An Interview with Nancy Willbern
After receiving my doctorate in developmental psychology in 1994, I went into private practice as a transpersonal psychotherapist. Fascinated with the intersection of psychology and spirituality, I think of myself more as a midwife to the Soul than as a traditional clinician. I live with my husband on the edge of the Texas Hill Country on the outskirts of Austin, TX. My husband and I have five children between us, all grown.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
The title of my book came to me easily in what Carl Jung would call a ‘big’ dream, in which a friend and I are invited to study under The Great Artist. After being invited by him to add our own images to the collective collage that covered the whole back wall of the studio, The Great Artist picked up an exacto knife and sliced through the canvas, leaving a gaping hole. My friend, Maggie, and I are both shocked by this destructive action. Maggie stays transfixed on the rupture in the canvas, while I decide to follow The Great Artist through the rupture as he holds the flap open, exposing the unknown space behind. This moment represents the choice that any person feels when his/her world is blown to bits – to stay in shock and resistance or to be brave enough to see what more Life has to offer.
How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?
Amazing! I have been writing about the effects of life-changing events since doing research on the topic for my doctoral dissertation. Both the content and my writing voice morphed and matured over those thirty-plus years, but my fascination with the topic remained consistent. So, to finally see that lifelong focus manifest into something I could see and hold in my hands was really like a dream come true, both literally and figuratively.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
There wasn’t a particular person who made me want to write – it was the passion about the topic, which has to do with the relationship between life-changing events and the evolution of the Soul or the evolution of consciousness. Life-changing events provide us with the opportunity to wake up to larger, deeper, more expansive experiences of the self and reality. That fascination is what propelled me to keep writing. More recently, The Great Artist invited me to put all that I have experienced and discovered from my own life into book form. I felt called to share it with a wider audience.
What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?
The most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing my book was actually writing down everything that I had thought about and personally experienced about the topic. But more than that, it was the partnership that I felt with my muse, The Great Artist, as I wrote each chapter. It was an incredible feeling of connection and inspiration.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?
My greatest hope is that readers who have experienced their own life-shattering events will finish the book with a deeper trust in the benevolence of the Universe; will be able to honor the pain and loss from a rupture, but then stay open to where Life might lead them next, to possibly begin to discover much more about a truer and more enriching aspect of themselves.
What creative projects are you currently working on?
I am looking for ways to expand my private practice, to be more consistent with my own evolving self.
How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?
I could not be happier with my experience with Atmosphere Press. All of the experts have been engaging, responsive, professional, helpful, and gracious. I have found Atmosphere to be true to its values of honesty, transparency, professionalism, and kindness, all with the intention to make my book awesome! They really do walk their talk. They made what could have been a completely overwhelming process easy and manageable every step of the way. I would wholeheartedly recommend them to any aspiring author.
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