The Green Phoenix
Empowering creativity, connection, and self-expression through art.
Fighting the Darkness
A Community Conversation on Suicide Prevention and Mental Health
Fighting the Darkness is an annual in-person event dedicated to suicide prevention awareness and mental health. Through a moderated panel discussion and visual art exhibition, the event creates space for open dialogue, reflection, and community connection.
First established in 2019 and continued as a recurring community event, returning in 2022, it brings together individuals with lived experience, professionals, and local artists to support understanding and reduce stigma.
This page shares the purpose and vision behind Fighting the Darkness.
If you're looking for details about this year's event, you can find them here:
Why this conversation matters.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Fighting the Darkness is designed to create a space where conversations around mental health and suicide can happen openly, honestly, and without judgment.
At this event, you can expect:
• A space for real conversations that invite understanding rather than assumptions
• A panel discussion that brings together both professional insight and lived experience
• An art gallery sharing personal stories through creative expression
• Opportunities to listen, reflect, and engage in a supportive environment
EVENT AT A GLANCE
• Panel Discussion
• Audience Q&A
• Art Gallery Experience
• Community Art Stations
• Take-Home Resources
THE PANEL
At the heart of Fighting the Darkness is a panel conversation that brings together a range of perspectives, creating space for understanding, connection, and open dialogue.
Each panelist brings a unique perspective shaped by professional insight, personal experience, and a shared commitment to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health and suicide.
Panel perspectives may include:
Therapist / Crisis Counselor
Supporting understanding of mental health and what it looks like to seek help
First Responder
Sharing insight into the realities of responding to crisis situations
Pastor / Faith Leader
Offering perspective on faith, support, and evolving conversations around mental health
Suicide Loss Survivor
Speaking to the impact of loss and the experience of navigating grief
Suicide Attempt Survivor
Sharing lived experience to encourage open, honest conversation and reduce stigma
The conversation begins with guided questions and opens to audience participation, allowing questions to be submitted in a way that feels comfortable and accessible.
ART GALLERY & COMMUNITY ART PROJECTS
While the panel brings conversation into the open, the art gallery offers another way to explore these experiences through creative expression.
Art plays a powerful role in how we understand and express what is often difficult to put into words.
The gallery experience within Fighting the Darkness offers a space for artists to share personal stories, perspectives, and reflections through creative expression.
As attendees move through the gallery, they are invited to engage with artwork that reflects a wide range of experiences. These moments offer space to pause, reflect, and connect in their own way.
This is not just an exhibit. It is an opportunity to see and understand different perspectives through art.
Following the panel discussion, attendees are encouraged to connect with the artists, creating space for conversation, curiosity, and shared understanding.
Community art projects are also be available, offering a chance for attendees to create, reflect, and participate in the experience in their own way.
The photo gallery on this page includes images from both the artist gallery and community art projects.
PARTNER WITH US
Fighting the Darkness is more than an event. It is a space for honest conversation, shared experience, and meaningful connection around mental health and suicide awareness.
This work is part of an ongoing effort to create intentional spaces where these conversations can happen in ways that feel accessible, grounded, and human.
Sponsorship and partnership opportunities are available for those who want to help bring this experience to life and expand its reach within the community
CONTINUED RESOURCES & SUPPORT
Fighting the Darkness is just one step in an ongoing conversation. Support, connection, and understanding do not begin or end with a single event.
Resources will be available during the event, and attendees are encouraged to explore them in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful to them.
Take-home resources may include:
• Crisis and support hotlines
• Local mental health organizations
• Community-based services
• Educational materials on mental health and suicide prevention
Whether someone is seeking support for themselves or looking to better understand how to support others, these resources are here to help continue the conversation beyond the event.
The conversation does not end here.
It continues through connection, creativity, and the willingness to better understand ourselves and each other.
A Look Back Through the Years
Fighting the Darkness began in 2019 as a personal project created to open conversation around mental health, suicide awareness, and lived experience. The first gathering marked the beginning of a larger ongoing effort to create space for honest dialogue, shared stories, and creative expression.
After its initial year, the event paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022 with a renewed focus on building connection through storytelling, conversation, and art. Since then, each year has been documented through video, capturing the continued growth of artists, speakers, and community members who contribute to this evolving experience.
