I awoke this morning to a text from Edinburgh that gave me an almost unfamiliar giddiness in these chaotic times. It was a New York Times Theatre Review about an Off-Broadway musical, and in the photo accompanying the review was I Am More portrait subject, Patrick.

I Am More began in 2017 with a Jim, and now ends with a Jim, or “Jimmy,” as his family calls him. He comes from a large, loving Gloucester clan, and is known as one of the greatest football players in Gloucester High School history, a local legend. But the body that brought him so many accolades, has also presented him with some of the greatest challenges and lessons of his life. I would have never known how much he has endured from meeting him. He is sunny and warm and full of optimism and the desire to help, and he is full of gratitude for his extended family who have seen him through, and wanted to include ALL of them in his portrait, but I had to talk him down. His portrait shows his family on the journey over the hazards of life as a loving unit (with thanks to a certain whale drone pilot), in his beloved hometown:

Last night Iain and I made our final trek to Northshore Mall to switch out the artwork at the I Am More Mental Health Resource Center & Gallery. Signs of the holidays are starting to encroach on the space, and soon it will be time the appropriate time to pack up and move on. Still, it was an emotional day.

We’re gearing up for one last road trip in the UHaul this weekend. We’re traveling to Arlington, Vermont for a September exhibit of I Am More at the Martha Canfield Library.

Seven and a half years ago the universe dropped an idea in my head that I couldn’t ignore. I fulfilled it to the best of my ability. Some days were magical and some days were gutting, but I always tried to remember why I was doing it. The universe has been dropping a different message on me, pretty consistently over the last year, and this morning I realized I couldn’t ignore it anymore. It’s time to say good-bye to I Am More.

My first encounter with Nolisha was at the “Dear Professor, I Am More” event at Salem State University. I was reviewing the art and writing and was stopped in my tracks by two pieces that were so powerful I couldn’t believe I was standing in a classroom reading them. That evening I received a very brief and kind thank-you email, clearly from one of the students. I googled her name and recognized her face from the two pieces. I asked her if we could meet and from our conversation it was clear she had lived a multitude of lifetimes and was still writing her story. Here are some of her defining moments:

Last night the I Am More elves swept into Northshore Mall to change out the art in front of Macy’s and spent the car ride home battling between Margaritaville and Grateful Dead Radio, finally agreeing on 70s on 7 in order to hear the calming voice of I Am More subject, Jonathan, The Voice of 70s on 7, after a long, steamy day.

You may remember in May I attended the groundbreaking opening of Dear Professor, I Am More at Salem State University. The collection of art and writing, and the discussion that followed, was one of the most inspiring scenes to come out of this project, and I’m proud to say that the exhibition will be on display at the I Am More Mental Health Resource Center & Gallery at Northshore Mall from July through August.

There are too many good things that have been happening to give this a specific title, so it’s all the good stuff…

Last night we opened the first long-term I Am More Mental Health Resource Center & Gallery at Northshore Mall in Peabody, MA. There were family and friends, representatives from north shore non-profits, portrait subjects, student and professional artists–pretty much everything that I had imagined a year ago when I first sat down with the mall. They kept their promise and generously shared the high traffic area in front of Macy’s so that anyone who visits can find free mental health resources on the north shore.