We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lia Almagor. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lia below.

Alright, Lia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I’m the editor and writing director of a newspaper for a non profit called The TeenSpace. I’ve always adored writing and I have wanted to be an author since I was seven! I was absolutely delighted when the founder of The TeenSpace, Nisha, asked me to take on this role. My love of writing combined with the incredibly important mission of breaking the stigma around mental health and providing a safe platform for teens to share their stories makes this mission perfect for me. I’ve seen many ways in which teenagers struggle with mental health, and a lot of people I know who do/did struggle feel/felt that they did not have an outlet to express that, and The TeenSpace aims to provide just that. Additionally, I write stories in my free time in hopes of achieving my dreams of becoming an author, and a lot of these stories have characters who struggle with their mental health. My personal mission as a writer is to convey meaningful stories who portray all types of characters to enlighten readers to the worlds that different people live in.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always loved writing and I learned to read and write at a young age. By the time I was five, I was writing and illustrating my own picture books, and by the age of seven, I had settled on the goal of becoming an author. Eight years later, that is still my dream! A lot of characters that I have created are teenagers who struggle with their mental health, and being able to further explore that outlet by writing for The TeenSpace has opened my eyes to more teen experiences. So many people struggle with their mental health, and, to me, the mission of breaking the stigma is so important. Combining my love of writing with my devoted advocacy to mental health is how I achieved my role at The TeenSpace. While I do not provide a distinct service, I hope to continue providing a safe space for teens to express themselves and feel comfortable opening up about their experiences. With my goal of becoming an author, I hope my books can shine light on the mental health struggles that teenagers face. To be honest, the thing that I am most proud of is how long I have stuck with my dream. Children have many aspirations and even in college people are still figuring out what they want to do for the rest of their lives. I can remember two jobs that I wanted before I settled on wanting to be an author at seven. It is so important not to give up on your dreams, and I have been working for the last eight years on pursuing what I truly love. I want people to be able to relate to the characters in my books, and I want anybody, adolescents and adults, to know that they are not alone and that help is avalible.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding thing is finding people who love and relate to the stories and characters that I create. I truly hope that my works can create a lasting impact on even just one reader.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew the resource of people. Before high school, I didn’t have any friends who liked writing. Finding people who shared the same strong passion as me really helped me excel in my creative journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theteenspace.com/