In back-to-back-to-back interviews, the author spotlight shines on an individual who is not only an author, but a recording artist as well. He has appeared on national platforms such as CNN, Oprah, and Dr. Drew. EA: Creatively Creative sat down to talk with author, blogger, musician, and Trauma Therapist, Don Shetterly.
EA: What is the concept behind Hope and Possibility Through Trauma?
DS: The book grew out of much of what I had written over several years. While these writings were not necessarily meant to be put in a book, as the project came together, I saw that they fit together and showed a journey. I wanted to share with others that there is hope and possibility in healing from a life of trauma and abuse.
All too often for those that have been through horrendous circumstances and trauma in life, there is very little hope. There are few that you can turn to for support that truly know what it means to walk through the fires and into healing. Hope and Possibility Through Trauma presented that view so that others would know someone was walking with them, supporting and giving them hope for healing.
EA: What motivated you to write it?
DS: In my own life, I have struggled through so much. Starting with being paralyzed in 1991 from a Conversion Disorder to dealing with anxiety, depression, and suicide, I often wondered if I could make it. I wondered if I could heal and have a life that was more hopeful and full of possibility than what I had in those moments.
There were times that I felt like I was all alone with no one there to support me. Even if I had supportive people in my life, I would often push them away. This book was my attempt to reach out and offer a hand to others that were going through the same moments. It was my way of saying, 'I know you don’t know where to go for support, but I just want you to know that you are not alone. Others, like myself, have traveled these same roads. Go ahead, take my hand and let me help you steady yourself on this difficult path.' I know what I went through and if I can make it any easier for anyone else on their journey, then I want this book to be there for them. I wanted to help others know that they are not alone.
EA: Describe the therapy that you get from writing.
DS: Writing is my way out of trauma and pain. It is my escape from despair, anxiety, and hopelessness. Often writing is my best friend that doesn’t judge me. It is where I can put my thoughts down on paper and help process all that I’m going through, dealing with, or attempting to find a solution. Sometimes, I could never get my thoughts out verbally to another soul, but through writing, I was able to say what my mouth could not.
It was my way of screaming out when I struggled to scream. It was my way of working through things that seemed far too complicated to understand, much less make sense out of in my life. Often, I had great difficulty in finding the solution or answer to what I was attempting to put in perspective. It was through writing that I found answers. It was through writing that the most difficult of experiences began to show their true colors. Without writing, I would not have made it through my healing.
EA: Would you say that the process of writing a book is easy?
Writing is relatively simple for me. When I was back in high school, and a teacher would have us write a paper, it was no sweat for me to complete. While most of my classmates would be worried about coming up with the required words to complete the assignment, my concern was always that I would write too much. Of course, this made my classmates somewhat irritated towards me.
Writing in itself just flows from me, especially if it is a subject that is near and dear to my heart. Especially when I connect to the creative source without the critical side of myself, the words just flow.
I remember a college professor of a creative writing class that would just have us let the words flow as we wrote for a few minutes at the start of each class. It was great training for writing a book because it helped me step outside of the critical part of myself.
Writing a book is more involved because the work needs to have a cohesive flow to it without meandering into confusion. It becomes the difficult part for me in corralling the thoughts to flow together, so they tell the story of the point I am making. At times, it is difficult to get down on paper what I know and understand so others can easily see the point I am making. There is nothing more satisfying to me than seeing how others respond to my book and sharing that with me. It encourages and empowers me in many ways.
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| A collection of Shetterly's albums. |
DS: Yes, I not only recorded one album, but several. Most are easy, relaxing piano music that I have created. One is a Christmas CD of songs I used to love playing as a kid. There is one that is a recording of relaxing ocean wave sounds off the coast of New Smyrna, Florida. Most of my CD’s are piano music with no words.
I am highly creative in many things, and music is one of my ways I express myself. When I sit down and place my hands on the keyboard, the music just flows. I compare it to a conversation that one would have if they were talking to a friend. Most of the time, I do not hear what I am recording until I replay it. Until modern day recording equipment became available, I never heard most of what I created.
As I process painful moments in my life or as I go deeper into my own healing, awareness, and consciousness, the music flows from these points. It is almost as if once I am through that point in my own process, my soul tries to communicate this through what I record.
I hope that even though the words are not present, that people still feel what the song is trying to say. If they do, the music will carry them deeper into their own life, awakening them to things that they may not understand at this moment. Where words cannot go, music can touch, and through my music, I hope to touch people in ways that I cannot even imagine today.
EA: Which is more challenging? Writing a book, or creating an album?
DS: I’m not sure I could choose on this one! Each has its own issues. I think the edge, though, for me would be that music is easier because it is a one-time creation. Once created, it is either published or banished to my hard drive where it is never heard from again. Sure, there is still post production work, but that pales in comparison to the amount of time editing and finalizing a book is for me.
For the album, creativity either happens, or it doesn’t. It is a one time shot where the music is perfect the way it is for my ear, or no one ever gets to hear it. In this case, the album is easier. While writing comes easily for me, the editing and piecing it together in a perfectly crafted work is not the easy part. It is more of a struggle, and fortunately, I have some talented people that assist me in that area.
EA: Do you have any upcoming projects?
DS: I am currently working on a new book which will take off from my first book. It will go into more detail of what I did to heal. I realized that I still struggle with the question of 'what did I do to heal?' I have had many people ask me, and I stumbled around in the dark for the answer. This book has been my way of going back and looking at the things that got me through when I had no idea how to heal.
That is the focus of this new book. Until it’s finished, I will channel my creativity into editing it and making it into a work that I’m proud of, and hopefully helps others in their lives. My hope is that this new book will be ready and finished by the end of October 2017. It has already been in the works for well over a year.
EA: What is your aspiration as a literary and recording artist overall?
DS: My hope in life is that I can touch other people in a way that they have not yet discovered. I want to help them turn the lightbulb on and see something different than they saw before they encountered something I have created. I want my life to touch others, so they know that if they walk through some of the most difficult darkness in this world, that there is hope and that someone else has made it. My hope is that when I leave this world, someone will look back and say, “he made a difference, and he touched my life for the better!”
EA: Describe the feeling of being able to tell your life's story on worldwide platforms.
DS: I grew up in the world where the internet was just beginning to come alive. I remember my first CompuServe email address and when I first started using a mouse on a PC. I remember when I first started to look for help, and finding one of the first support forums for male survivors of child abuse.
The resources have not always been there, but with social media and our smartphones, so much has changed. I’m in awe of how far my books and my music have reached. I see the visits and purchases from people in all parts of the world, and it is mind blowing. I would have never imagined that several years ago.
I’m glad that the internet has brought us closer together as a world. I think there is so much we can do to help each other learn and grow. I think it can help offer support to those who feel like they are the only ones.
It gives me a great honor and a heart full of love to see how my words and my music reach into places I have never heard of in my life. It is hard to grasp just how much impact I have. I so love hearing from people around the world who are touched by something I’ve created and sent out.
One of the things I struggled with early on was what people would think if I shared some of the most intimate things in my life. I’ve found out that they too are happy that I did because it gave them hope. It gave them support. They learned that through me sharing my life in very personal ways that they too have a voice. Silence no longer needs to exist because there are many hands out there helping to guide them along their journey. My words and music are only one voice out in the world. There are many.
EA: Finally, tell the readers why Hope and Possibility Through Trauma is a must buy.
DS: If you have ever suffered trauma or witnessed trauma, Hope and Possibility Through Trauma is a must buy. It will let you know you’re not alone. It will challenge you to think beyond into the possibility of what you don’t know exists. Even if not challenged as severely as I was, you will know without a shadow of a doubt that there is hope and healing beyond what people endure.
People who have been traumatized and suffer from anxiety, depression, suicide and mental health issues are not weak. They have just had to be strong for too long with no support system to back them up. My book, Hope and Possibility Through Trauma, is a reassurance and an offering of support to all those that need to know there is a reason to live in this moment and the next.
Life may be difficult and present to us challenges greater than we think we can endure. However, we can take all that was thrown at us along with the support of others and set out to find the possibility of healing for our lives. That is why everyone should buy my book.
Epilogue
Far too often, people tend to think that those who have had traumatic experiences are "weak." It doesn't make you weak, it makes you human, especially when one gathers the courage to express what they went through. It takes more strength than we think.
I, too, believe that writing offers a therapeutic release. It can tap into many inner-thoughts and emotions. It can get across points that you can't always express verbally. I definitely enjoyed my conversation with Don, and I thank him for taking the time to speak with me. If you would like more information on Don visit his website http://donshetterly.com/.
Also, if you would like to visit his blog page, purchase Hope and Possibility Through Trauma, or check out one of his albums, you can do so by clicking the links below.
Don's Blogspot: https://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/
Don's Book on Amazon: Hope and Possibility Through Trauma
Don's Music: https://mindbodythoughts.blogspot.com/p/relaxing-piano-music.html
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