Meet Katrina Leno | Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Katrina Leno and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Katrina, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
When I was younger, in my twenties, I definitely fell pray to the mindset that if I wasn’t constantly working on my writing, I was somehow failing in my creativity. I would write for six, eight, ten hours a day, only feeling accomplished if I was utterly exhausted by the evening. This is a great way to reach a place where you never want to write again. As I’ve grown and matured, I’ve realized how important balance really is. I have a new writing goal, these days – 1,000 words a day. Sometimes this takes me an hour, two hours, maybe three. And then I’m done, and I move on to other things designed to fill the creative well. It’s much healthier for me to find balance this way, and it also keeps the craft of writing pleasurable and welcome each day.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been a writer, been jotting down sentences or short stories or journal entries. It was second nature to me to record, and I have hundreds of notebooks and thousands of pages of my (rather messy) handwriting that I’ve saved over the years. It’s so important to me, to write, and to constantly examine the work I’m doing and the goals I have. I published my first book when I was 29 and I just published my eighth, at 38. Each book has taught me so much about myself and each book has taught me more of what it means to be a writer, to be a person, to be myself. I like to think of my books as extensions of myself, little pieces I’ve shaved away to share with the world. I don’t hold anything back: I talk about my mental health, my struggles, my fears, my anxieties – anything I need to work through in my own life. Whenever I receive a piece of mail or a note from a reader saying they’ve seen themselves in my work, I know they’ve really seen themselves in me, and I’ve seen myself in them, and we’ll be forever connected in that way. We’re all connected, really. That’s what writing is about for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love Los Angeles and I think it’s so wonderful when people visit and don’t really know what to expect of this city, how much it has to offer, how vast it is, how lovely. My favorite place to take people is the Last Bookstore downtown. We’d have a latte at my favorite coffee shop, Cognoscenti, then maybe lunch at Escuela Taqueria. The Santa Monica Public Library has the most wonderful used bookstore in the entire world – it’s only open 6 hours a week, but I’d definitely take them there (two bookstores in one day? A dream). If we have time for a little road trip, I’d whisk them right away to Idyllwild, one of my favorite small towns in the world, high in the San Jacinto Mountains. I’d take them to every Goodwill between Santa Monica and there (I’ve been to them all). My favorite museum in the city is the Museum of Jurassic Technology – that is a must for anyone visiting me, and they always adore it as much as I do!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve always felt so supported by my family and my friends and my partner. No one ever questioned my dreams, my art, my passions. No one ever said – maybe you should get a ‘real’ job. There is such an importance to that, to feeling as if everyone surrounding you really believes you’re going to make it happen. It helps you to believe in yourself, and you can’t accomplish anything if you don’t believe in that.

Website: katrinaleno.com

Instagram: @katrinalenobooks

Twitter: @katrinaleno

Facebook: @katrinalenobooks