Why I Started Performing Hearts — A Letter from Our Founder

Throughout my journey in life, I have had the privilege of witnessing some of the most amazing, resilient, and beautiful women you could ever meet. Women full of light, full of potential, full of love to give. And yet, so many of them were struggling in silence — battling suicidal ideations, enduring domestic violence, and carrying the invisible weight of childhood trauma that no one ever gave them the tools to heal.

What broke my heart the most was realizing that so much of the pain these women carried was preventable. The trauma was real. The wounds were deep. But with the right tools, the right community, and the right environment — things could have been different. Things can be different.

I became filled with compassion. And then I became filled with conviction.

Someone needed to sound the alarm. Someone needed to step forward, create a safe space, and say — this ends here. I felt in my heart that person was me.

That is why I founded Performing Hearts.

Performing Hearts was born from a belief that creative expression is not just art — it is medicine. It is a call to action. Through performance, painting, storytelling, movement, and community, we compel women and children to rise above the seduction of trauma. We use the arts as a tool to ignite healing, prevent suicide, and break the cycle of domestic violence.

This is not just a nonprofit. This is a movement.

If you are a woman who has struggled in silence — this is your invitation. There is a place for you here. You are not too broken, too far gone, or too much. You are exactly who Performing Hearts was created for.

Together, we heal. Together, we rise.

With love and purpose,

Stephanie Nelson

Visionary & Founder, Performing Hearts