We recently connected with Christine Galib and have shared our conversation below.

Christine, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the creative projects I am most proud of is my writing. I am an independent author, which is meaningful to me because ever since I was a child, I’ve been world-building and writing. I love reading and writing, and as a creative, I need to get the ideas, characters, and stories in my head on paper–and then spend time with them to see what they’re trying to tell me. The creative process is very important to me, and it is important that as creatives, we support each other. Additionally, facilitate and teach workshops, lectures, and courses on storytelling, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, venture creation, and other topics, as well as serve as Senior Director of Programs at the Ion, an adjunct professor at HBU, and a  beta reader.

My books are available on Amazon and wherever books are sold. In 2021, I published Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World. It is a collection of my short stories that help us explore our faith, and what it means to practice love, kindness, and compassion in a broken world. Parables’ blurb is below:
When a global pandemic threatens the foundation of our society, what hope for healing does a hurting world have?
Parables from the Pandemic: Holding onto Hope in a Hurting World is a collection of beautifully illustrated short stories and reflection questions. The characters we meet in Parables invite us to explore our faith in the context of themes such as regulation and revolution, community and division, surveillance and freedom, and waiting and redemption. Parables calls readers to question what defines our identity, our humanity, and our destiny. Great for individual reflection or Bible Study, Christian Living, Theology on Tap, or religious or faith-based book club groups, Parables shows us no matter what we face on this side of Heaven, the only hope worth holding onto is always by our side.

Readers describe Parables as a “work of literary art” and a “wealth of insight that helps provide realistic hope and joy during dark times.” Parables has been studied in several book club and Bible Study groups. More reviews and details are accessible here:  https://christinegalib.com/books. If you’re interested in bringing Parables to your church, book club, religion or English class, or Bible Study I’d love to hear from you! 

In 2022, I published my first novel, Etched in Stone. It is a Grail-quest, archaeological mystery, starring a female protagonist and promoting women empowerment themes. In 2023, I’ll publish my second novel (the second in the trilogy). Etched in Stone’s blurb is below:
A dead professor. A gold pendant. A mysterious poem. As Carly Stuart starts college, the search for a murderer—and the Holy Grail itself—is on.
The only thing Carly Stuart wants to do is fill her late grandmother’s shoes. Following in the footsteps of her Gran, a trailblazer archaeologist who paved the way for women in the field, Carly enters Nassauton College as a freshman studying archaeology, with her journal, satchel, and an entire closet full of Gran’s shoes in tow. Carly’s ambitions get off to a promising start when she uncovers an ancient artifact and a note left to her by Gran, putting Carly on a quest for the Holy Grail itself. Armed with her quick wits and new friends—including Dr. Kells, her archaeology professor, and Blane, her cute-but-nerdy boyfriend—Carly finds herself thrust into a mystery of international scale and historical significance that even Indiana Jones would be excited to pursue. But with a dead professor, and criminals anticipating her next moves, will Carly and her partners have the courage to see their Grail quest through?

Readers call Etched an “intense mystery” and “a unique and important read for all young women coming into their own,” as well as appreciate how refreshing it is to see “more action-adventure stories starring female protagonists.” More reviews and details are accessible here: https://christinegalib.com/books. If you’re interested in bringing Etched to your book club, women’s leadership or entrepreneurship club, or archaeology or English class, I’d love to hear from you! 

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

The odds are very good that as you’re reading this, I’m reading, writing, running, or taking the road less traveled. I’m a systems-thinker, educational leader, and founder with a non-linear career. At the Ion, Houston’s innovation and technology hub, I love working with Houston’s startups, entrepreneurs, innovation leaders, creatives, and artists. I’m also a certified Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile® (EMP) practitioner. The EMP helps corporate leaders, students, and entrepreneurs assess the degree to which they are utilizing an “entrepreneurial mindset” and provides resources to leverage that competitive edge. 

I love reading and writing, and my “why” for “why I write” is what pulls me to create stories. Beverly Cleary’s quote -“If you don’t see the book you want on the shelves, write it,.” has always stuck with me. And so, in writing Etched in Stone, I did. 

I wrote about strong female characters who bravely create their own path with grace, courage, and faith—and help strong female readers understand what being a trailblazer truly means. I wrote a book that doesn’t depend on obscenities or lewd scenes to move the plot along. I wrote a book that inspires women to be themselves—even if that means getting nervous around their crush, not knowing how to apply eyeshadow before a date, and carrying around a journal so they can clearly and critically understand their thoughts

I wrote a book that helps us fill big shoes and discover who we were created to be as our North Star guides us—even if that means taking the road less traveled and facing the facts with women’s intuition and wits. Or, in this case, even if that means embarking on a quest for the Holy Grail itself.

I wrote a book that empowers women and men of all ages to handle whatever journey life takes us on, to find value in partnership, and to always take the leap of faith when presented with the chance to do so. I wrote a book that is, in short, the kind of book I hope moms (and dads!) will be proud to read with their daughters (and sons!).

I wrote the book I wished were on the shelves when I was growing up. And in doing so, I found the story needed more than one book to be told. So, I wrote a whole series of books.

Etched in Stone is the first book in The Knights of the Dagger series. It is the story of a girl who wanted nothing more than to fill her grandmother’s shoes. It is the story of a girl whose quest for the Holy Grail helps her realize what being a knight is all about. It is a story that reminds us we are never too old, and it is never too late—or too early—to live our dreams, pursue our passions, and take evidence-backed leaps of faith into the unknown adventure ahead of us.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Artists and creatives need to be part of communities that challenge and inspire their outlook, mindset, and approach. And more than that, access to capital and collaborations is paramount. Public gathering places, such as the Ion, with access to education, training, and networking, play a role in shaping this community. Platforms that help creatives and artists monetize their work and connect with capital and opportunities are also imperative.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I want to empower those whose path crosses mine in their creative journey, as they find, develop, and celebrate their inner unicorn and let it soar! Recently, an Etched reader—an entrepreneur whom I admire greatly—shared the following with me:

“It was a refreshing change from the usual buttoned up business language! It’s funny, I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a kid and have been writing novels and short stories for the past six years pretty diligently but then life crowded it out. Reading Etched in Stone was a clear sign for me not to let inertia take over!”

Everyone is creative, and it’s up to us to create. The more we can create, the less we let inertia take over. To create things takes bravery, courage, and faith, because it means we dare to venture into an unknown, undiscovered, and unrealized world, and bring it to the known, discovered, and realized world—no matter the cost. The blessing, the curse, and the gift that is being a creative means we can never shake the feeling the world as we can see it is missing something—so much so, every chance we get, we pour our souls into our craft, taking it into our own hands to make what is missing come to be.  It is an obsession, a compulsion, and a desire that pulls us to close the gap between what is and what ought to be, the gap between the mundane and magical.

My mission is to empower more people to have the bravery, courage, and faith to create.

Contact Info:

• Website: christinegalib.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roadlesstraveledenterprises/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineGalibAuthor

Image Credits
C. Galib