Meet Christy MacCallum, Honoring the Need for Self-Awareness/ Self-Care in Dressember Activism

"What matters the most (in all activism) is finding the sustainable balance between creatively participating and taking care of yourself so that you can keep participating."

I’m participating in Dressember to raise awareness about human trafficking through the lens of how the issue relates to art and mental health. I’m interviewing participants on the topic throughout the month. Learn more here.

Not interested? You can keep all other posts but opt out of Dressember posts here.

On the other hand, if you love this work, consider a paid subscription. I am donating ten percent of all December Substack income to Dressember. PLUS, for every five new annual subscriptions this month, I’m immediately subscribing to another Substacker to support other creatives writing about art and mental health.

What does Dressember mean to you? Why are you participating this year?

Dressember was originally something I did for my sister because she was unable to wear a dress for a month but is very passionate about human trafficking. Every year I participate it is a reminder that even if I don’t *love* wearing a dress every day and it can seem like I’m screaming into the void, doing this is a symbol of solidarity and a way to amplify the voices of the marginalized.

So, you’ve participated in the past. What have the best parts and the most challenging parts been?

This is my 11th year participating (I think??). For many years I did not actively fundraise as I live in Canada but having a Canadian option now makes it much easier and more encouraging to participate.

The hardest part is definitely week two or three when you’ve been wearing a dress for what feels like forever, your posts aren’t getting much traction, and the donations have stopped trickling in.

I love how something so simple as wearing a dress every day can spark meaningful conversations. One year I wore a bridesmaid dress to work and it was a fun way to end that year’s campaign.

What does "mental health" mean to you? How does it relate to your own life and/or your understanding of the Dressember cause?

Mental health for me is a wellness marker of how my brain is doing. During dressember there are things I have to do to make sure I can sustain fundraising for so long - posting about and filling my brain with facts about human trafficking can be wearying, and wearing a dress means I have to be a little more aware of my movements and body when I’m doing things. I find it very interesting that dressember takes place during December and therefore largely during the season of advent. In the church, this liturgical season is marked by waiting and also by the awareness that our world is not what it should be or can be, the ways that we lack hope, peace, joy, and love. Because of this, I find that my depression feels at home and seen in advent, as does campaigning for Dressember.

In what ways does Dressember allow you to express yourself creatively while raising awareness and funds?

I’m not much of a social media whiz, but I often end up writing my own captions (I do use the pre-made ones some years, too) and I like getting to verbalize the issues and present them in new way to my followers.

In what other ways do you think creativity and mental health intersect through the Dressember project?

There are a lot of creative ways to participate - I am always in awe of what people come up with! And I think what makes it extra meaningful is when participants are honest with their campaigns. A good Dressember post or campaign doesn’t have to be perfectly curated, it can reflect who you are and where you are. Sometimes that means using provided captions and graphics. Sometimes that means you have a well thought out and planned campaign. What matters the most (in all activism) is finding the sustainable balance between creatively participating and taking care of yourself so that you can keep participating.

What is the aspect of Dressember's cause that you most want to highlight?

That even though it can seem silly (the dichotomy of posting smiling photos next to a depressing fact does not escape me), because this campaign is relatively small, every single person who participates makes a HUGE difference, even if that impact is “only” via awareness. And as much as I complain about it, wearing dresses for a month is truly not that hard :)

What do you wish people knew about human trafficking that you suspect most people don't know?

That it can happen anywhere and to anyone - anyone can find themselves in a space where they can be taken advantage of, even in your own backyard, your school, or on vacation. It often isn’t like the movie Taken; people are trafficked by people they know and that makes it harder to spot.

Contribute directly to Christy’s Dressember fundraiser in the US or in Canada. Connect with her on Instagram (where she has a mental health highlights tab worth checking out!)

---