Dr. David Jackson is an Academic, Writer, Public Speaker and War Veteran.
“I am the artist of my existence, shaping who I am through my choices and the challenges I have faced.”
For me, stories are to be told—and the act of witnessing them opens us to transformation, empathy, and the possibility of change. I share my story through deliberate acts of creative expression. As an academic, I explore these narratives through collaboration and creativity. As a performer on stage and screen, I bring them to life with presence and vulnerability. As a musician, songwriter, guitarist, and poet, I foreground a different voice — sometimes in solitude, often in collaboration. Through public speaking, I connect with audiences through humility, humour, and heart. As a proud war veteran, I embody courage, determination, and unselfishness in everything I do.
“Your story makes you what you are. And in the telling, we give meaning to who we are—and who we might become.”
Academic Life
As an academic, I'm deeply focused on finding more impactful ways to represent the stories of veterans and their families. By using creative methods and fostering collaboration, we can uncover fresh perspectives and generate new insights. Most importantly, this approach challenges the assumptions often made about my community, helping to tell their stories in a more meaningful and nuanced way.
Creative Life
I didn’t fully embrace my creative side until later in life. It started with journaling in Moleskine notebooks for therapy and enjoyment, then led to poetry, which became the basis for my songs. Along the way, I’ve performed on stage and screen and directed my first short documentary, What is a War Veteran. As the author Mary Cook once said: “Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”
