Hope Happens | TEDxDirigo

When Julia Hansen’s two best friends committed suicide as sophomores in high school, her relationship to her own severe depression shifted; instead of diving more deeply into her struggles, Hansen discovered the power of hope, founding the Yellow Tulip Project as a means of smashing the stigma associated with mental illness. Armed with bravery, Hansen reminds us that, even when we feel our most isolated, we are not alone.

Julia considers herself a fearless learner. Trying to make a difference in this hectic yet beautiful world energizes her. She loves diving into the unknown and finding the constellations of small details that make up peoples’ lives. During Julia’s sophomore year of high school, she lost her two closest friends to suicide. While struggling with her own depression, she was faced with how to cope with the loss of these two incredible people in her life. She experienced great darkness and sadness, but always was and still is able to find the beauty in the world. Because of this, she created The Yellow Tulip Project, which is meant to smash the stigma associated with mental illness, and remind people that even in the darkest places, there really is always hope.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx