We recently connected with Melissa Velasco and have shared our conversation below.

Melissa, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I spent many years “playing it safe,” scared to take risks. In time, I grew out of that person, thank goodness. Bottom line, I was bored with complacency. I got busy realizing a dream I’d had since I was sixteen- a series, set in Hollywood, about a bunch of misfits attending one of the most famous schools in the world, which I attended in real life. Dropping back into my high school past didn’t scare me because my books are purely fiction. What isn’t fiction is my deep understanding of each of my characters. I infused parts of myself in them, and not all the parts are pretty, polite, or accepted by the more couth of society. Each new little indiscretion inserted into the series seemed okay in the moment. “Eh. It’s just my irrational anger. It’s human, right?” Wrong. . . When the smoke cleared, and the first book of the Hollywood High Chronicles series, Intuition, was ready to publish, I was raw. There were so many unhealed pieces of myself laid out on those pages. While I’m not those characters, the writing journey revealed that I’m a human being traversing the minefield of choices, misguided beliefs, and confusion. So much became clear about myself that I was in the process of facing. The book published, and I thought, “I’m this far in. I might as well continue the journey of healing and indiscretion.” I started the second book, then the third, only to have the whole series pour out from me. I cried, laughed, hurt, and briefly ended up with high blood pressure, but I conquered the process. I surfaced with a giant gasp, realizing I’d drowned in my project for far longer than I’d thought. The good news was that I surfaced a more evolved human ready to face the painful parts of myself that I used to hide from. As Elenor Roosevelt said, “It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” Fulfill your dreams. Take the risk. I speak from experience that it’s worth the deep dive.

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’m Melissa Velasco- teacher, choreographer, stage manager, and writer. At this phase of my artistic journey, I’m largely a full-time writer. My series, the Hollywood High Chronicles, is a journey through the teen experience. I chose this backdrop because there’s something primal about the teen years. Full of awakenings, misunderstandings, opportunities to dodge social grenades and lob a few of your own, I’ve always thought about the teen years as something of a bizarre social experiment. What better timeframe to create metaphysical thriller tales than one so terrifying? I approach the Hollywood High Chronicles with the same view that I do life. I’ve always had a unique perspective that some would call odd. In no way is that better showcased than my take on humor. I’ve lived my life with the slightly bent notion that all emotions can be quelled, or amped, with humor. In my series, much like my life, I’ve infused comedy into emotionally difficult or dangerous scenes, lacing in hilarity where there should be none. I love nothing more than an ironic guffaw. With that said, I’m a teacher at heart. From writing workshops to dance history courses, I present it all with gusto. We’ve all got something to learn, and I learn as much from my students as I hope they learn from me.

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

I love this question. I’ve taught about precisely this for many years. As I tell my students, “When a civilization is dead and gone, it’s their art that lives on.” Archaeologists specifically study artistic artifacts for insight into what made civilizations tick. Art, in all its forms, broadens perspectives and roots cultures into the deep fiber of their identity. It also challenges viewpoints and pushes boundaries. It’s for these very reasons that I’ve always been baffled by budget cuts in the arts. My first experience with said cuts was when the arts program was sacrificed at my elementary school. Once a week we were whisked into the auditorium, and a woman so vibrant that I insist she glowed, taught us something magnificent. When the budget was tightened, she was cut. The students were distraught. We thrived in those classes. For some, it was the only class they loved. While the administration viewed it as a frivolous loss, to us, it was anything but. The students FELT the value of that class soul-deep. The belief that art is a “bonus” is misguided. I argue that art is imperative to society. There’s a disconnect between dependance on art and the understanding that art needs funding. Artists must make a living. Society must fund the arts with the same fervor that they enjoy the arts.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

There are so many rewarding aspects. Two rise to the top. The first is freedom. I have the freedom to create, to allow my mind and emotions to run wild. I love living the unconventional life of an artist. It suits me. I don’t settle into traditional routine gracefully. The second reward on this journey is most definitely creative comradery with other artists. I thrive in building the world of the Hollywood High Chronicles with my marketing manager, editor, models, and photographer, who all lend their talents to building this dream with me. I believe that we all rise together and made it a cornerstone goal to rise with talented artists that jump aboard. They’ve kept me going, encouraging through laughter, tough lectures, and assisting any time I need a hand. I’m grateful beyond words. As much as being a writer is a solitary journey, it’s also not. Together, we shine a little brighter.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hollywoodhighchronicles.com
• Instagram: @melissa.velasco.31508
• Facebook: Hollywood High Chronicles Book Series
• Other: https://www.melissavelascobooks.com

Image Credits

Credits for all images:

Photographer: Tino Duvick of Broken Chain Photography

All images courtesy of Melissa Velasco