It’s Hard Out There for Artists: Talking About Musicians & Mental Health

For the January/February 2022 issue of Canadian Musician magazine, Catherine Harrison wrote a column called, “It’s Hard Out There for Musician: What Can You Do to Take Care of Yourself?” It was about the mental health issues that are predominant among working musicians, why the musician’s lifestyle makes these issues more likely, and what they can do to help themselves or find help. There were a lot of things in that column that Canadian Musician Editor-in-Chief Mike Raine felt were worthy of a more in-depth conversation, and so he’s happy to have Catherine on this week’s episode to do that.

Catherine Harrison is the president of Purple Voodoo Inc. and a board member with Over the Bridge, a Canadian non-profit focused on mental health issues and awareness in the music industry. Catherine is a human-centered leadership expert, author, certified professional coach, strategic connector-of-dots and successful entrepreneur. A multi-disciplinary artist, musician, and songwriter, she is also a fierce environmentalist, mother, recovering corporate animal, meditator, ardent roamer of paths, and lifelong learner. She is a strong advocate for human-centered practices in places of work, especially with respect to the current conversation about mental health and substance use.

Resources mentioned in this week’s conversation:

www.capsa.ca/peer-support/

www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/digital-tools

www.overthebridge.org

www.unisonfund.ca/category/mental-health/

www.backline.care/support-groups/

www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA

www.wellnesstogether.ca/en-CA/all-people-all-pathways

www.catherineharrison.com/assk-signup/

Behindthescenescharity.org/mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-initiative/

www.bouncebackontario.ca/

www.cmha.ca/

Behind the Scene Therapist/Counseling Finder in Canada: Behindthescenescharity.org/mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-initiative/mental-health-resources/therapist-counseling-finder-canada/