Today, October 10th, is World Mental Health Day and as a cause very close to my heart I am releasing a new range of merch where all proceeds will go to the charity I represent - Young Minds, to help fight for young people’s mental health.
In 2014 I made the video ’Existential Crisis’ where I dropped the surprisingly profound quote ‘Embrace the void and have the courage to exist’. This was a message that in a universe that won’t give you the answers, it’s up to you give your life meaning in whatever way makes you happy.
In the years since uploading this video, I’ve spoken to many people who have told me how those words resonated with them and inspired actions, art (and even a few tattoos) so I thought this would be the perfect way to put some goodness back into the world and give you courage when you need it.
As of now the quote is available as both a simple black (of course) t-shirt:
And a flag for you to pin up on a wall like a poster, raise on a pole ..or just wear like a cape if you feel like it:
shop.danielhowell.com
When it comes to mental health I know all too well how difficult it can be just to exist, but days like this where people come together to show support for each other and raise awareness show that none of us are alone. A year on since I posted ‘Daniel and Depression’, where I was open about my struggles with mental health, I feel so much support from people around the world and pride that what I did may have helped others. I encourage anyone reading this who sympathises not to struggle in silence and otherwise to reach out to the ones you love and tell them you are there, it could make all the difference.
I hope that you like the sentiment and please get involved to support a wonderful charity, and as I said in a recent live show - if I can make it through life to this point, so can you.
Seventeen as vines but I describe them instead of linking them
Seungcheol: “Two shots of vodka…” *pours in half the bottle*
Jeonghan: “Hey everybody, today my brother pushed me, so I’m starting a kickstarter to put him down. The benefits of killing him would be I would get pushed way less.”
Joshua: “Put that candy back, I ain’t buyin’ you all that mess.” *gets candy thrown at his head* “Oh! Try me, bitch.”
Junhui: “Have you ever heard the sound of a rubber ball breaking a window?” “Uh-uh.” “WOULD YOU LIKE TO?”
Soonyoung: “Oh my god, that was so funny! Ahahahaha!” *does a spin* “Ahahahaha!” *lands in a split* “Ahahahaha!”
Wonwoo: “Is there anything better than pussy? Yes, a really good book.” *plays a prolonged note on the keyboard*
Jihoon: *chanting slowly getting louder and more intense* “you better watch out, you better watCH OUT, YOU BETTER WATCH OUT, YOU BETTER WATCH OUT.”
Seokmin: “So I am confusion. Why is this one Kansas but this one is not Arkansas? America explain!”
Mingyu: *dancing with his arms out while someone claps a beat in the background* “Bop it. Tss. Twist it. Nyerr. Pull it. Oooo.”
Minghao: *someone enters, wielding a knife* “You ready to fuckin’ die?!” “I’m a bad bitch, you can’t kill me.”
Seungkwan: *gets cut off* “Uh, I’m not finished…Let’s get started. First off, you–” *gets cut off again* “Oh my god, can you let me do what I need to do?”
Hansol: “’I wanna be a yo-yo man!’ he cried, ‘make me a yo-yo man!’ But the yo-yo master did not answer. He just kept on yo-ing.”
Chan: “We all have a lot of laughs.” *flashes to him walking through the dorm* “Fuck off, Janet. I’m not going to your fuckin’ baby shower.”
omg please do a part 2 of penance !!! it's so cute jssksjjsks
read part 1 here!
Penance (part 2) (markhyuck, slight jaenoren)
Mark grabbed Jaemin by the collar, dragging him up off of the couch and back toward his room in the Dream dorm.
“Hey, what gives!!” Jaemin protested. “If you wanted to talk you coulda just asked.”
“This was easier,” Mark replied in a huff. “I’m in the middle of an emergency.”
By the time Mark shoved his pink-haired bandmate onto his own bed, Jaemin had seemed to resign himself to the fact that he was helping Mark with his emergency, arching an eyebrow at Mark’s cryptic “emergency.” Mark didn’t have time for that right now. He needed to shut the door before –
Mark turned around, finding Jeno wandering into Jaemin’s room right then and there. Without even bothering to acknowledge Mark, he wandered straight over to Jaemin’s bed and curled up next to the other rapper. “This is ridiculous,” Mark whined, storming over toward the door.
Jisung was standing just outside the room, peering in to see what was going on. Mark held onto the door, trying to figure out how to delicately dismiss the maknae.
“You have to be over 18 to enter this room,” Mark insisted, shutting the door in Jisung’s face. He locked it and shook his head, taking a seat opposite of Jeno and Jaemin.
“You know, that sounds kinda… suggestive,” Jeno muttered.
“Get your mind of the gutter, no-jam,” Mark demanded. “I’m having an emergency, and I asked for Jaemin’s help, not for uwu-laden insolence.”
“Do you just want normal insolence?” While Jaemin was giggling at Mark’s expense, Jeno was flexing his biceps a little, trying to be more intimidating than his usual level of intimidation – so, more intimidating than an actual puppy.
Mark shook his head. “I don’t have time for this,” he complained. “I lost Donghyuck’s copy of High School Musical –”
“– You what now?” Jaemin interjected.
“– And then he kissed me on the lips because I’m cute, and –”
“– HE DID WHAT?”
His two friends were straining forward, like they couldn’t believe what Mark had just said. And honestly? It might have been a good idea to leave that detail out. Jaemin and Jeno (well, mostly Jaemin) were probably dying to have more drama in the Dreamie dorm, especially since everything died down with their whole Renjun love triangle. And with Chenle and Jisung being awkward again… well, Mark and Donghyuck were the only ones left.
Jaemin seemed so excited for the opportunity to meddle in Mark’s love-life, only adding to his apprehension about the whole thing.
“He finally did it!” Jaemin hummed. “Finally, after we told him there was no way in hell you were ever gonna confess to him.”
“Finally?” Mark questioned. “How long had he…”
“Probably as long as he’s had that High School Musical box set,” Jeno muttered. “You know, the one that you lost.”
“I didn’t lose it, I know it’s probably in Jisung’s room. I just –”
“– You just need help figuring out what to do now because Mark Lee has the game of a boy who’s been locked in a closet for the past seven years?” Jaemin lilted. “And that’s why you came to Na Jaemin, the king of flirting, romance, dating, and everything in between? The only Soft Hard Peach in the entire Korean Peninsula?”
“Er, right,” Mark admitted, a little peeved by unnecessary third-person. “So?”
Jaemin looked over at Jeno, a shit-eating smirk appearing on his face. Mark kinda regretted everything right now.
“Well,” Jaemin started, but he was suddenly interrupted by the door swinging open wildly.
An exhausted-looking Renjun stumbled through the now-open door, huffing more than a little. “JAEMIN, JENO, YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT –”
“NO!!” Donghyuck screamed, bumbling into the room right after Renjun.
Mark glanced over at the door, his eyes growing wide. “What the…” Jaemin trailed off.
“Donghyuck and I… ran all the way here… and he –”
Donghyuck rammed into Renjun covering his mouth with his hand. “RENJUN STOP,” he shouted, tackling him onto Jeno’s bed. Mark couldn’t believe what was going, and, as leader, he felt a little bit responsible for it? Donghyuck turned to him once he had seemingly extracted a promise from Renjun to shut up in exchange for his freedom. The boy who had just kissed him, the one with the pretty lips, large doe eyes, and bronzed skin, now locked eyes with him.
“I don’t care about those dumb DVDs, Mark,” Donghyuck reluctantly explained. “I like you.”