It can be hard to talk about what is going on in our life. We don’t want others to call us names, look at us differently, or even accuse us of being “attention seekers.” Sometimes, even talking to those we are closest to can be difficult. For all of these reasons the people at ArtWorks in Cincinnati created a game to make talking about our feelings a little easier, and a lot of fun.
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to play the new card game Hey. Lets Talk. Hey. Let’s Talk is a social impact project intending to reduce mental health stigma through play. It was co-designed with 6 youth apprentices with a great deal of experience in having conversations about our behavioral health. The game is simple—After the cards are evenly dealt, a player challenges another to flip their card and the winner of the hand gets to ask a question to the opponent. (The game, itself, includes much better directions).
Each card has a specific question designed to give all players the opportunity to talk about their feelings and experiences. Some of the questions include, “When was the first time you were aware of yourself as a unique being?” and “Did you have a childhood phobia? How did you overcome it?”
Careful consideration went into crafting the questions of the game. The team at ArtWorks hosted several focus groups to collect feedback from the community. The questions were designed based on the comments of around 60 participants. The questions are meant to help you connect and communicate things about yourself you might not have thought about. And it’s true. Some of the questions that I was asked took me a while to self-reflect.
With each round I found myself not only opening up to the other players about my experiences, but also really listening to what others around me were sharing. I played this game with people I have known for over a decade. The game taught me things I had never known about them, and allowed them to learn more about me. I feel as if we became closer as we played this game. And we were living for those “hey, me too!” moments.
Hey. Let’s Talk includes a wonderful welcome letter to allow the players to know what an awesome tool they have in their hands. In the letter, the creators remind us that “Nobody is ever alone in this world and that is why we made this game.” No matter what you are going through, there is someone there who is ready to sit and listen. Talking can be hard, trust me, I know. But when we begin to share our feelings and experiences we start taking the steps to become better versions of ourselves. You can find out who is here to talk in your area in our resource library.
If you would like more information about the Hey. Let’s Talk game, or even get your hands on a copy, visit our friends over at ArtWorks here.
Game Credits
Hey. Let’s Talk
ArtWorks + Interact for Health
Artist:
Kate Tepe
Youth Apprentices:
William Humason
Charlie Keiser
Ezra Cline
Hannah Feibelman
Brigid Murphy
Photography “Carlynne Welsh, Bergette Photography”
