EP 21 - Healing Through Creativity | Jacquese Armstrong | writer, poet, mental health advocate

Show Notes – Let’s Talk Passion and Purpose with Nicole Thomas
Episode Title: Healing Through Creativity: The Journey of Jacques Armstrong
Host: Nicole Thomas
Guest: Jacques Armstrong – Writer, Poet, Mental Health Advocate, Founder of NJ Expressive Arts Café

Episode Overview:
In this powerful and profoundly moving episode, Nicole Thomas sits down with Jacques Armstrong—a poet, writer, expressive arts facilitator, and mental health advocate—whose work weaves creativity with recovery, healing, and empowerment. From hearing voices to finding strength through poetry, Jacquese’s journey is both extraordinary and inspiring.

With transparency and vulnerability, Jacques shares her path from a chemical engineering student to a nationally recognized mental health advocate and author. Learn how she turned personal pain into purpose through her books Birthing Yourself Naturally and Blues Legacy, and discover the transformative power of expressive arts in mental wellness—particularly for communities of color.

Jacques also reads from her unpublished and upcoming work, reminding us of the importance of joy, love, gratitude, and staying grounded in our humanity and faith.

🎧 Key Highlights:

• Jacquese’s unique entrance into writing and poetry through a mental health crisis
• The role of expressive arts in her recovery
• Founding the NJ Expressive Arts Café during the pandemic
• How trees, nature, and ancestry shaped her creative process
• Why gratitude is her go-to tool for mental health
• Excerpts from her powerful poetry on healing, truth, and joy
• Her fellowship with Women’s eNews and plans for the future

🔗 Guest Resources:

• Website: Jacques Armstrong on Women’s eNews
• Books: Blues Legacy, Birthing Yourself Naturally
• NJ Expressive Arts Café: A virtual space for healing through creativity