Meet Chisto Healy

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chisto Healy. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Chisto, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I don’t share this with other authors and the answer as to why coincides with the answer to one of the other questions in the possible list which was where does your resilience come from. I was horrifically bullied and developed anxiety at a young age. There were times where I was so afraid to wake up and face the day that I was actually suicidal. Children should never know that. But I had a mother who loved me with every ounce of herself. Even when she did things wrong, she did them with love. So with her in mind, I got up and I went to school and I pushed open those doors to tortureland and the hell that waited within and I fought my way through, sometimes literally. My entire life I had other people telling me what I did sucked and who I was sucked and how I wasn’t good enough and would never be anything but a loser. The only way to get through that was to tell myself every waking minute of every day that I was good and what I made was good and they were wrong. So now, I’m this person who believes in myself and what I do even when the world doesn’t. You can tell me I’m not good enough and I don’t belong until you’re blue in the face. I will never hear it. I know it isn’t true.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I try to go to as many conventions as I can because nothing is better than conversing with readers in person and getting to know who they are and what they enjoy or don’t. My focus is always on readers, not on fame or money though that’s a double-edged sword because I need a certain amount of money in order to keep writing, be at the conventions, and to do the things I love. I’ve been writing since my brother reached down from the top bunk and took the illustrated children’s book from my hand and replaced it with a Dean Koontz book. It’s not what I do, it’s who I am. It’s in my soul. I wrote for what feels like a million years before I ever got to share any of it with the general public. If I couldn’t share it, I would still keep doing it. I love drawing as well. I made comicbooks with my friends and my brother when we were little kids. Now I draw realistic portraits and each time I do, it’s stress relief. I have horrible ADHD and get lost and sidetracked all day, every day, but when I’m drawing I lose myself in a different way. I get in the zone and I’m focused on the lines and the image and nothing else for hours. It’s as good as good sleep to my soul; rejuvinating.
So look up my books, or hit me up on social media to see some art or get a custom portrait, or just to talk if you’re having a hard day. Look for my name at your local conventions and show up and see me. I’m terrible at marketing and promoting and even knowing what to do in that area. My biggest asset is word of mouth. Like the Wild Robot, I believe kindness is a strength, and a tool, and with it we can be great.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Persererance is definitely necessary as rejection is a huge part of being a writer. Love. If you don’t love what you do, you might as well go work retail or whatever else is out there. You do somethng creative because it lights your soul. Also, if you want to write, read. If you want to draw or paint, or sculpt, watch others do it, go to museums, get books, read comics, pay attention to the craftsmanship and details. It’s what makes us better, appreciating what came before us.
One of the things that really helped me on so many levels was when I reached out to my hero and favorite author, Simon Clark, and he actually gave me his time. He gave my books the first page test. He told me marketing tips and helped me to accept the luck factor in these things and not be so hard on myself if it doesn’t work. He taught me about the craft long before he ever spoke to me because I read his books and drank the nectar of each and every perfectly placed word. But he taught me about the kind of person an author can be and how to be a role model and help people to believe in their craft. I wouldn’t have done any of the things I’ve done if it wasn’t for him. I only hope I can be the same for someone one day. So, advice, reach out. Don’t bombard or assalt people or pressure them or get mad if they say no or say nothing, but reach out. You never know when someone who inspires you will respond and inspire you that much more.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I’m always looking to collaborate and work with other creatives. Many times people have an idea but they don’t believe in their skills r they don’t know where to go with it. If I can work with them then I can help them flush it out and make it into something they’re proud of and then I can be proud of that as well. I’ve collaborated with many people and some of my favorite things I’ve worked on are collaborations. I love seeing my cowriters get excited and feeding off of each other’s ideas. I live for other people’s passion for art and writing. Shelly Jarvis has done more for me than most and has collaborated on several things iwth more to come and I learn from her every time. She’s brilliant. Crystal or CA Baynam and I have made several things and plan to make more, Asher Dark, YM MIller, Erica Summers, Mick Collins, Angelique Jordonna, Rowland Bercy Jr, Carietta Dorsch, Mark Towse… all of them are brilliant writers. It has been an honor and a pleasure. Cover artists like Ruth Anna Evans and Christy Aldridge have been incredible and a huge part of my journey on and off the page as they are both amazing, genuine, caring people as well. Honestly, one of the best parts of this life is the threads that cross with others and intertwine, the lives that connect that wouldn’t have, the friendships that spawn and last a lifetime. Community is a wonderful thing when it’s positive and affectionate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chisto-Healy/author/B088FV7L44
• Instagram: @ChistoHealy
• Facebook: Chisto Healy
• Other: Find me on TikTok I do book stuff but also silly dances with my kid lol

Image Credits

Ruth Anna Evans, Christy Aldridge, Eli Pope