“Songwriting is not something I chose, I’ve just somehow always known that this is what I love to do. This is what I can’t help but do,” said Meg Hutchinson. A singer-songwriter from western Massachusetts, Hutchinson is coming to perform at Smith tomorrow.

She has won the John Lennon Song Writing Competition, Billboard Song Contest and many other awards in the United States, Ireland and the UK. She released her sixth album, The Living Side, in 2010. The Boston Globe described her music as “elegant and free-floating melodies that sound both modern and rooted.”

Unlike most singer-songwriters that visit campus, Hutchinson is here to talk about mental illness. Her music and lyrics incorporate a view on the human condition. When she was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Hutchinson began to express her struggles through her music. There are many deeper themes present in the lyrics of her songs. For instance, one of her more popular songs, “Coming Up,” features the following lyrics:

“I’ve been among them too scared to cross over / now there’s nothing keeping me here / so if you hear some kind of singing in the underground / you’ll know who it is without going down / and after this mean coastal winter’s gone / I’ll be the first one you see coming up, coming up.”

The Smith branch of the national organization Active Minds is sponsoring this event. Active Minds aims to spread awareness about and dispel prejudice against people with mental illnesses.

Active Minds works to open up dialogue on Smith campus and make mental illness a topic that can be comfortably discussed.

“Meg Hutchinson, an enormously talented singer, songwriter and musician, began struggling with a mental health disorder at age 19. An advocate for Active Minds Inc., songwriting has proved to be her way of de-stigmatizing mental health issues, and reaching people around the world,” said Nicole Teitelbaum ’14, the president of Active Minds. “As someone who has seen her in concert, I can say that I have walked away feeling strong, inspired and ready to conquer my own battles with mental disorders, as well as promoting awareness here at Smith.”

The concert aims to both entertain and create a place to discuss the mind. The lyrics in Hutchinson’s songs are meant to inspire contemplation and self-reflection. These lyrics, along with a talkback at the end of the show, aim to put mental health at the forefront of Smith students’ minds.

Meg Hutchinson is performing in the CC TV Lounge, tomorrow at 7 p.m. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.