This week on She Who Dares Wins, Michelle is joined by poet Jem for a powerful conversation about creativity, survival, and showing up authentically. From homelessness at 16 to reading poetry on stage at the Southbank Centre, Jem’s story is about resilience, play, and the healing power of words.

Jem talks openly about neurodivergence, family estrangement, and breaking cycles as a parent, while also reminding us why art doesn’t always have to be monetised — sometimes it’s simply about joy and expression.

Key Takeaways

• Poetry as survival – Jem explains how writing became a way to process trauma and emotions.
• The importance of play – Creativity and play are vital tools for both kids and adults.
• Neurodivergence and identity – Naming difference helped Jem turn shame into self-understanding.
• Breaking cycles – Parenting with self-awareness means doing things differently.
• Owning creativity – Art doesn’t have to earn money to matter.

Timestamps

• 0:00 – Introduction: Michelle and Jem’s beer-making memory, and Jem’s journey into poetry.
• 1:49 – Homelessness at 16 and discovering poetry as an accessible art form.
• 3:53 – Rediscovering writing during Covid and finding community in a neurodivergent group.
• 5:30 – Winning a national poetry competition and finding external validation.
• 7:22 – Why play and creativity are essential, not optional.
• 18:43 – Navigating neurodivergence, early misdiagnosis, and the power of labels.
• 21:57 – Jem reads In Which I Compare My Father to the Dog That He Is.
• 32:26 – Jem performs Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and reflects on turning trauma into art.

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