Julie Burroughs Erdman

Julie Burroughs Erdman is the founder of Creative Explorations. She currently works for Mental Health Association in Suffolk County as a Peer Wellness Program Coordinator and previously worked in mental health housing for fourteen years.

Julie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theatre and English Literature from SUNY Albany. She began writing as a young girl to create a healthy emotional outlet and continues to benefit from doing so. As a young woman, she had dreams of becoming a career actress as she acted onstage in college and community theatre productions. While in her senior year at Albany University, those dreams came crashing down when she was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. She had three psychiatric hospitalizations while in her twenties, her last coinciding with the year she began working in community mental health. That was fifteen years ago.

Today Julie is a peer provider in community mental health and is a married mother of four children. She attributes her recovery to the many people she feels supported by and foremost with making the decision to take responsibility for her life and by practicing compassion for herself and others. Julie is fortunate to have recaptured the passion for performing she possessed as a young woman with the volunteer work she does with Creative Explorations. She has published articles and has written a memoir, The Twisted Path, on her recovery from Bipolar Disorder.

Kimberly Turner

Kimberly Turner is the Creative Director of Creative Explorations.

Kimberly is a lifelong artist whose preferred medium is painting. She has displayed her artwork in a variety of public settings and recently created a gallery project titled, Origami Zoo. Currently, she has a painting hanging in The Green Earth Café. Kimberly continually earns recognition for her exceptional artwork, and states that mental illness has, “Changed me and my art, but not necessarily for the worse.” Using art as therapy, Kimberly knows its healing value and aspires to become an art therapist.

Sue Parrinello

Sue Parrinello is dedicated advocate for people in recovery from psychiatric disabilites and substance abuse disorders. She embodies principles of wellness and encourages those she supports to reach their fullest human potentials. Sue works as the mental health Program Director for the east end agency, ADD. She is also the east end Regional Coordinator and a member of the board of Directors for NYAPRS (New York Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services). Mother of two boys, a kick boxer, an avid hiker and holistic health enthusiast, she makes the time to indulge in her passion for photography.

Eva June Roberts-Vazquez

Photo Artist

A Single Lens Reflex camera was her reward for the photography habit Eva had throughout her high daze (er um days). During her years at NYU, she photographed trees amid the asphalt and concrete environment of New York City. It was not until she won a camera at a NYAPRS conference a few years ago that she went high tech and began taking photos in earnest. Channeling her love of nature into photography, Eva began by taking pictures of birds in her backyard. She “enjoys focusing, literally, on texture and patterns on a micro level, such as rocks and flowers,” and shares these moments in time with others.

Eva holds a Master's Degree in Human Resource Development from American International College and a BA in Psychology from New York University, but her most important education came from her late mother, who devoted her life to fighting for human and civil rights, focusing on systems change to create a world more inclusive to people with disabilities. When she is not taking photographs, Eva helps people realize their human potential through her work as a peer advocate. Eva is a trauma survivor who witnessed abuse as a child, and lost her partner through a routine outpatient medical procedure that resulted in his unexpected demise, shortly after witnessing the poor medical treatment her great mother had to endure in the last months of her life. During the same time period, her companion animal, Snowie, was killed by a car and disposed of on her doorstep, heralding the grief that led to her slow climb to healing and ultimate recovery.

John Reidy

John Reidy is an award winning director, writer, and producer of three films: Netherland, Know Thy Neighbor, and Signs of the Cross. A native of Woodside, Queens, John began his career in the early 1990’s by taking acting classes from Marilyn Roberts and studying under the legendary William Hickey. John appeared as an actor on ABC’s All My Children, and Loving; FOX’s America’s Most Wanted; NBC’s Saturday Night Live and Ed, and the syndicated news magazine, A Current Affair. His film credits include Malcolm X, Enrapture, The Love Lesson, King of New York, and Death Magic. Most recently, John has completed a memoir, The 307 Kid; a children’s book, My Dad Drinks; and the short story, My Day at Shea. Additionally, John worked for a utility company and as a private investigator.

John has also been in recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction since May 17, 1982. After spending much time homeless, jobless, or incarcerated, he began attending AA and NA meetings in the New York City area. During the past twenty nine years, John has sponsored many men and is a member of the New York State Mentoring Program. He has been certified as a Trade Union Counselor Substance Abuse by the NYC Labor Council AFL-CIO. John honors speaking commitments in detox programs, rehab centers, prisons, and psychiatric facilities.

Lorraine Kaplan

Lorraine Kaplan is a retired teacher with over twenty five years of experience. She holds NY state certifications in elementary education, special education, reading, and music. She is a passionate advocate for those with mental illness and lectures in schools, universities, and community groups on this important topic. Lorraine co-authored the educational program Breaking the Silence: Teaching the Next Generation About Mental Illness, and sits on the board of NAMI and ADD.

Lorraine, along with her husband, Eli, appeared on NBC’s Today show, and she was also featured on Joan London’s Health Corner on the Lifetime network, as well as on WLIW. She has received numerous awards and international recognition for her lesson plans and advocacy work.

Sean Talisman

Sean is a paid internet journalist with a BA degree in sociology from Queens College. Sean is currently working on an autobiographical novel and plans to attend graduate school to earn an MFA in creative writing. His literary voice is vivid, combining heartfelt sensitivity with an acerbic wit. A classically trained musician, Sean composes modern classical music and plays piano.

Jarret Karlson

Jarret has worked previously in the music industry and restaurant business. He is an experimental musician who plays the synthesizer and bongos. Jarret has a soulful and fearless literary voice, with running themes of anguish, destitution, resilience, and faith in his work. In addition to the pieces he is showcasing, he is working on a novel that combines his spirituality and love of science fiction. Jarret intends to return to college to study theology and psychology.

Tiffany Monti

Tiffany grew up on Long Island as one of three children in an Italian-American Roman Catholic family. She holds an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and worked for years as a teacher of toddlers in a daycare center. She loves animals, and volunteers in an animal shelter and works as an advocate against animal cruelty. Currently, she is enrolled in an educational program to become a dog trainer.

Losing her father at a young age and having undergone other traumatic experiences, she has been using writing as a therapeutic tool, “since age of twelve or thirteen.” She has a candid, vulnerable literary voice that resonates with a youthful, vulnerable quality. She states that she benefits greatly from journaling and attending mass.

Peter Martens

Peter is a graduate of Dartmouth College and has a passion for learning that he feeds by reading and periodically taking classes at a Stonybrook University. He reads Einstein’s Theory of Relativity just for fun and is a hobby mathematician. With an independent and unique mind, Peter writes brief, concise, and quotable statements. Recently, he has been experimenting with meter and loosely constructed poetry. Peter works as a maintenance technician and as a direct support professional for people with developmental disabilities.

Mokesha Wyche

Mokesha Lynette Wyche is a lifelong resident of the east end of Long Island. Of African American and Native American descent, she was born at Southampton Hospital and is a graduate of Bridgehampton High School. She works as a Peer Specialist on the warm line for MHA in Suffolk and at Pederson Krag. She holds an Associates Degree in Psychology from Stratford Career Institute, has furthered her education at Empire State College, and has earned National Certification as a Biller/ Coder. Mokesha's latest educational goals are taking online courses with Harvard University, Education X, starting with Computer Science and Programming.

Mokesha also has a strong creative side, which is expressed through her artwork and writing. She has received public recognition for her work: most recently, her Mosaic became the image of the Creative Explorations one act play, set to debut on October 10, 2013, at the Vail-Leavitt Music Hall in Riverhead. She showcased her artwork in exhibits hosted by NYAPRS (New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services) and at Clubhouse of Suffolk's 2012 Mental Illness Awareness Day, where she was honored and awarded a scholarship for her artwork. She has been writing since high school, and has done work with Herstory. Mokesha would like to publish a memoir on her various struggles and triumphs, and, from where she now stands, “the sky's the limit.”

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