“I hope my book is their safe place to go when they need understanding or inspiration”, Carla Pérez

Carla Pérez is a journalism student who always found in words a form of expression. Words have become the vehicle of her emotions and they will now reach the audience gathered in her book of poems entitled Ciclo estacional. A story of overcoming that will move readers and will serve as inspiration and a safe place for all of them. Because if you persue ypur dream, they can be achieved.

QUESTION: How were your beginnings in writing? Could you imagine publishing a book someday?
ANSWER: I can’t remember my life without writing what I felt, I guess the first time I expressed my feelings with words was when I was five. I used to play with my dad to write songs and I discovered a great source of self expression. But no, even though I have always dreamed of publishing a book, I would have never imagined what I could achieve that dream.

Q: How did the idea of creating a book with all your poems arise?
A: As I already said I’ve always dreamed of publishing a book so there was a point in my life I started gathering all the poems in a word document. In cuarentine I started to find the conexión between all of them and to see all that words as a hole story to tell so I decided de it was the moment to find ways of publishing and sharing.

Q: What is the theme of the book of poems?
A: The book is divided in four chapters, each chapter represents one season and each season is related with one feeling. Summer with platonic love, autumn with confusion, winter with pain and finally spring with selflove. This four chapters explain in some way the process of healing.

Q: In the end, the poems are written from your own emotions, how do you overcome the doubts before the idea of sharing them with the public?
A: The truth is that most of the time I’m not conscious that people is actually reading my poems so I don’t care much, then when I start to become aware I feel a bit of shame but it goes away when I see how people identify with my feelings and how, sometimes, is even necessary for them to read that some other is also feeling the same and that they are not alone.

Q: What do you think you can teach to your audience?
A: I believe they can find in the book the idea that it is normal to have bad times but that there is always light at the end of the tunnel and with patience and strength you can find it. Also I hope my book is their safe place to go when they need understanding or inspiration.

Q: How was the book creation process? Is crowdfunding a good initiative to publish?
A: It’s been a really nutritive process where I am learning a lot, not only about writing but also about me. I didn’t know much about crowdfunding until the publishing house explained to me, and even thought it is hard because you always have that uncertainty if you are going to reach the goal or not, it is a very creative process in which I personally had much fun.

Q: What do you think is needed to publish a book?
A: The only thing you need to publish a book is wanting really hard to publish a book, because If you dream so much with it, you will fight for it and find the way to do it. You have to know that you are not going to achieve it on your first try but you don’t have to give up and stop believing in what you do. Also, in my case, my family and friends support has been really important, they sometimes believed in me more than I did and they never let me give up.

Q: You have also been going to open mics to recite your poems, how was the experience? Do you think that is a good way to convey your words?
A: Open mics are one of my favourite things of poetry, they are a space where you always feel safe and listened, where everybody is going to value your art and where you never feel judged. But what I like the most it is not the fact that they are the perfect place to express your self, it is that you discover amazing artist and get lots of inspiration from them.

Q: How was the experience?
A: I can not explain with words what this experience has been for me. I still can’t believe that all of this is really happening. It is like a dream and I never want to wake up. I can only give thanks for all the people that has bought the book and trust in what I do.