We were lucky to catch up with Jacqui Blue recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jacqui thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I was dealing with a pretty serious postpartum depression in 2022, following the birth of my daughter. In 2020 I released my second documentary, a feature film addressing the suicide crisis, called “I Chose Life: Stories of Suicide & Survival” which features Jared Padalecki (Supernatural, Walker. Gilmore Girls) and T.O.N.E-z (Justified), among many others who share their stories. My first documentary called “Beautiful Births”, which focuses on the Midwifery Model of Care, was released in 2014. And here I was in 2022, in a very dark space after giving birth and I sought out coping mechanisms for survival. For me, as an artist and writer, who has a good understanding of mental wellness, I turned to writing. I ended up redirecting my mental energy by focusing on writing a book. I turned my Hypnotherapy program for pregnancy and childbirth into a first-of-its-kind book, making it an interactive book with 15 full chapters, and then the second section of the book is a full six session hypnotherapy program with QR codes that link the reader to videos and MP3s. There are workbook pages in the book that correspond with each session. I used my creative outlets and knowledge from my previous projects to help me survive a deep, dark, severe postpartum depression. The making of this book, Beautiful Hypnosis-Births, literally saved my life. And because of that, I decided to include extended postpartum support for new parents in my program.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
In 2011 I was in an abusive marriage and the night I told my ex-husband I wanted a divorce, he tried to kill me. As I was lying in a pool of my own blood I thought to myself “If I survive tonight, I am changing everything about my life and I’m going to pursue my dreams before I die.”
Several days later I enrolled in a film program and put myself back through school, while raising five little kids. A few years after that I put myself through school again and studied the subconscious mind, becoming a hypnotherapist and mindset coach.
Now I make documentary films, write books, and help people change their lives by changing their minds.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The night I found myself lying in a pool of my own blood just because I wanted out of a toxic relationship, is a scary reality that many women don’t survive. Too many women are killed at the hands of their loved ones, and the most dangerous time being when they try to leave. I told myself if I survived, I was going to change everything about my life and pursue my dreams. I am well aware that every day since that night, is me living on borrowed time. I should have died that night, like all the other women have. Survivors guilt still hits me hard. So many women have had their dreams and lives stolen from them and I was given a second chance to live and try to thrive. That has been driving me ever since. I will either become successful with my goals, or I will die trying but I won’t give up on myself. I owe it to myself, my children, and all the victims of domestic violence who didn’t survive.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I think it’s a gift to be able to take my own pain and trauma and turn those emotions into something productive, creative, and healing. I can take my art and share it with others and help them through tough times, or show them that even the worst of situations can be reframed into a positive. For a lot of artists, our art is our therapy. I am always evolving and becoming a better version of myself with every hard lesson life teaches me, I grow. That growth isn’t always easy or pleasant. I am someone who feels too much, and many times it feels like a curse more than a blessing to be so sensitive. However, I’ve learned how to turn pain to something productive, beautiful, or a healing tool. I help my clients learn to do this in my hypnotherapy practice, as well as practice a healthy mental diet. Being a creative just means we have different outlets and coping mechanisms than non-creatives, and when our art helps others, at least in my case, I can take comfort in feeling like my pain had a purpose.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mindmagiccoach.com , https://jacquiblue.net , https://starseedpictures.net
- Instagram: @jacquibluelife