Author Interview #7 – Alexandra Badita

My favorite part about these author interviews are getting to speak with and learn about writers from all genres and walks of life. This week, I have Alexandra Badita, a woman who’s actively trying to make the world a better place through her blogs and writings.

Q. I like to start with a quick introduction. Tell the audience a little bit about what your life is like outside your writing life. 

A. My day to day job is juggling tasks and deadlines as project manager in a digital marketing agency. Writing though keeps my evenings and weekends busy, together with my other passions that I try to squeeze in my schedule, such as salsa dancing, learning to play the piano, reading, getting better at cooking, volunteering in a bookstore and discovering my current city of adoption, London.

 

Q. In your blog, you talk about how you came up with the word “Impressivity”, and that people should “make impressions wherever they go”. How do you live your life by this mantra, and what advice can you give to live a more impressioned life?

A. When I thought about this word, I pictured all the small things from our daily routine that can make an impression on us, like spotting a blossom tree on the way to the office or smelling the fresh croissants from the street bakery, as well as big things that make a bigger impact. Impressivity also incorporates the meaning of each of us making an impression on the world surrounding us, as the beautiful and unique individuals that we are. I just believe we all need to collect daily impressions and also leave an impression  whenever we step into a room and there is no secret recipe for all this, just take the time to observe and be observed.

 

Q. I was taken by your website, “The Guy That”. What inspired you to create a website to help people through their past relationships?

A. Writing has always been the best way for me to get over strong emotional episodes in my life. Besides, I figured there are so many things – crazy, beautiful, interesting things –  happening in my life on that front, that I might as well share my stories and maybe other women will learn from my mistakes. When I hit the depression stage a couple of years back, I went to therapy for a while and the best cure was the writing exercise that my therapist recommended. Putting feelings onto paper is one of the most useful tools to cope with extreme emotions. That combined with my passion for writing about relationships lead to “The Guy That” idea.

 

Q. As you help people through relationships, give advice on everything from life, to fashion, to your life in London, who’s there for you the most when you need advice?

A. I obviously turn to my friends for pieces of advice and to my parents, but  there are situations when I choose to stay introvert and debate it with myself rather than put it on someone else’s account.

Q. What would you recommend for people who want to tell their stories but are too nervous or don’t know where to start?

A. Write it, then burn the paper. If it’s the fear to share your thoughts, this will come with time and confidence and understanding that one must not be ashamed of their feelings. But the most important step is to write your feelings down, your thoughts and everything that seems unnatural to be spoken out loud. Then rip it out or burn it. But once the first wave of relief washes over you, writing will soon be the best reflection of the stories that you keep inside and deserve to be shared.

 

Q. In the “How To” portion of your blog, you have a great list of “How to make time for things that really matter”.  Do you find it easy to take your own advice, or is that something you have to work on?

A. It’s definitely not easy to juggle with a day job, a side hustle, hobbies and an active social life. And I know most of the people manage it. But my 3-step secret to be able to keep up with the schedule is to ‘List, Prioritize, Commit’. I hear so many of my friends finding excuses  that they don’t have time to accomplish their goals. But it’s all about time management. Not having time is my own fault for not being able to prioritize. Finding excuses won’t make the day longer or put more minutes in an hour. We make the choice. We commit to what is important to us.

 

Q. You do a lot of traveling, and have pictures of yourself in places all over the globe. Where’s one place in particular that you are the most inspired as a writer?

A. The best places where inspiration hits me happen to be by the water – whether it’s at the seaside, on the quiet shore of Edinburgh’s beach, along the Seine river in Paris or just by the Thames in my London neighborhood. Water always calms me down, lets my thoughts clear away and gives me a sense of clarity.

 

Q. What book would you say has made the most lasting impression in your life?

A. The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky was one of
the life-changing books that gave me a new perspective into the abstract concept of happiness. After my panic attack and coming close to depression, I became more and more interested in this whole happiness pursuit and reading this book has opened so many windows of my understanding.

 

Q. What have you found to be the most rewarding part about your writing?

A. Writing has always helped me in the soul-healing process, but beyond the personal benefit, the best rewards are the pieces of feedback from my blogs’ readers who find meaning and useful lessons in what they read.

 

Q. Like many writers, finding inspiration can be difficult and often times an uphill battle. How do you deal with writer’s block when working on your blog, or is it something you don’t believe in, in the first place.

A. I wish this was just a myth, but I’ve experienced writer’s block to the extreme decision of taking a break from writing. After going through an attempt to a relationship that dropped my self-esteem level and drained my whole energy, I just couldn’t get myself together to write down the experience. Whenever I’d sit down in front of the computer, I would stare at the blank Word document trying to dive into my thoughts but I was too angry with myself for having allowed  my inner balance to be shaken again. It was too painful to accept having been offended to such an extent that I considered myself guilty. I had to deal with all the demons first, then I went by myself on a trip to Paris to reflect and reach my healing point and only then I started to write again.

 

Q. Are you working on making your blog or website into a book any time soon?

A. My plan for this year includes writing a book about – what else? –  writing. People need to be encouraged to find their way into this beautiful world of healing through writing and I believe that there is a writer in all of us.

 

Q. On top of giving advice, you also do movie reviews and talk about current films that are popular in today’s culture. What do you think makes for a good movie, and what type of movie would you like to see more of?

A. As far as I am concerned, a good movie has to connect with myself and reflect a realistic way of seeing life. I am not a fan of SF or action movies, although I do appreciate their entertainment value. But I am more intrigued by movies that question real life aspects like Richard Linklater’s trilogy of the Befores (“Before Sunrise”, “Before Sunset”, “Before Midnight”) or Woody Allen’s films.

 

Q. What is your favorite part of living in London?

A. I have to admit, I’m not a fan of big cities. But there is always something to do here: if you want to be entertained, you just look up plays, shows, the newest bar, or if you want to take a long walk, you just get comfortable shoes and head to one of the parks or along the river. I am lucky to live in a beautiful neighborhood and I rarely feel the need to indulge in the hustle and bustle of the city.

 

Q. Let’s say you’re snowed in for a few days, and you only have five books in your whole house to keep you busy. Which five books are they?

A. “Indian Love poems” – I just can’t get enough of reading them, there is a special way of putting love into words in the Indian culture; “Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now” by Maya Angelou – so many great lessons and insights on feminism, racism and much more; “The How of happiness”; “A Tale of Love and Darkness” by Amos Oz – the writing was really impressive and I’d love to re-read it, “The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo” by Amy Schumer – she’s funny and witty, curious to see how she puts it in writing.

 

Q. Your goals for 2017 was to push yourself out of your comfort zone. How have you been reaching for this goal, and what do you have planned to help you achieve this in the future?

A. Although it’s only been less than half a year since my New Year’s Resolutions, I have to proudly admit I already took a couple of steps that were the most frightening to me. One was my trip to India in March, which included so many firsts ( first long flight, first trip to Asia, first time applying for a visa and so on). But I am so happy I did it and now my travel planning is no longer limited to Europe, I can be more confident when thinking about future destinations. Another big step outside of my comfort zone was launching “The Guy That”, after two years of playing with the idea of this project and I am excited to plan its evolution into more and more challenging tasks. It’s the only way to succeed.

 

Q. Your fashion photos and personal style looks like it came straight off the runway! If you could sit down to brunch with any fashion icon, past or present, who would it be and why?

A. Fashion is for me more of an esthetic way of playing with impressions. Dress to impress, right? There are many icons along the history who made daring steps in the evolution of this art, but if I could sit down and talk fashion, I would do it with Annie Leibovitz, one of my favorite fashion and portrait photographers. I’m sure she’s seen so much style and beauty in her photo shoots that her stories must be fascinating.

 

Q. Lastly, are there any big projects coming up on your horizon that you’d like to promote, or talk about?

A. Many ideas are lined up on my agenda and it may be premature to talk about them, but I would like to see my websites helping as many people through live workshops and online courses and obviously through the upcoming book that will be full of tips and valuable advice for healing through writing.

 

Want to know more about Alexandra and her projects? Check out the links below!

Website: www.theguythat.com
Blog: www.impressivity.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Impressivity_
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impressivity/ & https://www.facebook.com/theguythat/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/impressivity_by_alexandra & https://www.instagram.com/the_guy_that/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/impressivity/ & https://www.pinterest.com/theguythat/
G+: https://www.google.com/+ImpressivityNetbyAlexandra