This is Riley.

If you've seen Pixar's "Inside Out," you know her, blue eyes, blonde hair, Riley. "Inside Out" is the story about the little people in Riley's mind that control her emotions (for those of you who still need to see it). But when Riley moves to San Francisco, Joy, the little sprite played by Amy Poehler who allows her to feel, well, joy, gets lost and Riley becomes depressed. She wants to leave San Francisco, she cries for no reason, she gets upset and frustrated, and she can't adjust to her new life.

This is me.

My name is Riley. I have blue eyes, short blonde hair, (a comically grumpy expression on my face that matches the photo above of "Inside Out's" Riley). Last year I moved out here to the San Fransisco Bay Area and I was diagnosed with clinical depression. I'm pretty open about it so it's not much of a big confession anymore. I couldn't adjust, I wanted to go home, I cried randomly, and I was frustrated often.

Yep. I am the girl from "Inside Out."

I'll admit, I had a sort of freak out when I saw the trailer for the movie. It was a little eerie how much my life compared to a cartoon. I promise I don't know anyone at Pixar and I didn't tell anyone who works in animation or at Disney about my life. It's one of those really weird coincidences.

Needless to say, I was extremely excited to see the movie. I went with my family and it was an incredibly important movie for me. I can't quite articulate the feelings I had watching "Inside Out." I mean, for starters, it's a Pixar film so of course I cried... a lot. But mostly it was amazing to see this little girl who looked just like me realize that there's always joy, it's just about where you look and the support you ask for and accept in your friends and family. Love is abundant.

I watched with anticipation as the Oscar for best animated film was announced. And "Inside Out" won, and from that comes my favorite Oscar speech from this year. Producer Pete Docter said,

"Anyone out there who's in junior high, high school, working it out, suffering — there are days you're going to feel sad. You're going to feel angry. You're going to feel scared. That's nothing you can choose. But you can make stuff. Make films. Draw. Write. It will make a world of difference."

I think this is advice we could all use. And it's a good reminder for everyone that it's okay to be angry, upset, scared, anxious etc. It doesn't make you less than or weak. But remember to find love, create things, and stay positive in your words and actions.

Go make stuff.