Q: Christina, Ocean Star is being a light for so many girls, can you tell me how your whole writing journey began?

A: There’s a lot of places I can say were the start because this whole journey kept on developing one stage at a time, but I guess it officially started a few years ago. I was on a speaking tour encouraging young women when I was overwhelmed with how many questions these girls were asking me. I wanted the girls to know I could relate to their struggles so I began incorporating some of my life story into my talks. Once the girls knew I could relate and understand what they were feeling I was getting more questions than I could ever begin to answer. I didn’t have all the answers for their questions, but I did have a story I was willing to share if I could be a light for some.

Q: How did you decide on writing it as a memoir?

A: I thought about what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it then I just sat down at the computer and started writing. I didn’t want it to come across like I knew everything or like I was telling anyone what I thought they should do. Along my journey I have encouraged many girls coming up the road behind me, the girls don’t want me to tell them what I think they should do or how they should live their lives. They like to ask me questions about what I did so that they can step back and decide for themselves if that is something they may want to do also. The girls are most often looking for someone who will tell them, “Oh, that happened to me too,” and “I understand what you’re feeling.” They work things out on their own by sharing stories with each other and with me. With that in mind and since I learn best from listening to people’s experiences, I decided the best way I knew to share the lessons I’d learned was to take my readers with me, back into my story. I didn’t want to tell them, I wanted to show them. It’s my hope that this memoir will become a mirror for my readers to look at their own lives: where they came from, who they have become, and who they are still yet to be.

Q: When did you first discover your love for the ocean and why do compare your life to an ocean star?

A: As far back as I can remember I have loved the ocean. Because life in my house was so tumultuous and the ocean was within walking distance, the beach became my peaceful sanctuary. It didn’t take long before I started recognizing that the ocean was loaded with life lessons, ones that would play a crucial role in guiding me through my life. The Ocean Star was my first symbol I recognized. When it came to me it portrayed how I felt so perfectly and it continues to teach me today. There are a four main reasons why I compare my life to an Ocean Star.

1. The first is that I have always been enamored with the stars. When I see an Ocean Star I think its really a star but has to hang out here on earth to learn its lessons. Even when you brush your hand over an Ocean Star, it’s bumpy and bristly...like it kind of shows it’s been on a journey of discovery. I feel that way myself, like I know I’m made for more but I’m still kind of bumpy and bristly from my journey through life.

2. The second reason I love so much...it doesn’t matter what gets broken or bruised or totally cut off on the Ocean Star’s journey, as long as it stays connected to its source of life, it will completely regenerate and become a whole star again...but it has to stay connected to its life source, the water. That is so like me. I have had so many things happen in my life at different times I felt like my life was a bit bumpy, broken at times and even parts felt completely cut off. But God showed me that He would be my Source of Life. When I let his Living Water flow through my life little by little I began to heal and restore to God’s original design for my life. It doesn’t mean I’m perfect or anything close to that...just more whole and healthy and able to breathe.

3. The third reason is that at the bottom of each ray of the Ocean Star there is a tiny “orange eyespot.” The Ocean Star cannot see, instead they move according to their keen sense of light and dark. When I first heard that I was like, wow, that’s just like a journey of faith!

4. The last reason I will share here is that when the Ocean Stars are out at sea and a big wave comes in, the force of the water sweeps along the bottom of the ocean floor and picks up the ocean stars, threatening to toss them up on shore to die. The ones that survive the pounding waves and don’t get washed up on shore to die are the ones that attach themselves to a rock and hold on tight. In my own life the thrashing waves definitely came after me, and threatened to toss me up on shore to loose hope and purpose and meaning in life. But through my strong faith I found MY ROCK and I hung on to Him for dear life! My life relates to the ocean in so many ways, sometimes the waves are calm, sometimes they tower of my head, but no matter what comes my way I know I will be able to make it through and be stronger because of my experiences.

Q: Your life at the beach also came with a price. You got involved in drinking and drugs at a young age yet you found an unconditional feeling of acceptance. How did those times change your life?

A: You’re right. The place that had been my sanctuary also turned into a party scene through my high school years. But at the same time, I developed my “dolphin pod” of friends that really became like my family. I share my journey through these years to hopefully show my younger readers how so many of the choices I was making during those periods of my life were leading to dead end roads. Also, when you’re young you think your life is going to go on forever and nothing will ever happen to you. I remember always thinking how the drugs I was taking weren’t hurting me because they seemed so much safer than what some of my friends were doing. But that all changed for me when my friends starting getting all messed up...those times helped me see that I can’t change anyone else and I can’t even change my situations, but I can change one thing and that is me and the choices I am making. It was during those years when the tidal wave threatened to devour me that I heard a still small voice whisper in my heart, “Don’t focus on the darkness of the disappearing sun, but look up to the color I can paint with your life.”

Q: How did not growing up with a positive mother figure affect your life? Is that something you felt affected by stronger at different times of your journey?

A: Oh my...do we have all day? Okay, seriously...in my growing up years I just tuned my mother out since she was so abusive and broken herself. I so determined at a young age that I was going to be the total opposite of my mother that I never even began to consider that not having a mother in my life was hard. I always had strong friendships and also had my sister, Anna, who tried to be “the everything role” to me and my siblings that I really made it okay. It wasn’t until I became a mom myself that I started realizing what I bummer it was that I missed all that. Then of course, as you get into my book you’ll discover how I end up “going there.”

Q: I loved how you used the illustration of the pearls, can you share how they are meaningful to you?

A: There is a deep meaning behind the pearls that weave throughout the whole memoir, from the beginning to the end. One would really need to read the book to “get” the full symbolism. But I can share that even though I didn’t have a mother to guide me through my life that doesn’t mean I was alone. When I put my pearls on today, each pearl on my strand represents one woman I have learned something valuable from along my journey. Some of these woman willingly shined a light for me at a difficult time, others had no clue at all that they were making an impact on my life and others I have learned from without even meeting them like authors or role models in my community. The basic deal here is that if I am open to learning, my lessons I need will come to me and they almost always come to me through another person. So, when I put my pearls on, I don’t feel alone in the circle of womanhood, I feel surrounded by many really unique, amazing women who I have been blessed by.

Q: You stress the importance of your “pod” of friendships. Explain.

A: My “Dolphin Pod” is another one of my symbols. This represents my friendships. I feel sooooooo fortunate to have really good friendships. My two closest friends in my life are Elena and Katie and we have been friends since forever...like before first grade. I remember meeting Katie for the first time when her house burned down and I remember thinking how sad...then I met her...and I was like...you want to hang out? With Elena, we lived around the corner from each other. Her family was a bit more “normal” than mine so once here mom got wind of my wild streak she wouldn’t allow Elena and I to hang out but we did anyway...back then before the Aids problems, we even pricked fingers and became blood sisters...that stuff must really work because we are all three very different but the kind of friends that stick together no matter what.

When a dolphin in a pod is injured, two other healthy dolphins come immediately to its side and put its flippers under each side of the injured dolphin and then bring the dolphin up to the surface to breathe. They hold it there until the injured dolphin can breathe and move on its own. Also, dolphin are pretty much all about fun and enjoying life. That is how I describe my friendships.

Q: It seems your life was filled with shocking revelations. What were some of these secrets and how did you discover them?

A: Hmmmm...I better not answer that...it would give away to much to soon!

Q: Okay, fair enough. I LOVE what you are doing to help other girls and young women, tell me about that.

A: Well, since the whole journey started with wanting to shine a light back for girls coming up the road behind me I wanted to use the platform I would have with the book being published to do some really fun workshops for girls. I still do speaking gigs at events but my main focus is the Ocean Star Workshops that I hold on different beaches around the country. I help the girls integrate art and creativity in tracking their journey through life, define their dreams and look at their gifts and passions all the while having a blast on the beach! Its by far one of the funnest and most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I can’t tell you the rush of joy I get when I see the girls “get” their dream, realize their potential, focus on the bright side of their future and think about others who they can be a light for.

Q: What about your card and gift line, how did that start?

A: That was so fun how it all started! During the “writing process” of Ocean Star I had to do in layers. After each round I would usually go to the beach to catch my breath and have a break. On one of these breaks my editor called to tell me I had so many themes and needed to find one that would “rise above” the others as the main theme. I picked up my dried Ocean Star and began to use it like a stick writing words in the sand that I wanted to say to my readers: Believe, Look Up, Discover, Go the Distance, Shine your Light, Ride your Wave, on and on I wrote until the beach was covered with words for over a quarter mile along the shoreline. I put the Ocean Star next to the last word and sat down. Within minutes the words had drawn more than a hundred people. One older couple stopped and talked to me for over an hour...at one point when they watched me taking pictures of my words, they suggested I make greeting cards out of them and use the back to share my Ocean Star dream....ahhhhhhhh....I thought that was the greatest idea! I tested the market in a few surf shops and they sold faster than I could keep up with making them...within a year they were sold in surf shops, resorts, and beach stores  all over the United States and even in parts of Australia! Once my book was published by Tyndale I called my card and gift line Ocean Star Gifts as it all was developed out of the same vision. Honestly, its been so much fun not just for myself but I’m able to give other young women artists a platform for their art that they wouldn’t have had otherwise and that makes me feel a ton of joy too!

Q: What would you say is the core of what you have learned in your life?

A: If you are willing to surrender the dreams that you hold in your heart and let God replace them with the dreams he has for you in his and never ever ever ever give up....your star will eventually SHINE the way it was designed to.

Also,you are FREE when you see yourself as you are in God’s eyes, not as others define you! Keep lookin up! Travel with people who will encourage you to be the star that God designed you to be, and whom you will encourage also. Look for dolphin friends and don’t let the sharks in your inner circle. And most importantly, there is nothing you will ever face on this earth that God can’t walk with you through.

*Read anther interview by Today’s Christian Women Magazine.

                                                                              
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