Q&A with Author, Chrystal J. Raven

Chrystal J. Raven – Author Bio

Chrystal J. Raven is a Canadian, tri-racial poet and artist.
Canvasing sublime emotional landscapes and the inspired energy of nature through the written word and visual mixed media. Combining poetry and mystical philosophy, she shares her stories to connect to self and create a space for readers to explore both celebrated and difficult concepts and experiences.
Her work can be found in The Poetry Institute of Canada’s Anthology volumes: Passages of the Heart and Island Shores; The Far-Shining One from Bibliotheca Alexandrina, and Colonialism and Music Therapy from Barcelona Publishers.

Q&A

What is it about dragons that you love so much?

They hold immense power!

While this has often been expressed in literature and myth through physical brute force and size, on the other end of that I find they wield it through embodying an incredible store of psychic and mystical energy. They’re unapologetically genuine about this, which is captivating for some and terrifying to others.

As a Shamanic Pagan I’ve worked with dragon energy. One of the most powerful and difficult energies to work with for me because it’s difficult to stabilize personal energy amidst the invite to commune with a vibration much more advanced than ours commonly. However, I enjoy a challenge and I’ve certainly been intrigued.

Why do you enjoy writing about dragons?

I enjoy it because my creativity offers a bridge of connection between myself and the massive potential inherent in dragon lore and spirit.

While writing, in a sense, an exchange takes place, developing repertoire with the abundance dragons produce just by being thought or spoken about. Dragon energy brings a lot for creative people to work with. Grounding more potential for everyone to interact with regarding the unseen realms that have been spoken about for eons.

What are some of your favorite books to read featuring dragons?

I like to read any literature on dragons that explores them through metaphysical archetypes directly involved with real life mystical experiences. Dancing with Dragons by DJ Conway was an interesting read.

What got you into writing?

Honestly….love and heartbreak. It was a means for me to begin to pull apart and clarify my feelings and relationship towards a deeply transformative experience I had with someone I lost, but still loved deeply.

I began to write poetry to help me express the complexities of what I was feeling- which was so much more than just feeling sad or angry. I was in awe of my own emotional complexities because they were at times contrasting and I used that to fan the flames of internal conflict. This brought awareness to my own maladaptive habits and it was also a way from which I became less afraid of what was coming up. I also shared my work and got some of it published, which also allowed me to learn how to be okay with grieving out loud. That the personal profound movements that were evoked through my writing didn’t need to stay private. This helped me face shame.

In sharing my work, I realized there was a real space for it in published works, which was encouraging. From there, I began to explore writing from different angles and playing with different themes.

I feel strongly about the idea that aside from the gifts writing gives to the writer, literature in all its forms also offers the reader a reservoir of information at their fingertips. That they may find a story they really needed to read at any given time of their life. Where a perspective that a writer was able to put into words turns out to help the reader in their own life in ways their everyday life may have not offered. This is one big reason I continue to write. It really can be a service to humanity.

If there was one piece of advice you could give to other writers, what would it be?

I have a few pieces of advice:

Develop healthy discernment and a real good relationship with your personal creative vision. This will help create a buffer towards the naysayers- whom often embrace a lack of vision and call it ’the reality of things’. Don’t let them encourage a lack of self-expression.
Your best work will be the work that reveals you. As a form of self-advocacy, being creative with what you’re actually passionate about will develop works of art expressed in ways unique to you. It’ll stand out much more than the stuff you create because you think that what people want to read. Be authentic!
Argue for your ability to hone your writing practice more than you argue for your limitations! It can become an easy habit to fall into to come up with a hundred reasons why you don’t have time to write. Life will get in the way. I get it! I’ve got 4 kids! Lol. However, life also has a tendency to accommodate that which you’re determined to accomplish. So, don’t forget to make space for your passion weekly.
Take trends with a grain of salt. This goes back to writing what you’re passionate about. Just because a writing theme or subject is trendy, doesn’t mean it needs to be written by you. Stick to what truly holds interest for you. If a trend theme fits into that passion for you, great! Go for it! Otherwise consider staying on track with what really moves you to creativity. There is a reader’s niche thriving somewhere for every kind of writer.

Where can readers follow your writer platform?

Learn more about Chrystal at: Author Website | Instagram | Instagram | Facebook