Medicinal Media is a nonprofit illuminating the intersection of beneficial arts and science. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Medicinal Media Creative Director Elizabeth Seward to learn more about the company.
Elizabeth Seward’s Background
What is Elizabeth Seward’s background? Seward said:
“I come from a background in writing and editing, ranging from journalism to creative, expressive writing, as well as other arts — primarily music, visual art, photography, and dance.”
Formation Of Medicinal Media
How did the idea for the nonprofit come together? Seward shared:
“The founders Mike and Melissa Wilson come from backgrounds that deeply motivated them in this project. Mike’s career has largely been anchored in the video game industry, where he first noticed the positive effects games can have on people. This realization was cemented for him once studies began to support the notion that games can be harnessed for good, particularly in mental health. Melissa, on the other hand, has a background in mental health as a licensed clinical social worker. Both Mike and Melissa have witnessed the impacts of the mental health crisis in their personal lives. They believed that there are better ways to reach more people than what’s currently available and that curating and creating media that can help is one of those ways.”
“We started brainstorming a publication called Medicinal Media toward the end of 2021. We weren’t entirely sure where it would live or in what capacity, so much of the early work focused on thoroughly envisioning it—everything from our style and brand to target demographics and long-term goals. After considering various routes, the nonprofit came together in early 2023, and here we are!”
Favorite Memory
What has been Seward’s favorite memory working for the nonprofit so far? Seward reflected:
“This might seem like a small thing, but I was over the moon the day I saw that we were cited in a Los Angeles Times article. As an editor myself, I knew that an editor there had reviewed our work and deemed us credible. It felt like my efforts to establish credibility were finally starting to pay off. This is important to me because of our mission to help people. We can’t effectively do that without first proving that we’re a trustworthy source of information. This recognition ties meaningfully to the rewarding aspect of this work that brings me to my desk every day.”
Core Services
What are the nonprofit’s core services? Seward explained:
“Our core service at this time is our presence as an online media company, both on our website and on social media. We’re working hard to reach people who can benefit from evidence-based stories on ways to support mental health through media and the arts. While we plan to branch out in the future, our primary focus right now is inspiring hope and offering resources for mental health through creative content.”
Challenges Faced
What challenges have Seward and the team faced? Seward acknowledged:
“I think there will always be challenges in getting big ideas off the ground and moving. We’ve faced plenty of those already, but the key has been practicing what we preach—bringing our dedication to mental health, communication, and care back to our internal team. In terms of our sector, this landscape certainly requires out-of-the-box thinking.”
“It used to be that a publication could survive mostly on subscriptions and ads, but things have changed. Sites that thrive today do so because they’ve been creative and flexible in the face of a constantly shifting digital media world. Figuring out how to navigate that as a nonprofit and become fully financially viable is our present-day quest, one that requires lots of learning and perseverance.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the nonprofit’s most significant milestones? Seward cited:
“We’ve been fortunate to achieve many significant milestones already! Some of the highlights for me include building a stellar board that includes Jada Pinkett Smith and Adriene Mishler of Yoga With Adriene, being backstage at the Austin City Limits music festival, watching our site traffic spike toward the end of 2023, and seeing several pieces of social content take off this year, with millions of views on several videos.”
Success Stories
When asking Seward about success stories with the nonprofit, she revealed:
“Impact on our audience is the biggest success metric for me. Reaching the point where so many people regularly reach out to let us know how our work has positively affected them feels like the greatest success of all.”
Funding
When asking Seward about the nonprofit’s funding, she revealed:
“We’ve gotten off the ground with incredible financial support from my co-founders, Mike and Melissa Wilson. They are providing what we need to operate while we transition into generating funding from a mixture of donations, grants, and monetization. The generosity of the Wilsons has made this level of artistry, production, and reach possible. We’re very fortunate to have them in our corner during this initial stage. Donations from others are already beginning to come in steadily as we strategize and implement various ways to monetize our platform.”
Future Goals
What are some of the nonprofit’s future goals? Seward pointed out:
“Our first goal has been to spread the knowledge that various creative arts and forms of media can be used therapeutically, and that’s the main work we’re doing at this time. However, we eventually hope to build thriving communities, top-notch products, engaging events, and more. We aim to have a user base of 10 million by 2030 and to be financially sustainable by 2026.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Seward concluded:
“I remember the internet well before advertising inundated every corner of it. I wouldn’t say it was a better place then—in fact, a lot of it was worse in an anarchic way. But with so much of it becoming about sales and SEO, especially over the last 15 years, many people aren’t fully seeing the positive sides of digital media. Many of us are ruled by algorithms and advertising online, but Medicinal Media is here to show people that they can not only curate their media consumption but also do it in a way that supports mental health. I find something very hopeful in that.”
