Charlotte Varcoe
MOUNT Gambier/Berrin resident Jo-ann McKay has detailed her survival and resilience after abuse and domestic violence throughout her life in her debut collective poem ‘Rise Little One Rise’.
Releasing a book about her journey had been Ms McKay’s life ambition in an effort to help her own healing and become her strong true self.
Choosing to write her journey in poetry to help portray her life experiences Ms McKay told The Border Watch she was in disbelief when she received the first copies of her published work.
“I started writing the book about seven years ago but at the time I didn’t know I was writing a book,” Ms McKay said.
“I knew my story had to be told at some point and circumstances changed and put it on the back burner.”
The collection depicts Ms McKay’s different stages of coming out of abuse and domestic violence.
“It was about how to process that and for me, it was about putting words on paper,” she said.
“It is focused on processing childhood abuse and domestic violence and working out the signs and confusion amongst it.
“Back in those days it was not really talked about but we are much more educated now.”
Ms McKay said for her, the healing process was about “unravelling and seeking help” from the trauma she suffered and coming across the right counsellor for her situation.
“I needed to feel safe to unravel all the different lies and gaslighting techniques, the manipulation strategies and blame shifting to be able to get where I am now,” she said.
“When you are in the situation, you get all clouded and you are in fight or flight mode.”
She said she hoped her work would be able to give people a different look on life through the sight of a survivor but also as one who had healed and continued to heal.
“The goal of the work is hoping it inspires others and it is so important for people to find their own healing process because everyone’s healing journey is different,” Ms McKay said.
“Not one of us has got the same story, we have got similar stories or similar characteristics in the stories and I find with some people that you come across the terminology and the words we use are very similar.
“There is that kindred spirit and I think for me, is to be that beam of light.”
Ms McKay will be attending an official book release at the Mount Gambier Library on Wednesday night from 7pm alongside The Haven.