Mariah Fair launching mental health book lounge in Chicago

Mariah Fair plans to open Soul Full Chicago a mental health book lounge on Chicago's 18th street that is being touted as a destination for anyone seeking to improve emotional well-being.

Soul Full Chicago officially opens in late October or early November, with the vision of providing an environment that offers literature and discussion for those seeking inspiration and guidance. 

“Soul full is a place where souls come to reflect and connect. At Soul Full you’ll be able to talk with others about what you’re going through without judgment,” the establishment's website states.

Soul Full Chicago Storefront | https://soulfullchicago.com/home/

Fair, 28, said it is important to create a space that promotes growth and that feels good and looks good.  

“It’s a one-stop-shop where you can read, have panel discussions from different people who gave gone through different things in life, and learn about health topics that you wouldn’t necessarily learn about,” Fair said.  

The 2,000-square foot lounge concept came to Fair during one of the darkest periods in her life. She lost her job early in 2020 and with it a sense of identity.  Depression, something she previously battled, set in.  A public speaker, author and writer, Fair – who penned “Some Women Prefer Hell” – described her mental state at the time as “really, really bad.  I would say rock bottom. I had to figure out how to finally put myself on a healing journey once and for all and to always stay there,” she said.

It started with reading two books: “The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself,” by Michael A. Singer, and “All About Love: New Visions,” by Bell Hooks.  She read another that spoke to her, then another and another, all centered on inspiration and self-help. It was better than virtual therapy.  

“I’m an English major and I’ve been reading all of my life, but these books were really different,” Fair said. “They were coming to me at a time when I needed to hear another perspective.”

Inspired by her readings, Fair wanted to help others and envisioned a lounge stocked with books that address mental health issues. Soft couches and an assortment of flowers, painted and real, create a “living-room feel,” Fair said, adding, “I want you to walk in and feel calm and serene and be able to think about what’s going on and not suppress your feelings.”

It hasn’t been easy for Fair to stay on a healing journey.  

“I’d get up and fall back down,” she said. “I’d get up and fall back down again. Nothing seemed permanent. Soul Full is a place that will teach you how to train your mind to heal and be on a healing journey for the rest of your life.”

Fair's mother came up with the lounge's name, a play on the soul food her grandparents provided through childhood and the need for souls to be full of love, worth and support.  

“We have a sign on the wall that says, ‘Mental Health Book Lounge’ and people will turn their nose up and walk away,” Fair said. “That lets me know that this is not for everybody. But in terms of who it’s for, it’s going to really hit home.”