Jackie Matthews (she/they) is an American artist, singer, songwriter, poet, editor and mental health worker. She is the founding editor of Puffling Press (a small publishing house in Maine, USA) and the Frost Meadow Review (a biannual poetry publication). While art supplies, muse-ums and inspiration permeated her life, Jackie explored a wide range of professional and aca-demic interests. A multidisciplinary scholar with a big picture mindset, Jackie graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maine with double degrees in Biology (B.S.) and English (B.A.). She worked as a field researcher for seabird conservation in both the North Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. She completed graduate studies in science communication and travelled to Greenland with researchers to document their work for educational purposes. Jackie stays closer to home these days. For fun she expresses herself creatively. She loves to sing and write lyrics. She has written over 50 songs including her first musical theater libretto. As of 2021, she is back in grad-uate school at Northwestern University to pursue the necessary credentials to become a li-censed counselor. She strives to live a creative, joyful, and balanced life. She is honored to have any part in helping others do the same.
Jackie grew up in a family of artists. Some of Jackie’s earliest memories include attending her mother’s art show openings. It was inspirational to see the passion for art shared with so many people. Jackie watched as her grandmother created art until her death at 100 years old. Jackie remembers being given an art set at her grandmother’s house when she was about 4 years old. Jackie also remembers the color wheel and portfolio her mother gave her and the hours they spent exploring art museums talking about the technique of the work within. Occasionally Jackie got to sit in on her older brother’s art classes. As an adult, Jackie has had the privilege of watching him create the award-winning animation “Kamikaze: Trial by Fire” with her sister-in-law.