We recently connected with Angela LoMenzo and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

The motivation for writing my book, Wisdom of Wildly Creative Women, came from wanting to inspire women who have lost themselves in life’s challenges and given up on following their dreams—which was exactly what happened to me in my late forties. What pulled me out of that dark and empty place was reaching out to the successful female creatives that I knew. I discovered that they all had overcome tremendous adversities, and had also lost their way from time to time as well. The key is to believe—in yourself, your intuition, and your calling. That connection reignited my creative fire and showed me that anything is possible, even when the most difficult obstacles present themselves. It became my mission to write powerful stories addressing a multitude of issues we have all faced: depression, bullying, infertility, cancer, assault, grief, eating disorders, health conditions, and many other topics women don’t often have a safe space in which to talk about. I wanted women to pick up this book and find themselves somewhere, if not everywhere, within these life stories, and see that they are not alone. We are all warriors, and have the strength and resilience to conquer anything, and most of all, to live the life we have always desired.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was raised in Los Angeles in an interfaith and multicultural environment surrounded by a family of artists, musicians, and even an Academy Award-winning grandfather. This diverse exposure as a child helped to develop my core values of unity, artistic freedom, and the belief that we are all interconnected as one.

Writing, art, and photography have been my outlet for self-expression for as long as I can remember. The summer before my senior year in high school, I took a program at Otis-Parsons Art Institute in photography and I was hooked! I started to create photographs of people using makeup and set design, as well as shooting live bands. I loved creating art on the human canvas, so I went to makeup school and got a degree in film and theater makeup. As a makeup artist, I worked in television, music videos, and print, but my favorite arena was working with photographers as a makeup artist and creative director.

In 1993 I married my soulmate, James LoMenzo, who is not only a professional musician (currently the bass player in the band Megadeth), but an accomplished photographer/videographer as well. The two of us have merged our talents over the years in various projects, and in 2012 we started the video/music production company, Monster House Productions, now Magic Monarch Productions. When I decided to write this book, we realized it was the perfect passion project for us to work on together. Collaborating with James as the photographer for the book added yet another layer of magic to it, creating a visual expression of each woman’s story through stunning photographs.

I’ve always wanted to become an author, and have been writing my entire life. Once my incredible daughter, Zoe Rose, had flown from the nest, I too was ready to soar into a new adventure. So, at fifty, I started on my journey to become a published author. I feel as though everything I’ve done and experienced in my life, personally and professionally, highs and lows, uniquely prepared me to write this book.

From concept to completion, the process of getting published took seven years. I had so many twists and turns, roadblocks, and hurdles to navigate, but in the end, it was all worth it! Three literary agents, three book deals, a pandemic, and the loss of my beloved father… so many times I could’ve justifiably given up, but for this project, I was led purely by passion, purpose, and intuition. I trusted completely in the journey, and it turned out better than my wildest dreams could have ever imagined! Now, I choose to live all areas of my life that way.

I have a deep obsession for nonfiction and people’s stories. Learning from each other’s experiences unifies us and helps us to grow. It also promotes awareness, empathy, and the understanding of ourselves, and each other. We are not alone in this human experience, and we need to feel that now more than ever. What’s the point of being here if not to help, support, and inspire one another? I have so much gratitude for the opportunities that I have been given, and intend to keep utilizing all aspects of my creativity to bring life-changing stories to light!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My entire publishing journey with this book was a testament to my resilience, especially when it came to my publishing deal. My initial deal was with a small indie publisher that focused on women authors. We worked together throughout the entire pandemic and planned to release the book on 3/8/21 for International Women’s Day. At the end of November 2020, my father had contracted COVID, and passed away on 12/28/20. I was gutted. A month later, as the book was about to go to print, the publisher informed us that the retail price would be three times the amount we had previously discussed due to printing costs. I wanted the book to be affordable and accessible to everyone, so I terminated the deal. Still mourning and heartbroken, I put a new proposal together for my agent, Tina Wainscott, to start the process all over again. I couldn’t stand the thought of not sharing these phenomenal women’s stories—we had all invested so much of our hearts and souls into it. I received another offer, and almost signed it, but when I saw that some of the books they were publishing were divisive and in no way aligned with the message of my book, I turned it down. After all these years it looked as though my journey might have come to an end. Then, something magical happened. From the beginning I had hoped to publish with Mango Publishing, whose books are all rooted in positivity, self-help, and enlightenment. Early on they had responded to my agent that they were interested, but we never heard back from them despite numerous follow ups. That night, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I knew in my heart they were the right publisher. The next day, my agent called and said, “Mango wants to publish your book!”

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angelalomenzo.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anglomenzo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089565554540&mibextid=JRoKGi
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChMQc2xn9HBnTYK8fJR6dBw

Image Credits
James LoMenzo Angela LoMenzo Gene Kirkland Marco Gallico