On Sunday 14th April 2024, I was honoured to make a guest appearance on the Ian Henrey Show on Black Country Xtra Radio show. I was instantly welcomed to the studio and introduced to the staff there who word very hard to ensure the smooth running of the radio station.
Recording felt very natural to me, and it was as if I had done it before - however, I haven't! The host, Ian Henrey asked me a series of questions about me, my company CAB Inspirational Ltd and I was able to perform three of my poems, two from my poetry book 'After Trauma' and one that I performed when I was guest poet at the Walsall Society of Artists 73rd Annual Exhibition, that ran for 3 months.
Question: Please share with us your incredible story of setting up CAB Inspirational Ltd because when you were on your own healing journey, where emotions expressed themselves as words, you posted content online - and within 3 months you had a global audience of 13,000 people.
Answer: It started in 2020, I used to write a diary when I was experiencing lots of emotions and feelings as I didn't want to let them 'build up'. I had to make a choice on how to express them and I chose to do it in a healthy way, in the form of writing.
Before long, my diary entries started to be directed to helping other people, saying "I know how YOU feel", rather than "this is how I feel". It helped me a lot and I wondered if there was someone in the world needing some support, so I posted on social media and suddenly, I had 13,000 people following my poems, quotes and inspirational based topics. Not only that, I was receiving many messages from strangers, thanking me for helping them, the confirmation from this was enough to continue.
Question: Everyone bandies the term around "mental health". Why is looking after our mental health so important?
Answer: In the world we live in, life is moving faster than ever. With mental health being compromised as a result. Anxiety, depression, PTSD, fear amongst young children and going int adulthood. It needs to change! Our world needs to pace itself to allow our minds to catch up. It's no surprise that 1 in 6 people experience a mental health problem at some time in their life (GOV.UK).
When faced with a physical health problem, we go to a medical professional, get support/treatment and you're wished "Get Well" by family and friends. If a mental health problem arises, there is a hesitancy before seeking support and rarely do people say "Get Well", it is more of a topic preferred to be avoided. This is where the problem lies, because of left unsupported or untreated, the condition, like a physical illness, is likely to get worse.
Cheryl Ann Boot on The Ian Henrey Show at Black Country Xtra
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