odd about yourself that you do.

I stay up till all hours of the night and have a LOT of trouble waking up 😦

7. Do you like photography?

Funny you should ask! I love, love, love to take pictures. Always have my camera with me. In fact my friend was just telling me that for my wake they will pose me with my camera, ready to take pictures, a la New Orleans (they pose deceased people doing their favorite things haha.)

8. Do you have any pets?

I have a cat who is 19.75 years old. She mostly sleeps now but in her heyday, she was a warrior, a hunter, an acrobat and the most loving, protective cat ever!!! Her sister passed away at 18.5 years of age!!! My most beloved Fluffin and Puffin.

9. Mac or Windows?

Oh definitely Mac! I am typing on a MacBook Air right now, while my iPhone and iPad are right beside me on the table 🙂

10. Why did you start a blog?

I wanted to tell my story. I wanted to help others with mental illnesses see that we don’t have to be ashamed. If we tell our stories in the open light of day, then the shame, the stigma, maybe even the dread goes out of them. And we as well as others begin to accept our stories. We help each other with our stories. They give us courage and determination and acceptance and a community.

Here are my 10 questions for the bloggers I nominated:

1) Do you like to read and if so what genre?

2) What is a/the story you’d like to tell?

3) What is your history of mental illness?

4) What is a perfect day for you?

5) What is the hardest thing you’ve done?

6) Do you have kids?

7) What advice would you give to your younger self and what would you say to your older self if you were sitting next to them?

8) Do you like to cook?

9) City or suburbs?

10) Did you go to college and if so what did you study?

I nominate these 10 Bloggers:

https://proudlybipolar.wordpress.com/

http://kittomalley.com/

http://stockdalewolfe.com/

https://bipolardyke.wordpress.com/

https://tiffnvb.wordpress.com/

http://bipolarforlife.me/

https://sexyschizo.wordpress.com/

http://thebipolarmama.com/

https://piecesofbipolar.wordpress.com/

http://takingthemaskoff.com/