Growing up, I knew there was something wrong with my family picture. My mother fell into drugs and my father could be anywhere on this planet, but it wasn't with his children. I ended up in Foster Care and bounced around from home to home, all while trying to understand what was happening in my life. Writing was my escape from this reality. I remember my teachers gifting me the left over notebooks from the school year. This was a special moment for me. Writing allowed me to have control over all the details. I could make the bad look good, diminish pain, and make special things happen. I could even make the sky green if I really wanted to! Writing allowed me to create a place where I felt safe.
Interviewer: We are currently sitting at Thalia's most recent cafe spot find, Ground Up Coffee in Montebello, CA. She visits on and off as she likes to switch things up often. Especially when it comes to setting. The passing of semi trucks is Thalia's new calm sound. In your writing, you make it very clear that your surroundings and experiences are all over the page. Whether that be your words, your titles, or even dialogue. Readers are there with you. Your writing is impactful and we instantly catch the sense you're being vulnerable. You approach writing in a very unique way and your process is inspiring. I would love to know more about the kick off of Thalia the Writer. Where did this all really start for you?
Thalia: I spent my time writing stories about everything around me. I wrote my first hit in Second grade. It was a story about a flying Hot Cheeto who traveled from Mars to Earth to visit his best friend. I have so much fun writing. Going back and re-reading, editing, rearranging, adding characters – At such a young age, I had no idea how much I would grow to adore writing. I remember always running out of pages to write on for in-class assignments and eagerly asking my teacher for more paper. I always kept a stapler at my desk to add on the extra pages. I approached writing with pure innocence. Stumbling across writing has been the best thing to ever happen to me. I am on a never ending journey with writing.
Interviewer: That is a true testament to how you create your own world on page. And that sounds like such a fun story! It is clear writing has been a huge part of you since a very young age. If you had to share the biggest difference writing made in your life, what would that be?
Thalia: I truly believe writing saved me and eased a lot of the pain I experienced growing up. It was my true savior. When things in the outside world got too loud, I turned down the volume with my words. It continues to make a difference in my life, and I wish the same escape for those in similar circumstances. Whether that be through writing, painting, music, etc. I very often struggle with verbally sharing and understanding my feelings and thoughts, but when I have a pen and paper, it almost feels like I’m under a spell. Everything starts to magically make sense.
Interviewer: Wow! I am happy to hear writing helped you process the difficult parts of life. Are all of these notebooks full of that type of writing? How do you decide what you're going to write?
Thalia: Honestly, I just let the words flow when I'm writing. Sometimes they don’t make sense, but they eventually form into pieces that move me. Sometimes they turn into words of advice. Moments lived. Moments I want. Feelings I didn’t know existed. More times than often, things that make me laugh. And sometimes, even answers. I am constantly meeting new parts of myself when writing. One thing that's constant is the engagement of the senses.
Interviewer: Can you tell us a bit more about how you use senses in your process?
Thalia: My process is constantly changing, but it almost always starts with a song, a smell, a person, or even a food that inspires a line that then turns into a short story, joke, sketch, or something deep. I don’t apply too much pressure to the process. I try to let it flow as naturally as possible. With the help of a nice cappuccino, of course. It sometimes depends on the setting and how I’m feeling that day. I am huge on engaging all senses to their fullest ability, then translating the experience to paper. I want my readers to feel like they've visited this place before.
Interviewer: You share that you very often create your own world in your writing. How do you feel about sharing your reality, your raw truth? Specifically in Foster Care? Do you have any pieces that speak of your experience?
Thalia: I used to hide behind journal pages, but after so much time spent writing, I have slowly opened up about my experiences and my identity. If I didn’t have writing, I don’t think I’d be able to talk about myself so freely. Writing has been my greatest teacher. I learned to embrace my circumstances for what they are and recognize there is always beauty that awaits after such a storm.
Thalia: I actually recognized my path to healing from the system when I submitted my piece in response to the following prompt, “What love is" back in 2018. In this piece, My Flawed Journey, I speak of my experience in Foster Care and how I navigated my experiences. I was able to find love in my struggle. I had a better understanding of my past, and in a way, writing was my way of accepting and making peace with my upbringing. I wrote the words my mother could never say to me. And in these lines, I let her know I understood her. Everything would be ok. Writing has always been my safe place.
"What some might see as a hobby, I use as a survival tool." -Thalia bernal
Interviewer: This piece is so powerful and it's beautiful you were able to define love in such a dark place. Since you recognize your mediums healing power, have you tried any other form of support to help you heal from your past?
Thalia: I actually started using writing to enhance my other go-to form of therapy, talk therapy. I like to think of it as going to the deep end of the pool. I can't swim, but I am armed with two floaties and ready to go. Writing helps me do the “homework” part of talk therapy, which is a lot of digging, recognizing, and analyzing. This is much easier to do when you can see your thoughts on paper. And like I said before, new parts of me come out when I start writing.
I always encourage others to explore writing, regardless of level of experience. Many stray away from doing so out of fear of “doing it wrong”, but if I’m being honest, there is no right way to do it. Think of it as a way to get your thoughts out there. Sometimes it feels much like talking to yourself. It might be silly at first, but I promise you’ll enjoy the outcome.
Thalia: Healing is an ongoing process, constantly changing. What you need today might not be what you need tomorrow, but you're always making progress. This can be witnessed in my writing. It is constantly evolving. Sometimes I have good writing days and others are bad. Do not mistake this for failure, but rather, a part of the healing journey. The process itself might even be more difficult than what you're healing from, but I promise it’s doable. Writing has been there for me on my toughest days, and I encourage you to explore the arts for your savior, your go-to.
Interviewer: As you continue on your journey with writing, what messages are you creating for your readers? Or is your writing solely for you?
Thalia: My work is first and foremost for me, and then come the parts I share with others. Every piece I create is something I enjoy. I used to worry about what others would think, but then realized, if I don't believe in my piece, who will? My goals as a writer are to inform, impact, engage, excite, and entertain.
[TAKES A BREATHE. LET'S OUT A LITTLE GIGGLE. SMILES.]
Thalia: Honestly, writing is my ride or die. I’ve learned to take some of my most difficult moments and transform them to creative pieces inspired by my circumstances, with an interesting spin, of course. Again, I am fond of connecting everything. For example: an area code, a song, a street name, or even a piece of clothing. I try to find the correlation to create the much-needed connection to the other half of what many won’t understand, whether it be through a specific smell or a physical object that readers can relate to. This is where it gets interesting. People might not relate to the story/message, but they find themselves in the other half. "Hey, I know that street. I pass it on my way home from work." They are instantly drawn in and more receptive to the rest of the piece.
Thalia's Published Writing:
