The "Azaleas" Part 2
- Sohaib Javed
- Jan 6, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 29, 2022
#6 Victor
Victor is an actor that enjoys playing basketball, chilling with friends, eating, casual drinking, and watching anime. He would describe himself as as an optimist that wants to spread joy and happiness to the people around him and wanting to help fight racism in the world.
When asked what mental health means to him, Victor said “family pressure, work, school, and figuring the means and methods of coping with it”. “Coping can take many forms such chilling with friends, being physically active, talking to someone who’s just there to listen, and even medication if that’s what is best for you”.
When asked to define “masculinity”, Victor said “It has to deal with physical traits and the mental, wanting to take charge of things. It is defined throughout different cultures. In East-Asians cultures, there are overlapping similarities between what is defined as feminine and masculinity. The common theme is the way you look. It’s stressed in social media. Men shouldn’t hide their feelings. Even though we live in a modern world there is a lot of ideals and presents from the past that and that a lot of people are stuck in their ways.
Lastly when asked what Victor would do for a friend that wanted to change the way they look he said “I would help them go to a store and help them change. The way they think read some books how people have different personalities and mindsets Which personality they fall into and what they need to improve on. If they want to change for a negative reason that’s just not healthy, I would be there to convince them otherwise that it’s okay to be you”
#7 Sanford
As Part 7 of the #Azalea Campaign, I would like the pleasure of introducing: @casualsanford.
Sanford is someone that believes in uplifting others through the connections and bonds he forges with others.
When asked Sanford what mental health means to him he would say "it's a Snapchat to Snapshoot of your pov at that very moment. It's something that changes and evolving. Life has a correlation with mental health. It's hard to remain in a single constant state. It's constantly flowing, we can't change the flow, but we can the way we approach or see it, our perception really would be the best way to explain it I think".
Furthermore when asking Sanford said he would define "masculinity" as both a concept and a defense mechanism. It has annotative (macho men values) and connotative (toxic masculinity is easy to see)." I don't like this term but for me, it was a defense mechanism". " The neighborhood I grew up and was raised in focused on maintaining this concept, growing up and being told to act a certain way can sometimes help you avoid situations that are harmful to you". "I don't think this term should be limited to men only, as I think the positive accepts of it are leadership and confidence, something that can be applied to all gender identities"
Finally, when asking Sanford what an ideal space would be where he would be comfortable, he said "a Hammock in his room, it would be providing me security and relaxation".
#8 Bhargava
As Part 8 of the #AzaleaCampaign, I would like the pleasure of introducing: @bhargavac.md
Bhargava would describe himself as someone who loves to think critically and beyond the scope of what’s in front of him. He believes there is good in people and that sometimes it is okay to give other people a second chance.
During my interview with him, Bhargava said “I would describe mental health as your basic mood but in two different ways”. “Your baseline and how you are feeling in the moment”. “The world we live in is always changing, some times you will have some great days and other times you will have terrible days”. “It’s a cycle that’s constantly flowing and the important thing in my opinion is to be just aware of yourself in the moment”. “Mental health is super complex and yet just as vital as your physical health”. “It’s important to attend to. If you need to open up about your feelings to others or seeking out professional help, acknowledge it and be proud of taking the first steps to help yourself”.
Further Bhargava believes “masculinity can be defined as not being afraid to stand up for what’s right and it’s something that feels very natural for me”. “I think it’s super important in being able to make a safe space not just for others but yourself as well, and that doesn’t just mean physically but emotionally too”. “True strength is allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Even if you’re feeling down or lost, it’s okay to feel that way, this isn’t something that limited to men either. This is something that can be applied to all genders and people of the world”
#9 Miguel
As part 9 of the #AzaleaCampaign I would like the pleasure of introducing @bluemac300
Miguel would describe himself as a proud puppy dad that loves playing videogames, being social, eating out and look for ways to further his career, living situation and social status.
During the course of my interview with Miguel he said “mental health is something very broad, it is how you think of others. There is good and bad. Good meaning being able to see yourself in a positive while still remembering you are only human and bad correlating with unrealistic views or outcomes towards not only the world around you but yourself as well”.
When asked about the word “masculinity’ Miguel said “It’s a personality trait, meaning being strong but vulnerable physically, mentally and even spiritually”. “It’s a really harmful umbrella term as it limits the expression of others, and individuality is something unique and special to everyone, especially for men whom are always told to fit certain checkboxes”
Lastly during the end of our interview Miguel said the following” If you need professional help, it’s a good thing. Life happens and needing professional help is great if it helps you become a better version of you”
#10 Johnny
As part 9 of the #AzaleaCampaign I would like the pleasure of introducing @jonnymontilla!
Jonny enjoys playing videogames, traveling, being social/ going out, exploring new things and would describe himself as “Ambitious, determined, giving less of a fuck as the years go by”.
When asked about what “Mental Health’ means Jonny said “Mental Health is making sure you're in the right state of mind to accomplish your life that you want to lead and exploring the flaws and mistakes in a healthy way”.
When asked on how to define or describe “masculinity” Jonny said “Masculinity in my view is showing your strength plain and simple. It's purely mental. The fact people view it as a physical thing is the incorrect way to go “
Jonny also said that if a person came to him about wanting to make a change in their appearance he would say: “I just reassure them to do it for yourself. Changing your appearance for the comfort of others is the wrong way to go. But you yourself view yourself in a different way and the change is healthy and not damaging in the long run than do it.
Lastly when asked if Jonny would like share anything with his loved ones: “Understand my strengths and my weaknesses. Don't worry about my future, think about my now and help me guide to a bright future for all of us.”
#11 Miguel
As part 11 of the #AzaleaCampaign I would like the pleasure of introducing @asianmiguel
Miguel would describe himself as “awesome!”. He enjoys reading, photography, cooking, working out, biking, dancing, enjoying doing new things, rock climbing, meeting new people and music.
During my interview with Miguel, he stated that it’s important to be okay with yourself. “It took self-reflection and seeing my current self that allows me to be the Miguel I am today. It’s good to let things happen and embrace that. Let things happen and embrace that. People have their idealized version of themselves. There is a line that they can't see. Communication is a great form of help with mental health. Build social equity around you”. “Healing is a process that takes time and within the context of men or masc identifying, there is no shame in seeking professional help”.
When asking him about “masculinity” Miguel said “it is about knowing oneself. It's not a gendered term. It's getting to a place you’re okay with yourself, having a level of respect for yourself and being okay with disconnecting from the things that try to toxicify you or pigeonhole you into something or someone you are not”
Lastly when asking Miguel about what he would to help someone who wanted advice on changing their appearance he said “ I will be there, I would try to unpack the why for the changes and hope to see and hear these changes make you happy down the line”
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