Happy Finch Day! #IAMHERE.

Happy Theodore Finch Day!!!

For those of you who don't know who Theodore Finch is, he is one of the main characters in Jennifer Niven's All The Bright Places. He is a lovely, inspiring, and creative character that teaches someone to learn how to live and love life even though he struggles with that himself. Throughout the story, Finch struggles with mental health and is never fully able to overcome it.

In 2015, I, fortunately, found a group of young adults, like myself, that loved All The Bright Places as much as I do. Together we created a fan account called The Lovelies and today we use it to promote self-love and use it as a safe and creative space for fans. We wanted to create an environment that Finch would have wanted for himself, a place where people could go and were able to appreciate themselves and one another.

Three years ago The Lovelies created the I AM HERE campaign. We asked that people posted an image with All the Bright Places or a positive image with the hashtag #IAmHere. In the novel, Finch leaves marks on the places he visits with "I was here." However, today on Finch Day, we celebrate that we are here and acknowledge that together we can overcome any struggle.

I wish I had the words to tell you how much All The Bright Places means to me, but I will try my best with the words I do know. All The Bright Places truly changed my life and opened my eyes to a world in which I had no idea about. As a person with a lack of knowledge about mental health, it taught me about those around me who are constantly struggling and it allowed me the opportunity to experience a new perspective. Through Jennifer's beautiful writing and beautiful characters, I was inspired to make a change, which is what any great book should do for you, and what The Lovelies are trying to do.

Finch Day is a day that celebrates mental health but also celebrates the power of a fictional character and the importance of literature because beautiful fictional characters and amazing works of art bring some lovely people together to create even more loveliness!

I hope that you celebrate Finch Day by acknowledging that you are here! It is so amazing to be inspired by a book, but it is even more inspiring to actually do something about it. Please share that you are here and acknowledge your ability to overcome your struggles because we all have them.
Please remember that you are never alone and it is okay to reach out for help!

You are wanted. You are loved. You are here.


All the love,
Channy