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Katie Chonacas is an actor, artist, and podcast host who has been on a spiritual journey for the past ten years. She faced deep-rooted emotions and learned tools to protect herself and her energy. She talks about her journey and how art helped her understand and process her emotions.

Thank you for taking the time to chat with us today about your journey and your upcoming publication thee actor. Can you tell us a little bit more about you and your journey in the arts?  

I was born on 11:11 – I know that I am here and it means that I need to do something great, more than I’ll ever know and understand.   Everything and everyone is art to me.  I lead with art first and for everything.  

 

Can you describe your spiritual journey and how you came to learn about neuroscientists like Dr. Joe Dispenza and Dr. Gregg Braden?

In 2012, I felt “stuck” despite being close to landing many on-screen acting roles. I was frustrated and felt a “block” that prevented me from booking those roles. I knew that I was going on a spiritual journey and it ended up being a ten-year process. This journey took me within, and I faced deep-rooted emotions such as jealousy, anger, and fear. I discovered neuroscientists like Dr. Joe Dispenza and Dr. Gregg Braden, who helped me understand the power of the mind and the effect of emotions on our bodies. This is how I also created thee actor, to process my emotions and put it all down on paper so it wasn’t stuck inside me.

How did art contribute to your understanding and processing of your emotions?

To me, everything is an art journey, an exploration, and my spiritual journey was also an exploration for my craft as an actor. I went into this journey as an observational scientist, knowing I had the trusted support of a soul mate to explore these scary emotions. When I realized that I made the choice to witness these emotions, I then decided to make a new choice and get rid of all that was not serving me and all that was hurting me and the loved ones around me.

 

How do you manage to juggle multiple projects?
I love to be alone a lot, to empty myself, sit in silence, think, write, and just be without any distractions or noise. I love to write poetry and journal, and I also love making beats on Ableton. For me, making beats on Ableton is poetry, but instead of hearing the words, it’s the emotional roller coaster that I experience, so it’s poetry on the keypads.

How did your podcast She’s All Over the Place come about?
I wanted to start my podcast 11 years ago but did not know how to get started. In 2019, I took a stand-up comedy class to find happiness and laughter in my life. While in the class, I met a woman who asked me to be on her podcast, and I shared with her that I wanted to start a podcast. She showed me the steps, and we set up the account. I published my first episode on October 29, 2019. In March of 2020, when the pandemic hit, I connected with all my friends internationally, listening, holding space, connecting, and listening to their stories. It was so special and such a magnificent feeling to be so connected with so many friends, especially during that time when most people were home-bound.

Can you tell us about one discovery you made while creating the episodes?
One discovery I made was how much I yearned to listen, feel, and be attentive to my guests’ stories. I was able to trust and be open to feeling empathy in their shoes, and this safe connection felt enriching and meaningful. We shared from the root, from where they were from, where they are now, and their gifts to share with the listeners.

Katie’s journey is a testament to the power of self-awareness, empathy, and emotional intelligence. She has learned to use art as a tool to process her emotions and share her experiences with others through her podcast. Katie’s journey inspires us to explore our own emotions and become more self-aware.

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THE BLITZ  

• The greatest influence in your life: my Gia Gia, whom I am named after, the saint Kyriaki, my Gia Gia is 93, growing strong, I love her so much.  She has taught me so much, and created a safe space for me to express all who I am, dark secrets included.

• An object you can’t live without: my TLM 103 mic
  

• Favorite book: Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran
  

• When I say “art”, what if your first thought?  Excitement and endless colours!
  

• What’s your idea of happiness? Being healthy, being able to be in gratification and being able to communicate that with self and others. 

• Your favorite art moment? I must say, I went to Beeple’s opening last year March 2022, titled “Uncertain Future” however, it was premeditated, I knew how certain and special it would be and it was!
  
• A myth you would like to debunk? Would be that you need to grieve alone. No, actually grieving together is ok and better, and when we want to be alone with ourself, ok but not to suffer alone and alone only.
  
• What the artworld should be more of and less of? More inviting, more sharing, more respect when creating and doing a collaborative project.  There is a need for new structures for sharing and selling art for the artists, for the culture, for the people who need and enjoy art. In short – less snobby.
  

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Katie Choncas in her own words 

Katie Chonacas is a multi-disciplinary artist who utilizes her voice to inspire change and transformation in people who want to make an impact on the world. She is a full-time artist, but also an actor, a stand-up comedian, a producer, a director, a voice-over artist, an industry coach, a spoken word poetry artist, a podcaster, a web3 enthusiast and a published author. 

You can find her here