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Connecting with Your Inner Muse: Insights from Kristina Smeriglio
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Description:
On this episode of the eReads Podcast, Kristina Smeriglio offers valuable advice on connecting with your muse. Learn about self-reflective practices that can enhance your creativity and writing skills.
Bio:
Kristina Smeriglio has always been fascinated by the complexities of the human experience. She strives to understand the roles of the mind and the heart, of the psyche and emotions, and so it has become the main theme of her work. Kristina focuses particularly on how the mind and our emotions are affected by our environment and experiences.
Kristina spends much of her time wondering about the human experience and exploring the age-old question, “why are we here?” She explored that same question and many others in her novel, Falling Into Fire, as she dove deep into The Garden of Earthly Delights, the painting by Hieronymus Bosch.
Kristina has a Master’s degree in Writing, a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and a license in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. She combines all this knowledge and wealth of experience in her writing and editing. She currently lives in Miami, FL, where she works as a copywriter and editor for entrepreneurs. Using a holistic approach, she helps clients get to the heart of their message so they can communicate it effectively and achieve their true intentions through writing.your reading pleasure.
Social Media Links:
Website: https://kristysmeriglio.com
Books
Book Title: Falling Into Fire
Connect with Liz
Website https://lizbullardwrites.com
Email: [email protected]
Books
Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome back eReads podcast listeners. It is your host Liz. And this is my podcast where I talk about books, authorship, and all the different parts of the creative process. And today I'm really excited for you to get to know about Christina, who is an amazing author. And I'm sure you will glean so much knowledge from some of her strategies. She talks about journaling and all these different aspects that have helped her get closer to her muse and her creative process. So I'm going to go on pause so we can jump right in and get to know a little bit more about her.
00:00:41
Speaker
Christina, welcome to the show. How are you doing today? Thank you. I'm happy to be here. It's so nice to meet you and speak to you. Thank you. Absolutely. I'm like really excited. You have so many cool things about you that I want to pick your brain about. But before then, before I put you in the hot seat, I'll start with what I call a bookish question, which is just something light and fun in regards to books. So are you ready?
00:01:05
Speaker
Sure. All right. So we're talking about like writing and healing. And it made me think of like, is there a book that just left you feeling inspired? You know, like you walk away from some books and you're just like, Oh, yeah, something clear. Honestly, the first thing I think of is Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way. I'm not sure if you're too familiar with it. But it's a journey.
00:01:29
Speaker
of getting to know yourself. I would say it's like self realization and self actualization through writing. It's a spiritual journey of writing. And one of the principles that she taught is the act of morning pages. So it's writing three pages of longhand writing every single morning, just whatever comes to you with no filter with no innovations. And to be honest, when I went through that journey, and I read her book, that was something that I started incorporating to my life. And the amount of information that came through that really just enlightened me as to what was within me. And that practice really helped me as a writer because I started to get to know like when I take away everything that's distracting me, you know, whatever it's like, Oh, I gotta go do this. I gotta to go do that. When you get rid of all of that, the truth of what's going on inside of you has the opportunity to be revealed. And that practice was something that, you know,
00:02:29
Speaker
that book really enlightened me to that. So it's become kind of a foundation to my writing practice and the everyday. So I would say that's, you know, definitely one of the greatest books that has impacted me as far as healing is concerned. Oh, I definitely have to check that on out. It sounds really good. It's one of my favorites. Yeah, it it sounds really exploratory. And from your book, that's also what you help people do like explore. So please tell us about you know your book.
00:02:58
Speaker
Thank you. Yes. So um my book is falling into fire. It's a fantasy exploration of self through the themes of love, sexuality, relationships, identity, and overcoming traumas through writing. So it is a fantasy. But at the start of the book, we kind of have this very brief picture into Christie, her life. So it's me as a character.
00:03:27
Speaker
We get a brief introduction to her life. She's writing a story that has come to her and she gets into the fantasy and through this fantasy, she's able to take on this character whose name is Priela, right? So through this Priela character, we see this part of Christie and Priela goes through these experiences in the setting of the Garden of Earthly Delights. It's a Renaissance painting by Hieronymus Bosch.
00:03:56
Speaker
and through that sensing with all of its symbolism and All of the tropes within it Priela is able to overcome some serious events in her life So it's something that it is exploratory Because while she is in this setting she asks all these questions all these things coming to her like who am I? what is it that I want and she's trying to relate to the characters in the setting and ultimately, they're all so they do function as a mirror to my real life, right? So this is based very heavily on my real life. And these characters are kind of caricatures of people my real life, as well as these part of my psyche, where we asked these questions to really get to the heart of what was going on, particularly in, um you know, some of the things kind of touched on in adolescence and adulthood, you know, there's a lot having to do with friendships,
00:04:51
Speaker
And just relationships, not only with um you know significant others, but also with family members, with friends. So it is very exploratory in getting to know who she is and what is it that she really wants and what she needs to do in order to achieve that. So well so cool I healed so much through writing this book.
00:05:12
Speaker
even sometimes when I didn't even want to, because I really confronted some of these really hardcore moments in my life, even though it was fantasy. yeah Just to get into that mindset, it was very, you know, if you're familiar, anybody who's familiar with method acting, it was very much that similar kind of process. yeah So I would put myself into that moment, which I had to recall personal moments in my own life. And it was difficult. There were certain scenes Um, this initially was my master's thesis turned into a story, but even when it was my thesis and I had to confront this particular scene, it took me like two weeks just to even write anything down. And it really goes to show that some moments are harder to confront than others, but I stuck through it. And when it was done, you know, and I turned it into a novel with the help of my publisher and my editor. And it turned into such a beautiful experience for me that even goes beyond.
00:06:10
Speaker
just the creation of a book, you know, like this truly impacted my life and it was a way for me to heal, which is, you know, personally what I believe all books should achieve or some way or another. um Like I feel like every book changes you, whether it changes your mind or it so solidifies your stance on something because it strengthens your resolve. So this book was like that for me. And by sharing my story,
00:06:38
Speaker
It was a way for me to help others who went through something similar, but in a way that was more private than just having the person, let's say go to therapy, right you know, cause I know sometimes somebody may or may not be ready or they may not even know that there is something to get over, right? You know, there it's, it's a huge step even for me, you know, having had the experience of therapy, it was very much, a um,
00:07:08
Speaker
a journey just to even say certain things out loud. You know, it's definitely something that it takes a lot of bravery. And whether or not someone is ready for that, or they've already done that, I feel like this book can supplement that healing that you do with others, but in your own mind. So whether or not you're able to say everything to another person and heal with them and that interdependent relationship and type of healing. This is also ah to add internal healing in the privacy of your mind, reading a story written in first person, where you can kind of reflect on yourself and kind of challenge what you think about these specific topics that I present. And I believe, you know, it allows the person to just take on that worldview for a minute and play in that world to just see what they believe. And if they need healing, this is an opportunity for them to go through that process.
00:08:07
Speaker
Oh my goodness. It sounds so layered and so deep and like, I have like so many questions. No, thank you. for having I love questions. I tell people all the time that the question mark is my favorite punctuation mark. but Even like, you know, even though like my editors like statements, Christie statements, and I'm like, but I have so many questions, you know, so I'm very, you know, I love to Um, I'm very much into philosophy and psychology, you know, and I love, I truly love questions and getting to know people. So getting to know myself, it's.
00:08:43
Speaker
It was a great journey too. So yeah, ask all of the questions. ah So first I'll start with this statement. Like you talk at the end about like almost how this can um accompany therapy or be used before someone is even ready. And yeah I love that because oftentimes therapists will sometimes refer to books or use books or sometimes reading will help people be able to identify what's going on with them. And so I always appreciate when folks are able to take their experience.
00:09:13
Speaker
and and translate that, whether it is into fiction or nonfiction, because I think it just can really help for someone to be like, and I love how you talk about it, it's in first person, so that they can put themselves, and I think that's really clever, um because again, I think it helps people to see like, oh yeah, I went through that, or I felt like that, or yeah, this is putting words to this feeling I couldn't name, so I love all those things, but also, ah you talk about this being kind of personal for you, and you know, you were kind of going through things and you mentioned that it was healing. Was it ever hard? You know, how was it writing something that was so personal? It was incredibly hard. Like I mentioned, just even the taste of it, while this story was still, I was working on it for my master's thesis, how there were certain days that I couldn't even approach the story. When I was turning into a novel,
00:10:06
Speaker
What helped me a lot, you know, my editor really pushed me to confront certain things. Even though I already had the motivation between my thesis advisor and later my editor, they really brought certain things to mind. So there's still kind of that interpersonal kind of assistance there. And what I told myself, I'm like, okay, we've already embarked on this journey. We already know that there's something that needs healing, right? There's something that needs to be confronted.
00:10:35
Speaker
If I don't confront it, my life stays the same, which was in a very, I was in a very right unhappy depressive state, right? Cause I felt very lost, aimless, and the character goes through that in the story. I'm like, either I stay the same or I get a little bit uncomfortable, but I have the chance to heal. yeah So whenever those moments would come where I'm like, I really don't want to go here right now.
00:11:01
Speaker
I really don't want to even talk about this. This is extremely personal. As fantasy as it is, it's gonna be pretty clear but that this is very, you know, hitting close to home to me. I was like, you know what, who cares? My guy went through so much growing up. I'm like, if I just keep this to myself, if I don't take the chance, I'm like, not only for me on a personal level, like I said, I would stay the same and I wouldn't grow as a person, right but also now I'm stopping other people potentially from healing, right? Because if I have a story to tell and I was given this prompt to share it in this format, that means that there is somebody out there that could benefit from it, apps or even just me myself, you know, like this act.
00:11:53
Speaker
But I do offer the opportunity that if other people can resonate with this type of healing, with this type of writing, it can affect them. right And I do feel like we're all here to share our message in whatever platform like you. You have a podcast, right? You have this very particular task where you get to share your message through this format. For me, I get to share my message through my book you know and any any kind of writing really, but with this book in particular,
00:12:22
Speaker
I felt the need, I had to share it. So every time I had a really tough moment, and I'm like, I don't know, this is horrible to even think about again, because I could immediately go back to that memory. Like, even though I was just channeling it, I wasn't directly retelling it. Just even like a hint of that moment. I was like, wow, this is very impactful. And then I was like, you know what, if it's hitting me that hard, right? print It even more because There's no way that I'm going to have the life that I want to live if I just hold on to these this pain. you know So I always say that I love to turn my pain into art. And I feel like that's what I'm here to do. So it was like every time it was difficult, it was a challenge. Yeah, maybe it took me a few days. Yeah, maybe it took, you know I had to like meditate on it, like just get a little bit of space from the story and pray.
00:13:16
Speaker
by I would always come back to it with that you know conviction, like I am meant to tell it. So whatever I have to do, I'll go ahead and I would just go for it. So it was difficult, yes, but I just went for it.
00:13:31
Speaker
Absolutely and I think I'm sure the reward is on the pages with feeling that like um I was talking with someone and we're talking about like it's important for you the writer the author to feel that because that's going to translate to the page and like people are going to feel that and like you mentioned like the everyone has a mission message whether that's fiction or non-fiction and being able to get that to folks for someone else to connect and resonate, whether it's for escapism, for healing, whatever that is. But our words connect with others. And so absolutely, I'm so here for that message. um Yeah. and In thinking about kind of like the technicalities of putting the book together, you have a very interesting background in psychology and writing. And I'm going to mess up the last one. it's neal What is the last degree that you have? Neuroleuristic programming, I was licensed.
00:14:24
Speaker
So how did all of that help? And I'm curious in ah having a master's in writing, what does that look like? You know, was that like a really cool experience? Was it hard? ah Tell us more about that. Well, I'll tell you a little bit of the journey that kind of got me there. So in getting my bachelor's in psychology, you know, what I really wanted to do, I was always fascinated by the mind, always fascinated by why we do the things that we do. you know So I figured psychology is a very logical step into being able to serve people in that way. So I always loved psychology. I loved learning it. And number I remember one day I was working part time as a receptionist at a law office and the head attorney there, my boss, he i he asked me, he's like, oh, so what is it that you want to do? And I was like, well, I want to know.
00:15:23
Speaker
why people do the things they do. I want to know the reasons for their actions, why people are the way that they are, you you know, so that I can understand them and better help them. And then he literally wrote those three letters NLP on a piece of paper. And I was like, I had never heard of it before. So I went searching and I actually found the program. And I, I was like, you know, what I'm just going to go for it. And something happened, excuse me, where I was able to,
00:15:51
Speaker
Just sign up for it. I had the means to participate in the certification program. And as I was learning everything, it just all just clicked. You know, just even as far as how we receive information through our representational systems, whether we are more visual, more auditory, more kinesthetic, right? So there is a lot involved in that practice, but those were just even just a hint that, you know, started, it was like a seed. It was planting into my mind.
00:16:18
Speaker
And so I kind of had that background there and then it was time. I knew I wanted to go to graduate school, but I didn't exactly know what I wanted to pursue. You know, it was a bunch of different psychological programs and different areas. I'm like, Oh, what if I, you know, I had wanted to move to California. I was in Miami, but I was like, I want to go to California. I want to go here. I want to try, you know, this is my chance to kind of branch out. And, but all of the programs that I was looking at in psychology,
00:16:48
Speaker
there was always something that didn't feel completely aligned. And I was like, Oh, I don't know. Like there was a little bit of hesitation regarding the specific programs that are available to me at that time. And I did like some soul search. I'm like, okay, what is it that I want to do? Who do I want to work with? So I felt really called to work with adolescents, you know, so young people and teenagers. And I knew that based on my experiences, I wanted to help others that had gone through some type of abuse, whether it's emotional, sexual, physical. And then, but as I started thinking about how it's going to do that practically day in and day out, you know, I thought to myself, much like being a doctor, because I was also like a part of, you know, I was like, I entertain that for a second, i'm like pediatrician, maybe, you know, but then I thought about it, like, could I be the most effective helping these students
00:17:47
Speaker
you know, in that therapeutic setting where, you know, I worked, let's say an eight hour day, seeing clients on a one-on-one basis, day in and day out. And at that particular moment, you know, cause I don't want to speak to forever because obviously as we grow, we evolve, right? But at the particular moment, I was so even in my own pain,
00:18:11
Speaker
that I'm like, you know what, I don't think I would even be ready for that. I don't think I would be the most effective helping students in that setting. So then I was like, okay, well, what's something that I've always wanted to do? What's another way that I could share my message? So You know, and I also explored even teaching, right? But even through helping professionals, yeah, yeah, you know, a lot of the, you know, student teacher kind of relationships, you know, or counselor guide, you know, I loved all of those positions, but they still there was something not completely clicking. You know, I've participated in all of them. I've even been a teacher before. But
00:18:54
Speaker
I truly felt called to go just a little bit deeper into this healing aspect, right? So I reflected back on when I was younger, when I was in middle school, and what helped me get through what I was going through at that particular time was it was actually poetry. So I used to love writing poems, and I remember my teachers kind of commending me for my poetry.
00:19:19
Speaker
And every time I was upset, I would write something. So it was mostly poetry. Sometimes I would write songs. Sometimes, you know, I would just write stories. And I was like, you know what? I love to write. I love books. I know the power of books. Why don't I just dive a little bit deeper into this particular medium? Let me take me. So I ended up finding a writing program nearby.
00:19:47
Speaker
So I live in Miami. The writing program was at Nova Southeastern. So it was just, you know, like 45 minutes away. And it's funny because I have to put together a portfolio. I'm like, okay. So I just kind of put, when I put on like all these pictures, I made it, I made it, I think on like mixed book or something. It's, you know, it made it like hard bound, all super cute. I don't know what I was thinking. Instead of just putting like a document, you know, I made it with pictures and decorations because I love graphics.
00:20:14
Speaker
And funny enough, I applied, and then they lost my portfolio. Stop. Oh, my god. I was like, I went through this whole mission. and I called a bunch of people. Yeah. After all this journey, I just felt called to do it. it you know like With any other opportunity, I might just be like, oh, it wasn't meant to be. But I don't know. There was something in me and out that was like, no, you have to find this portfolio. You need to read your work. you know So I was able to find it. Somehow, I called like seven people. They found it. And they're like, oh, you should just come in.
00:20:43
Speaker
And I ended up speaking to two people in the department. And when I was there, yeah I just felt right. It felt right to be there. You know, so I was like, I haven't even and been and accepted to this program yet, but I just felt right. So I was like, okay, I'm a little unsure. Even people are telling me like, Chris, you didn't study journalism. You didn't study English. What are you thinking? You didn't even write for the newspaper in your high school. Like, you don't have a lot of experience. And I'm like, I don't know. I just have to.
00:21:11
Speaker
So then um you know I opened my heart to that possibility. Next thing I know, I was accepted. you know What I loved about my program, so my particular program was a very intimate program. There wasn't that many students in it. I want to say like maybe max 10 or 12. I'm not exactly sure, but it was like a workshop format. So ah cool the classes is met once a week and they were for three hours.
00:21:39
Speaker
i you know, whatever you signed up for, the class was like six to 830, something like that. It was very catered to people that might have worked during the day, you know, more adult education. And we would just sit around a conference table in like desk chairs. And then there was computers around, you know, we had our professor lecturing us and then it was a workshop. So every single week we had a reading, but we also had a writing assignment and we had to read each other's work, critique it. So it was very immersive.
00:22:09
Speaker
And through my fiction writing workshop was actually when I first got the idea for the story that became falling into fire. So it was actually a short story. It's interesting because that story I wrote it in like eight pages and I was like, it's done. And the next thing I know, I turned it into 45 pages for my thesis and then it ended up being almost 200 as a novel. So it's kind of interesting, like even just that journey alone. Like when I first wrote it as a short story, I'm like, it was inspired by the painting, which was actually shown to me in another class in that program. It was like an editing class. I don't even know, I can't even tell you.
00:22:52
Speaker
why my professor brought up that painting. But he just showed it to us had nothing to do with editing. I can't even remember. Yeah, like one of those things where like it stuck with me. And through this painting and my interaction with the painting and reaction to it, this story was born And even just the fact of how it started off as eight pages and it was done and it turned into so much more, it goes to show like the levels of healing that we go through. Oh wow. That's a good parallel right there. Yeah. You know, I was obviously able to experience some healing when it was eight pages. Like I knew something was happening, right? Like, and it's crazy because that first version was very different to what it is now. It was a much more hardcore.
00:23:39
Speaker
You're wrong. You need to purify yourself. Like this is why this happens because that's all I had heard up until that point from everyone around me. Oh, well, if you had done this, this wouldn't have happened. um yeah So I took, it was a lot of like victim blaming, so to speak. Like, and I blamed myself for so much. So my first version was like that. And I was like, oh, it's done. That's it. That's the whole solution. And then when I turned it into my thesis, then things really started unraveling because Now I had to make the story longer. That task alone really pushed me. It's like, okay, we're gonna expand here. What can we really look at here? And so my advisor really pushed me to start expanding. And it wasn't just expanding descriptions of setting. It was like, okay, no, what's really happening here? What are the scenes that are gonna tell this story? And then that's how my healing really started to unravel. And even just the characters of the story. Those are really great questions too in developing your scene.
00:24:39
Speaker
yeah it's like you know what's happening here what are we trying to say what are we you know what's going on in her mind you know what needs to be told so that's when like the healing got deeper and interesting enough one of the greatest changes that i love to mention because i have um i had this notebook this little you know as a matter of fact if i if you want me to bring it i can bring it I have this sketchbook where I put all my stuff for my story. Yeah, yeah. And in it, you want me to go grab it? Why not? Go ahead. Since we're on this call, I'm totally going to grab it because I'm going to share something with you that I think is very important when it comes to the writing journey. So in the writing journey, as many authors know, there will be changes.
00:25:33
Speaker
Correct. So not everything always stays exactly as we planned it. Things get revealed as we go deeper into a story. So for anybody watching for you, this was my sketchbook and in it, I put all my research and all the little like quotes that I like and I love pictures. I would highlight everything that I was going through. And when I was making like my character sketches, so I guess most people like do this online. I wanted a physical sketchbook.
00:26:02
Speaker
And the angel in my story, the first name I gave him was Malachi. Now the reason he was named Malachi is because Malachi is a name, means angel or messenger. And I was like, that's obvious. Little did I know, I remember when I was nearing towards like, probably like two thirds of the way in, I remember my thesis advisor telling me like, why did you name him that? So I told her and she's like, do you know who Malachi is in the Bible. Now, the reason she brought that up is because there was a lot of religious themes in my story. So she knew like a lot of it was impacted and influenced by my upbringing. So she asked me, do you know who that is in the Bible? And I'm like, as a matter of fact, I totally don't. you know like That's one of those things like it just I didn't know. And she's like, OK, well, I want you to just marinate on that. like Go look it up.
00:26:59
Speaker
And I want you to just take a little peek as to his function in, you know, the Old Testament. So I ended up learning that he is, you know, the story of him in the Old Testament is like the last one, I guess, before the New Testament. And to sum it up very shortly, the part that impacted me the most was that he served, you know, as my advisor kind of brought up too, as a warning. Like if you don't get right,
00:27:29
Speaker
bad things are going to happen. Right? So this is very stern, hardcore, you better fix this, you know, because things are happening, right? This is your time to get in line. You were talking about healing. Yeah, and it was a very strong force. And I remember reading that I was like, that's like hardcore, like very like very like repents, you know, like bad, you got to fix a repent for your you know, your mistakes. And I was like, man, that's like really harsh.
00:27:59
Speaker
And then I started reflecting and I'm like, is that really the message that I want to send? Cause this angel serves as her guide, as her support system throughout your healing. Yeah. And I'm like, is this really the right person? But then I realized without even knowing, I gave that character a name that matches. Perspective that I had received throughout my life up until that point.
00:28:29
Speaker
That's how strong that influence was. That I even, without even knowing, gave that name to this character and it did match what I was told before. oh You made that mistake. That's why people treated you like that. Like you want to get this result. You want a boyfriend, you got to do X, Y, and Z. You don't have that because of this. And it was very stern growing up. And then I was like, man, like without even knowing,
00:28:55
Speaker
I gave that character that kind of personality. But then I realized I'm like, that wasn't effective. That's what I've had my whole life. And while it made a lot of sense to me, it wasn't the most effective and truly what I needed in order to have the most um effective strong healing, you know, to actually overcome what I went through. I knew it, but it wasn't that wasn't the way.
00:29:23
Speaker
right? So that wasn't the path I need to take. So then I ended up changing, um, the angel's name to Michael to match the Archangel Michael. So Archangel Michael, he represents truth and justice. And that's what I really wanted. I was like, okay, even though the Archangel Michael is super hardcore, you know, like as a character, right? And an archetype is a very hardcore angel. I was like, the hardcore doesn't bother me.
00:29:50
Speaker
It's what is the message that is being fought for here? You know, so even though- That's a really good question there. Like what is the message? Because it has so much depth and I think sometimes with stories we miss that and like that really helped you to layer. Like you talked about going from eight pages to 45 pages. So that, you know, as a real, I'm gonna write that question down. Like what is the message here?
00:30:17
Speaker
That's really what it came down to. And what I really wanted was I wanted to get to the truth. And I wanted justice as far as you know whatever needs to happen is going to happen. right But I wanted it from a more truthful aspect and more just that kind of personality as opposed to just you made all these mistakes, fix them. You know what I mean? Like, it's just the impression. And who knows, like, maybe if I was to read the book of Malachi now, it'd be all very different. But, you know, I remember just at that point, that was the message I needed to receive about that, you know? So all of the characters in my story, I started reflecting on how they were named, how they were being represented, how did they really function in her life and ultimately in mine. And that was a journey even of itself.
00:31:04
Speaker
You know, like a lot of my story is the characters and the dynamics with each other more so than just, you know, the plot of the story. She goes from here to here. Like the most important aspect is her relationship, you know, Priela's relationship with the other characters as well as with herself, you know, and they all serve as mirrors to her. So.
00:31:26
Speaker
it was It was intense, but I love it. Absolutely. I wanted to say, like when you brought out like your sketchbook and thinking about your your background in neuro-linguistic programming, I got it that time. Yes, you totally did. And thinking about the different ways that people learn and having that visual, um I'm sure is very effective. And I was thinking today, actually,
00:31:51
Speaker
um about having like um like a novel vision board, right? you know Where you get to like see and at least for me, I know that would be really helpful to have those visuals. So um I might play around it and do that because I can imagine that being really helpful to having that depth and really having that exploration. um yes Christina, before I ask you to share where folks can get your book, kind of a question that I have because there's so much tied to like your personal healing and your personal journey.
00:32:19
Speaker
And you know, like sometimes we can see folks or at least like I have seen folks sometimes take their life story and just turn it into a novel. But then it kind of it doesn't go anywhere. It doesn't resonate with people. Is there anything or like that you felt like you did or that you you would love for people to know so that they can take their story from just being their healing journey to being something that can help someone else? That was also a big part of my journey.
00:32:49
Speaker
was how to tell my story in a what genre. Yeah. So even though I really was inspired by this painting and this story came out, you know, I kind of grappled with that idea. Should I turn it into a memoir? Right. And, you know, especially after I wrote my thesis, I was like, OK, turn it into a novel. Should I keep, you know, should I leave it as fantasy? Should I turn it into nonfiction?
00:33:18
Speaker
And to be honest with this very particular story in that particular time that I was writing it, I firmly believe that it had to be fantasy. I think that sometimes when we heal, there is a benefit to having some kind of detachment, you know, where we can look at things objectively. We can even know it is a very subjective experience. And I totally inserted myself into it. And it was a constant.
00:33:48
Speaker
kind of battle with myself. There were certain things that I could not have done with my story had it been memoir. You know, one of the main things that I accomplished by making a fantasy was, particularly with the character Jonah. So Jonah serves as like her main love interest in the story. Now, these characters, you know, have characteristics of people in my real life, but that particular character He serves more as a caricature, a mixture, combination, conglomerate. I don't even know what word. I remember using that word for a bunch of people in my life. So he represents a mixture and a pattern. So these events that happened in my life, it was a pattern, which almost makes it worse because they were not isolated events.
00:34:46
Speaker
Like it was like, oh, this just happened here and I'm dealing with it. You know, like that would be a different story. What I noticed in my particular life was it was just a pattern and it wasn't even always a big event. Sometimes it was just a moment. This man tried me in this way, whether it was, you know, he physically grabbed my hand and made me do something I didn't want to do or they would grab me or they would say something.
00:35:14
Speaker
So in that particular you know moment where I had to decide how am I gonna tell this, I'm like, okay, do I need to just go moment by moment talking about these different men in my life? Or can I tell it another way? And at that particular moment, I'm like, you know what, it really doesn't matter what these men did or who these men particularly were. What mattered the most was how I received it and you know the destruction and the trauma that I had to overcome. Because at the end of the day, when I think about these events, particularly with my experience, I can't speak to other people's experience, but with mine, you know a lot of these guys in my life were guys that I liked. They were had a connection with like
00:36:06
Speaker
And I was young like there was this pressure like and that's why like I even though I don't touch on it too deeply in the story. There was a lot of societal pressures, cultural pressures, you know, what is a man supposed to do? How is a woman supposed to to be? And it was those perceptions, which is this is where like the NLP comes in, like those beliefs kind of informed my actions. But at the end of the day,
00:36:31
Speaker
and Many times, you know, I wanted to say no, but I couldn't say no so then this pain was a result, you know, so It's very complex these situations that would happen and at the moment. I'm like, you know what? just going one by one talking about these different guys at this time is not gonna function the best way for me to heal what I need to do is okay, I'm going to I touch on these things that happened, you know, maybe highlight some moments, but what really matters is how I received it because that's what I needed to heal. Not necessarily if the guy was interested in me and he made a move, right? Which, you know, I wasn't comfortable with whatever. That's a whole different story.
00:37:16
Speaker
you know that we can talk about. Yeah, ah which also like in thinking about, again, like you're talking about first person and your character really thinking about how is she experiencing that. And I i think sometimes in reading, like we try and give too many perspectives and like, yeah especially when you're talking about these things, it ah like you talked about like how you internalized it, how you felt it, like that's the story. Absolutely. um Exactly. And that's what I really wanted to touch on because that was what the problem was.
00:37:45
Speaker
you know So at that particular time when I was that age writing the story for the first time, the memoir autobiography route, I couldn't even talk about it that way. That was the thing too. Not only did I feel like it wasn't the best route, I could not talk about it that way because it was very hard for me to confront. So having this fantasy and you know diving into a painting and thinking about life, like it was it gave me the opportunity to look at these things and kind of meet me where I was at emotionally so that I can get stronger to really hit hard with these you know deeper themes. Had I just gone on it head on and just wrote a memoir like straight like all right cool this was my experience guys this is what I went through at that age like because yeah I started writing this in like my mid-20s or early 20s at that age I could not do that
00:38:39
Speaker
Like, they wasn't even coming out, you know, but through fiction, through fantasy, it did. And so I think that for some people that, let's say for me, I wasn't even ready to see a therapist at that point, and you know, I wasn't able to tell my story in any kind of way. So I think that that genre was very much a gift to me, to just slowly dip my toes into the water of healing, to then slowly build my resolve, and then dive into my story. And then it turned into what it is now. you know Do I think I could write memoir later? Yes, I think there's a lot of power in that. And I actually do want to write a nonfiction version. um Oh, that would be so cool. Yeah, and just telling the journey of this book, even just the story about turning Malachi into Michael for the name.
00:39:29
Speaker
Oh, absolutely. I would love to like read that up. but speaking of Speaking of upcoming projects, um this time for real, before you tell me, ah tell us where you can get your book, is there any upcoming projects or any upcoming things for you? Well, um I have actually dived a little bit into creating a course to help other people do the same thing that I did with my book. That's something that I am exploring because I do really want to help. Um, in a coaching capacity, I want to be able to help others who want to do something similar to what I did, which was, you know, overcoming traumas and revealing their truth through a story. Um, but apart from that, I do, it might be time to talk about the process, right? The nonfiction version where I'm talking essentially what I've been sharing with you today. Um, I would like to explore that. A lot has been coming through.
00:40:29
Speaker
ever since I published this book. So now it's just a matter of getting organized, seeing what is ready to be told. But yeah, I do think um I am working on a course that I would like, you know, to be able to share or even just, you know, maybe not in a course format, but just helping people one on one who want to achieve something similar. But I also I am working on sharing the process of how this book came out because I feel like there's a lot The story goes beyond itself. It really is the process to me that was most impactful. I just want to share it. Absolutely. Thank you for giving us that behind the scenes. You can tell there was a lot of love and thought poured into this as well as a lot of your journey and healing. Thank you for being vulnerable and open. Thank you. Please share. How can folks go and pick up this book?
00:41:23
Speaker
Thank you. So yes, my book is available. You can order it online through either Barnes & Noble or Amazon, um but it's available wherever books are sold. um But the hardcover is at Barnes & Noble. And then if you want paperback, it's also on Kindle Unlimited. So you can order the book through there. Nice. And how can folks connect to you, whether like website or social media information? So anywhere on the internet, pretty much, I go by Christie's Moriglio.
00:41:51
Speaker
So that's my handle on all my social medias. I'm on Instagram, Facebook, ah LinkedIn, Twitter, pretty much all of them TikTok. Um, and then my website is ChristieSmoregio.com. So on that website, you can see my portfolio. And also I, um, I have a blog where I love to share my thoughts. I'm very much stream of consciousness writer. So I do love to share my thoughts, some of which, you know, I've touched on a little bit in my story.
00:42:19
Speaker
but more in a day-to- day-to-day basis so people can see some more of my writing there as well. Lovely. Thank you so much, Christina, for for stopping by and sharing all of your experience. Thank you. Is there anything else you want to leave folks with? um Any last words? Honestly, I would just say if you have a story in you or if you've overcome anything, like just know that you really can do anything you set your mind and heart to. And I always motivate people to write their stories. doesn' It doesn't matter that there's a million thousand billion books, yeah like it's innumerable how many books there are out there. There is nothing like sharing your story. So I always encourage people to share their story because I mean, I want to hear it. You know, I i love to know I love people and I want to hear people's stories. So if anyone else is motivated to
00:43:12
Speaker
whether sharing the same format that I did or just in another way, I always encourage people to write. So that's what I would say. Thank you again so much for stopping by and sharing. Christina, thank you so very much. Oh, and y'all, if you missed any of her socials, it'd be on the episode show notes. So make sure you go and check that out. Christina, you have a lovely rest of your day and thank you. And when you have this course out, come on back and tell us all about it. Yes, thank you so much for having me on your show.