Exploring an Informative Rollercoaster of Emotions with the Courageous Kristal Tuner!
This interview undergoes informative questions and answers about Kristal Turner, a Canadian writer who was born in Winnipeg, and lived in Calgary for majority of her life. Kristal is currently striving for her Masters in Education. I delved into research about her, and found that she blogs her experiences about a life altering illness and emotional inner conflicts. I chose to blog about Kristal, as I respect and admire her willpower to deal with her challenging experiences. With the underlying aspect of life hardships, Kristal depicts these feelings within her composed work of writing. Down below is a captivating interview I executed with Kristal.
XL: In the blog “Who Do You Want To Be” and “The Past,” you added a dark point from your past about anxiety. Does adding vulnerable feelings in short stories help manage this feeling of being out of place?
“ It definitely does help to manage my anxiety, and also in trying to understand why I am so anxious. I feel being vulnerable is just a part of life, so it ends up a part of good and bad feelings.”
XL: You also mentioned in “The Past” that “the panic would swell in me and threaten to drown me.” In any way, does your heart condition affect your work as a writer? I myself have heart conditions.
“My overall health does impact my writing, but currently more in the way that I feel as my health is currently stable. I find I have to fight my urges to stay in bed and read, instead of writing. I tend towards protecting myself from things that are difficult, even if I enjoy them as much as I do writing.”
XL: The question of “Why is Everything So Frustrating”, is indeed a good question. It is intriguing that you can share inner conflicts with others through your blogs. How do you think sharing personal experiences can affect your readers?
“I hope it normalizes emotions that are viewed negatively, or that our world is a frustrating place. I want them to both understand how I am feeling, and how they are feeling as they read. I’ve had a few people open up with their own struggles, and I think we all feel less alone when we do that.”
XL: Perseverance in your exposure with Pre Cervical cancer is admirable. If you had not experienced this, how would you picture your life today?
“Honestly, I think I would be happier and more secure. The pre-cancer hit me really hard, after all I’ve been through I feel I’ve lost some of my tolerance for people and coping skills for my anxiety. It’s hard to deal with one bad situation after another, but it seems that’s what happens for some people. It’s neither good, bad, or fair, it just is.”
XL: What aspects have the involvement of the Writers Guild of Alberta given you?
“The WGA opened up a number of opportunities I wouldn’t have had without joining. Those workshops have taught me how to express myself in a way that is less venting and more empathetic. I can be more clear, and I think readers appreciate that.”
Pertaining to inner conflicts , and the uncontrolled experiences that manifested Kristal’s life, emphasized the hardships like Cervical Dysplasia, or the feeling anxiety, eventually and inevitably can be conquered through “fighting the urge,” as Kristal claimed. Sharing experiences like these assists others who may have lost their way find a ray of hope. I get the sense that Kristal is a very humble person, inspiring her community in a positive way in the fight against Cancer. These lead to opportunities that Kristal Turner sees in the Writers Guild of Alberta. The WGA has given her a boost to express herself with a clearer mindset. With the advent of connecting with people and the WGA, tribulations have the possibility to reciprocate into optimism!