Tune in to hear Skyh Black share how he managed homelessness, suicidality, grief, and other emotional challenges in his career.
| |  | | How to Get Comfortable With Uncomfortable Feelings With Actor Skyh Black | | | | On today's episode, I talk with actor and dancer, Skyh Black, who was talented enough to be a backup dancer for superstars like Beyonce, Mariah Carey, and Rihanna. | But, a few years ago he decided he wanted to become an actor. He took a break from dancing and put all his energy into launching an acting career—which meant he became homeless for a bit.
He took acting classes and with a lot of hard work, started landing roles in movies and on television. Some of his recent TV shows include "Sistas," "All the Queen's Men," and "Lace."
Why Skyh Black Is Mentally Strong
Skyh is able to express his emotions through the characters he plays. He hadn't felt comfortable talking about feelings in the past. And that realization inspired him to begin talking publicly about mental health. Now, he's sharing what he's learned about feelings through his acting career.
He didn't have to step forward and talk about his struggles or how he's caring for his mental health. But he realized that there's a huge void in these conversations, especially among Black men. So he is sharing his experiences in hopes of helping others who can relate to the struggles he's faced.
You have to make the concerted effort to believe in who you want to be and the steps that are needed to make that happen. But the belief is the hardest part, because you have so many outside forces and opinions that we all take in every single day."
What You'll Hear on the Show
- How Skyh went from dancing to acting
- Why he doesn't believe in backup plans or safety nets
- How he became homeless
- The warning signs that help him recognize when he needs to take better care of his mental health
- The reasons why he never felt safe experiencing and expressing emotions in the past
- What he learned about feelings when he began taking acting classes
- The strategies he uses to improve his mental health
- How he keeps a journal without writing down a single word
- Why Skyh became suicidal at one point
- How he deals with the guilt of not feeling great on the inside sometimes even though he has a great life on the outside
- How Skyh managed grief after the loss of his grandfather who raised him
- The one thing Skyh does right before he goes to sleep that has changed his mindset
What You'll Learn About Mental Health and Mental Strength
Skyh talks a lot about how difficult it can be to express emotions, especially among men in the Black community. There's often this notion that being strong means nothing hurts you.
But it takes a lot of mental strength to embrace and express emotions, like sadness or fear. And sometimes, it's not safe for people to do that.
Environment plays a huge role in mental strength and mental health. And it's important that we all work on reducing the stigma associated with caring for mental health and that we all work together to create psychological safety so that everyone has the ability to work on themselves.
You can't diminish what someone is going through because you just don't know their story." | | | | | | | | | You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Healthy Mind newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here. | | A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005 | | | | | | | 
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