||| FROM SEATTLE TIMES |||

Evan Wagoner-Lynch is a squirrel with a soothing, East Coast drawl — or rather he is on some days. He dons a furry gray hand puppet, aptly named Squirrel, and takes audiences on a walk through old-growth forests on Orcas Island, all while talking about difficult emotions like anxiety or loneliness and how to manage them. 

He calls it a form of “self therapy,” a creative performance that he brings to social media — and TikTok audiences love it. His  account @squirrel_dialogues has over 150,000 followers and a million likes. the compassionate dialogues resonate with Gen-Z audiences, who leave comments like, “Thank you for being there Mr. Squirrel.” 

Other users open up about their own mental health struggles, sharing, “One major thing I learned this year is to let myself feel the emotions I’m feeling and not suppress them. Hard to do but it’s helped me get better.”  

Wagoner-Lynch is a 39-year-old artist and writer with a long list of work. He used to perform in street theater, flash mobs and what he calls “prankster art” in San Francisco, where he lived. In his 30s, he found himself struggling to find more work opportunities and keep up with the cost of living. 

“And I had not at that point dealt with any of my mental health problems,” said Wagoner-Lynch. “They were just sort of bubbling under the surface.” 

READ FULL ARTICLE: seattletimes.com/seattle-news/mental-health/an-orcas-island-man-uses-a-squirrel-puppet-to-talk-about-mental-health-audiences-love-it

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