Wilson, who came from a troubled upbringing and began dealing drugs as a teen in Lake Highlands, has countless stories of why she should be a convicted felon if not already dead. When reflecting on her life up to her mid-20s, Wilson remembers many close calls of being pulled over with “all kinds of stuff” and not being busted. And her three-year period as a meth addict.
She also recalls more harrowing moments, like the time she and her friends were tied up together like sardines, held at gunpoint and pistol-whipped for nine hours over stolen money.
“I have a handful of stories like that, but the whole point of it all is that it’s trauma, not marijuana, that’s the gateway drug,” Wilson says. “And that’s a real hard addiction to beat.”
Despite the difficulties, Wilson managed to beat her addictions decades ago and now works as a life coach in North Texas. When she’s not mentoring clients, she spends her free time hosting and booking The Love Mic, a “mental health open mic” she created two years ago as a way to inspire people to be open about their struggles with mental health.
Wilson’s first encounter with open mics came years ago when she tried using comedy to start conversations about mental health. After a few sets, she became tired of her own jokes and realized she’d rather see other people take the stage. Soon, Wilson began hosting open mic events at Chocolate Secrets in Oak Lawn, where she welcomed local musicians, comedians and other varieties of performers to showcase their talents.
Since outgrowing the former venue’s occupancy space, The Love Mic, which Wilson named after the idea that “we’re all born of love until life happens,” is now held at Sundown at Granada every Monday night. Wilson, sometimes accompanied by her puppet, Torch, emcees between acts that showcase dozens of Dallas performers both new and experienced.
The open mic celebrated its 10th show in March and has steadily seen monthly regulars start to frequent her shows, a milestone she’s wanted to reach since the mic’s inception.
“They’re [Sundown at Granada] telling me I’m doing what’s never been done before: keeping an audience for open mics,” Wilson says. “But these people that come out to perform at The Love Mic, they’re so good that they deserve an audience. They all deserve for people to hear them, and to hear themselves.”
Wilson jokes that a ticket to The Love Mic is only $8 if you can't afford therapy. All interactions throughout the show, both on and off the stage, go toward the creation of a judgment-free environment where people can be themselves. Whether channeling humor in a comedy set or singing it out in a self-written song, Wilson feels she and other performers often find ways to release and cope with past traumas behind the mic.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilson says she would have lost friends for talking about her feelings. But today, she’s made new ones at The Love Mic by starting those same conversations. As talks about mental health struggles become more widely accepted, Wilson aims to further challenge her community through each Love Mic.
Coaching the Unknown
As a life coach and “just a regular person in need of love and community,” Wilson continues to provide a platform for acceptance that her younger self never had. By doing so, she hopes to humanize people’s perceptions about issues like mental health and addiction, whether it’s another person's or their own.“I think I might have still been suicidal before this,” Wilson says. “Like, if people just asked, ‘Would you rather die or live?’ the answer was always just, ‘Die.’ Sure, I'm doing OK, but I still struggle on a regular basis to just be a human. And ever since, this community, it has been like my weekly serving. This is not about the money at all, this is truly just about serving that dose of humanity for other people. And I don't want to be anything more.”
Wilson becomes emotional when she thinks about what The Love Mic has done for her, and she hopes it brings some fun light into the start of people's week.
“All I know is that this is my life's purpose,” Wilson says. “I’m here to provide a safe environment for a bunch of people and to inspire people about mental health through my story. And as each show goes on, I’m lucky enough to still be able to figure out what that should look like each Monday night.”
With all she’s experienced throughout her life, Wilson is convinced she’ll have a documentary made about her one day. While she says a lot of the first half might be the “heaviest shit you’ll ever have to watch,” she’s excited to see what will appear on screen just before the credits roll. She imagines a modern-day scene will show her healthy and sober, standing behind her Love Mic mic, interacting with a self-made community she never thought she’d be around to see.
“Not all of what I’ve done has been pretty,” Wilson says. “But being vulnerable about it helps me inspire others to talk about it themselves, to get better themselves. We all deserve to see that better ending.”
The Love Mic is held each Monday at Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave., from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. General admission is $8, and a reserved table for two is $24. More information can be found at eventbrite.com.
