I know my sites are unusual and heavily graphic - But especially for the depressed and suicidal, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

Art conveys emotion, and I hope my art does too. My sites are a creative expression - this is the way I have to do it.  This is what I have to give - for whatever it is worth.

I am trying to say...

• "Someone believes you"
• "Your pain matters"
• "Your life matters"
• "Your sorrow matters"
• "Your death matters"

For right now, I prefer to design my sites and make my own graphics.

They may not be of the highest quality, but I do make them as small as I can and the best I can with the software I have.

Let's face it - my web sites are about death.

The suicidal are facing the very meaning of existence. They are facing mortality, eternity, life and death, heaven or hell.

I am trying to reflect the absolute solemnness of this mortal decision, this mortal turmoil.

My hope is that my sites, through colors, and words, reaches outinto the heart of those who are dying, to connect with them emotionally, give them true empathy, compassion, understanding, and hope from someone who has been there and back.

Many depressed person's will feel hurt & offended, deeply misunderstood, and not taken seriously by someone who is trying to "cheer them up" - as if - their depression isn't real or serious, their life doesn't matter, and it won't matter if they die.

With my sites I try to reflect that I am never forgetting their pain, and that the viewer could suddenly die at any time - the terrible death of suicide.

I have found that most critics make a hasty decision and don't realize that beyond the dark suicidal home pages, my sites may be some of the most colorful you'll find.

I am actually a bit obsessive about coloring my pages and adding matching graphics.

Even the individual state pages of SuicideHotlines.com come in 8 colors even though most users will see only one - the state they live in. See these examples:

DepressionBookstore.com is very colorful - each section is different, yet still mostly conveying a softness that means to comfort and encourage treatment.

DepressionFAQ is not dark. Some have complained about the flowers, but I have not been able to come up with anything I like better. Even several male family members of mine like the FAQ flowers.

Some of the art on my peripheral pages might be a little wild or crazy and a departure from the more serious support pages.

Beauty & meaning are in the eye of the beholder.

There are zillions of depression sites out there - some very plain, some very colorful - I think they are all wonderful.

Diversity gives us something for everyone - something to appeal to all those different depressed personalities out there.