The Story
Behind
The Press
Where the mission came from. Why it will never stop.
Where the mission came from. Why it will never stop.
Mindful Press exists to amplify unheard voices, transform lived experiences into powerful storytelling, and create pathways for growth, healing, and social impact, through print, media, art, and community-driven initiatives.
Every book we publish, every program we run, every piece of art we press into the world is in service of one thing: giving people the tools to see themselves differently, and the culture to carry that message forward.
My voice may not be able to reach everyone, but there is a voice for everyone.
Marcus Altheimer, FounderWe envision a world where every voice, regardless of background or circumstance, has the power to be heard, valued, and capable of inspiring change across communities, cultures, and generations.
That vision stretches across everything Mindful Press is building: regional editions of Dear Game giving every hood its own mirror, programs that guide individuals from awareness to action, cultural products that carry the message into everyday life, and partnerships with schools, prisons, nonprofits, and community organizations doing the same work on the ground.
Transform lived experiences into powerful storytelling that challenges narratives and shifts mindsets.
Amplify unheard voices through creative expression, clothing, visual art, music, and media.
Create real pathways for growth, healing, and social change inside the communities that need it most.
A Dear Game for every city. Every region. Every generation. Because every community deserves its own voice.
Marcus Altheimer grew up in economic poverty, raised in a single-parent home, with an absent father, the same story that shaped millions of inner-city kids coming up in the '80s and '90s. Without guidance and surrounded by the pull of the streets, he quickly fell into a life of gangs, drugs, and crime.
That path led to a defining moment: shot five times, nearly losing his life during a robbery, and sentenced to 26 years in prison. His son was born just ten days before the incident.
"I was faced with a choice, be absent like my own father, or regardless of my incarceration, become a better example that my son could one day be proud of."
Inside those walls, Marcus made a decision. He began reshaping his thinking, rebuilding his habits, and reclaiming his identity. It was there, in prison, that the seed of Dear Game was planted.
The philosophy was simple but profound: we are all addicted to something. For many inner-city youth, the addiction is the fast-paced life of the streets. So instead of writing a traditional "dear addiction" letter, why not write Dear Game letters? Stories from people who lived it. Letters that expose the illusions, strip back the glamour, and give young people a real look at where that road leads.
Marcus collected letters from incarcerated men and women across the country, paired them with artistic visuals and spoken word, and created the first edition of Dear Game. The goal is to grow it into a series, a Dear Game for every hood, every region, every city. A Dear Game LA. A Dear Game NY. A Dear Game Chicago. Because every community has its own voice and story that deserves to be heard.
It started with one person. His son. The mission was clear, become the example his son could look up to, and keep him from traveling down the same path. Once that foundation was set and his son was on solid ground, the mission expanded.
Because if one life could be redirected, imagine what was possible for thousands more.
That is the engine behind every book, every program, every piece of art Mindful Press puts into the world. Not fame. Not profit. People.