E065 Jason Schreurs Supportive Punk Rock Community
Let’s Be Well Together Podcast - Episode 65
Date: April 25, 2023
Participants: Elise Seifert, Sheila Webster, Cameron Earnshaw, John Webster and Stephen Seifert
Guest: Jason Schreurs
Start times and Segments:
[0:00:35] What’s On Your Mind: Elise and Sheila reminisce about the vibrancy of New Delhi. We’ll have future segments about Elise’s trip to India. Sheila joined her for part of it. The traffic, the noise, the sights, the colours, the aromas, the people – they all hit the senses in a vibrant way.
[0:09:56] Expanding Minds Interview: [Social Wellness] We interview Jason Schreurs. He’s a music and mental health writer, and host of internationally renowned Scream Therapy Podcast. His book Scream Therapy – A Punk Journey Through Mental Health will be released May 1 through Mansfield Press. Jason spoke to us on Episode 55 about punk rock as a form of therapy and living with bipolar. This time he talks about the punk scene providing support and space to feel authentic and comfortable. It’s a very welcoming place for people who are marginalized. You walk through the door of a punk show and people aren’t saying, “Get out of here kid. You’re a loser.” They’re saying, “Oh cool. You’re a freak and a loser. Come and hang out with us. We all are”. Jason thought, “this is where I belong”. He knew it right away. He felt excited and validated and empowered by being at the shows. It just feels right. It feels like he’s around the people he belongs with. Jason’s always felt that punk rock saved his life. He’s heard that from others too.
[0:25:01] Adventures of the Starving Artist: Cameron gives us a glimpse of what he’s working on for a session contract. What he came up with is much different than what he imagined before he started the creative process.
[0:28:34] Move That Body: There’s not magic pill. Just get off your butt and do it. Take time to include exercise in your life.
[0:33:23] Running Popup: John had a nice surprise connected to his book, Accidentally Well. It felt great to check off one of the goals he was hoping to achieve with it.
[0:36:14] Flipside of the Coin: It’s hijacked by Elise and Stephen, who tell us how they met. We’ll get other perspectives and they jump into Flipside from time to time.
Quotes and Take-Aways:
Jason – I’ve always had the belief that punk rock saved my life. I tried to really think about that. I realized I was using punk rock and the punk rock scene as my everything. It was my place where I felt comfortable. I felt well when I was at shows. I felt I was as much as a whole person as I could be.
Jason – The punk rock community is very welcoming. It’s funny to say, but they’re actually very warm people. It’s not how people would necessarily think about punk rock.
Jason – People in all walks of life have backgrounds in punk rock. The person you see on the street who you would never guess would be a punk rocker, that person is one.
Jason – I think there’s a misconception about punk rock being very whitewashed and standardized. It’s just not like that. It’s a very welcoming place for people who are marginalized. There’s a lot of queer people and bipoc people in the punk scene [black, indigenous, and other people of color]. That to me points to the fact that it’s a supportive community. People say they feel safe there. That’s the long and short of it. You need to have a place of refuge in life.
Jason – You walk through the door of a punk show and people aren’t saying, “Get out of here kid. You’re a loser.” They’re saying, “Oh cool. You’re a freak and a loser. Come and hang out with us. We all are”. It’s a self-empowered term to say you’re a freak or a weirdo or a nerd. That’s not common in society. For me it was “this is where I belong”. I knew it right away. I felt so excited and validated and empowered by being at the shows. It just feels right. It feels like you’re around the people you belong with.
Bulletin Board Quote brought to you by Elise: I was passing a cow and it tried to head butt me.
Guest Information: Jason Schreurs is a music and mental health writer, host of the internationally renowned Scream Therapy podcast, and self-proclaimed punk weirdo living in Powell River, BC, a small coastal town on the traditional territory of the Tla’amin Nation. He has contributed to Visions Journal (Canadian Mental Health Association), Transition Magazine (Disability Alliance BC), OC87 Recovery Diaries, New Noise Magazine, Noisey (Vice), Alternative Press, and Exclaim! He’s a recent graduate of the MFA in Creative Nonfiction Program at the University of King’s College. When Jason’s not writing, podcasting, facilitating a bipolar support group, or doing other mental health advocacy work, he’s screaming into dented microphones and beating on his guitar like it’s a percussion instrument. His book Scream Therapy: A Punk Journey through Mental Health is available May 1 from Mansfield Press.
Jason’s book - Scream Therapy: A Punk Journey through Mental Health: screamtherapyhq.com
More info and the book pre-order link: screamtherapyhq.com/book
Jason’s website: jasonschreurs.com
Podcast website: https://screamtherapyhq.com/podcast
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Thanks for joining us,
(-(-_(-_-)_-)-) Your wellness check-in team
John, Sammy, Cameron, Sheila, Elise, Isabelle and Julie