Joanna C. Valente: “Writing helps me process my emotions”

How have you used writing as a healing or trauma recovery tool? How does it give you autonomy and self-understanding?

It's a way for me to process and evaluate my emotions objectively, to try to see the areas I can grow, but also reach understanding and empowerment, to work through emotions. Emotions, thankfully, aren't always facts. And it's empowering to see that, even if they were at a time.

Do you integrate writing into your ritual/spiritual/magical life?

Definitely. Magic is part of everything I do. Language is magic, and manifests what we speak, what we intend, and in a way, that's a spell.

If we put three writers or books into a circle to summon you, who/what would they be?

Virginia Woolf, Federico Garcia Lorca, Toni Morrison—because I love them and am inspired by them. 

Is there a single piece/book of writing that has helped to heal you? How has it helped?

This isn't a book of writing but the tarot has in general. It's helped me spiritually and creatively.

Joanna recommends supporting: The Operating System and Brooklyn Poets.

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