Nicky Nightmare is a musician, TikTok star, and actor who cares deeply about those who suffer from mental health and addiction problems. He supports and raises money for the non-profit “To Write Love on Her Arms” because they are dedicated to helping those whom society often forgets.
Nicky Nightmare promotes “To Write Love on Her Arms” to his 820,000 TikTok followers, raising over $10,000 on TikTok Live Stream performances. The non-profit highlights the importance of treatment and recovery for those who are struggling with mental health problems and addiction.
Why Support “To Write Love on Her Arms” specifically?
“‘To Write Love on Her Arms‘ is a non-profit started by Jamie Tworkowski to help his friend, Renee Yohe, who suffered from addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicidal thoughts. The care and compassion that he showed resonated with me.
The fact that a simple story written on MySpace inspired one of the biggest non-profits helping those who struggle with mental illnesses and addiction stuck with me. Once I had the platform to do so, I knew I needed to do whatever I could, and can, to help. So, I started raising funds at my music gigs as a way of raising awareness and giving them the support they need to continue helping people.
The platform gives people hope. It tells them that their story, and their life, are worth fighting for. What is a more worthy cause than that?”
What inspired your interest in helping those who suffer from mental illness and addiction?
“In 2019, approximately 970 million people across the globe suffered from a mental disorder of some kind, and it’s estimated that 10% of Americans will have had a drug disorder in their lifetime. What’s most disheartening is the fact that 75% of those people will not have received treatment.
These statistics are fairly shocking – especially as mental health problems and addiction go hand-in-hand. All too often, if we are only able to help someone with their mental disorder, the risk of addiction is significantly minimized. Yet, this doesn’t happen.
In my industry, mental health problems and addiction are almost commonplace. We all know someone who struggles with it. The creative mind, the fast-paced life, the constant pressure…they all add up. One of my artistic heroes, Machine Gun Kelly, has been frank about his struggles, and how ‘anxiety is eating [him] alive.’ He has a brilliant mind, and exceptional talent, but that doesn’t prevent him from experiencing mental health problems, as well as addiction issues.
It’s so easy to judge those people who struggle with these issues, but it’s difficult to imagine how difficult it is until you’ve experienced it yourself.”
How did your journey into music start?
“I was a pretty awkward kid. I was the guy sitting alone at the lunch table, but once I discovered music at the age of 11, things changed for me. After seeing Nirvana’s ‘Heart Shaped Box’ music video on MTV, I was hooked.
I started saving money for a guitar and then taught myself to play. In high school, I joined my first band and toured as a guitarist for ten years. Over the past couple of years, I’ve been working as a solo artist which has given me the freedom to write the way I’ve always wanted to.
Music has always been my way of coping with the world. It gives me hope, and shows me not only my potential but also the opportunities which surround me daily.”
Final Take
The grunge rock artist is looking forward to the release of his new single “Pretty Little Liar” on January 6, 2023. Although he’s proud of his most recent song, “She Crazy,” featuring The Island Boys in the music video, he’s looking forward to releasing even more music and expanding his reach.
Even though “She Crazy” has more than 100,000 streams on Spotify, Nicky Nightmare hopes that his future singles will surpass this number.
If you’d like to listen to some of his music and stay up to date on his future endeavors, follow him on Instagram and check out his TikTok Live Streams daily at 8pm EST.
Image Copyright: Nicky Nightmare
