We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Crystal Eckstadt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Crystal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Writing is going through the god-awful motions of writing. Most writers are gifted with incessant overthinking and relief only seems to come once the thoughts hit the page. I am no exception to this chaotic process; however, there is no way around it—you sit in a chair and do the grueling work. I’ve learned to be on-call to ideas when they come. It’s nightmarish, but I have ongoing lists of sentences and phrases that come to me at the most inconvenient times.

Stephen King’s memoir, ON WRITING, has humbled me. In it, he said, “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read and write a lot.”

More confidence and a less critical inner dialogue could have sped up my learning process. The struggle with self-doubt and finding a way to banish that demon is essential because when I don’t, I become the obstacle that stands the most in my way.

Crystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Buried somewhere in my subconscious I’ve always known that writing was a skill that came naturally to me. No one I knew growing up was a writer but a while back, in my grandmother’s armoire of photos I uncovered a little semi-autobiographical novel my grandfather had written before he passed away. I never met my grandfather as he died from a brain tumor that slowly paralyzed him when my father was very young. Holding his book in my hands, I felt connected to his need to process his immense suffering and immortality through writing. I realized that we share the same personal journey, but it has taken me a long time to accept writing as the natural trajectory of my life.

Aside from some sporadic writing in the past, my professional start came about when my talented friend and photographer, Juila Loftstrand, called me out of the blue and asked me to cover the band Phoenix’s live show for D.C.-based music outlet The Vinyl District.

I never found it coincidental that I would one day write about music. As a person with a heavy past, music has always been and continues to be as important as my weekly therapy sessions. My articles tend to focus on what solace derives from the music I am covering. I’ve seen people connect in a rowdy Baptist Church-like fashion at an IDLES show and cry out their sadness at a Tori Amos or Sharon Van Etten show. I try to tap into that liminal experience in my writing.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Everyone needs mentors. Writing can be a solitary process, but the best work is done in conjunction with an editor. I used to take it personally if a line I was attached to was clipped from one of my pieces. Like how dare they remove this life-changing sentence that I channeled from the other side! Newsflash…it wasn’t channeling, it was just a boring sentence that confused the reader. However, by working on my ego, I’ve learned over time that editors are invaluable resources—kind of like word doulas if you will.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I read somewhere that writing is a calling like the priesthood and I believe this to be true. Trying to put words to your own experience isn’t for everyone, and there is no escape in non-fiction. But for me, writing is a lifeline for my emotions.

My younger sister was sex-trafficked and passed away at 23 years old from a harrowing drug addiction. Cheryl Strayed, the author of the memoir WILD and TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS, a compilation of her Dear Sugar Column, captured it best for me when she wrote that the only way she could bear to live without her mother was to write about her. Shedding light on the damaging effects of generational trauma and how we survive it is more of a need than a passion for me. If we are called to do so, I believe in the power of sharing our truth.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: crystaleckstadt
• Other: My Vinyl District Writing: https://www.thevinyldistrict.com/author/crystaleckstadt/ Substack: @EMDRINMYCLOSET

Image Credits
Julia Lofstrand The Vinyl District