61. MAGICAL REALISM & CREATIVE WELLNESS: Co-Founders of OYE discuss J Balvin’s new mental health app

Global Wellness Conversations

What does the Global Wellness Summit have in common with one of the biggest music stars in history?

Colombian Reggaeton Superstar J Balvin has been very open and honest about his struggles with anxiety and depression — as well as the wellness practices he uses to find relief. To that end, he’s co-founded the development of OYE, an app designed to help everyone live better, happier lives. And, like GWS, his team relied heavily on the studies and research conducted by the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).

In GWI’s 2020 “Defining the Mental Wellness Economy Report,” GWI had this to say about mental wellness: “It’s more than the absence of mental illness — it’s the active process of moving from languishing to flourishing. It also helps shift our perspective from stigma to shared humanity. It grows out of grassroots, consumer-driven movements and is multi-dimensional, holistic, and personal.” Clearly, OYE and GWI are aligned in their vision and mission around mental wellness.

In this episode, we’re speaking to J Balvin’s partners and co-founders at OYE: Happiness activist and CEO of OYE Mario Chamorro, and Social Impact Executive Patrick Dowd. Their shared goal is to remove the stigma associated with mental health and to teach people across the Americas how to channel mental challenges into artistic endeavors — what they call “creative wellness.”

OYE is the next generation disruption in the wellness world. It is an ecosystem — starting with an app — that embodies and brings emotional and creative wellness to the world, with the purpose of helping the world feel better.

In a Health Harris poll, 40% of Hispanic Americans and 29% of Black Americans rated their mental health as poor. 62% of Hispanic respondents say they know several people battling mental illness, but only 41% were committed to speaking openly about it.

J Balvin’s home country of Colombia is famous for pioneering magical realism, where the line between fantasy and reality is blurred. While many might see it as nothing more than a fairy tale, for Colombians, the magic is real. It informs what is possible in their lives. OYE seems rooted in this belief in magical realism and the possibility of transformation, and when you listen to our inspiring podcast guests you will believe, too, that together we can help the world feel better.

To learn more, visit OYE’s site at oye.co.

Resources:

• oye.co
• mariochamorro.co
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/patrick-dowd
• GWI “Defining the Mental Wellness Economy Report”
• Global Wellness Summit

Sponsored by Murad Skincare.

Hosted by Kim Marshall.