Aspen Matis on Vulnerability and the Art of Writing | Tapping Creativity Ep12

Writing a memoir is an exercise of vulnerability -if the book is to open door into compassion, empathy and healing. Which is how Deepak Chopra described 'Your Blue is not my Blue' by Aspen Matis .

On this week's episode, Aspen discusses with us her creative process, how long it took her to write her two books, and what it takes to give meaning to life experiences that most people would rather repress.

Aspen is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller, ’Your Blue Is Not My Blue: A Missing Person Memoir.’ and Girl in the Woods. Her short form writing has also been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Tin House, Psychology Today, Salon, Cosmopolitan, Lit Hub, Bloomberg, and Marie Claire.

Aspen is the Founder and Creator of The Human Network, a not-for-profit think tank, for peace. Since 2015, she has served as the face of RAINN (the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network). 5% of Girl in the Woods’ profits goes to RAINN.

Written and Produced by Matthew C. Temple
Edited by Tyen Musa
Original Theme Music by Adrian Lee

ABOUT ME
I started my career as an accidental filmmaker. I wrote a “practice script,”  hoping one day I could write one that I could sell or produce. That script became my first film, “Senses of Place,” which went on to win awards on the film festival circuit and was distributed by FilmBuff. 

I then moved to Hollywood where I eventually made nine feature films, eight documentaries, and worked with actors Carrie-Anne Moss, Melora Hardin , Zac Efron, Edi Gathegi and Angela Sarafyan in this year's Caged, and many more. I've worked with producers Kevin Costner, Bill Borden – Academy Award winner Francis Ford Coppola and Oscar-nominated director Mike Johnson. I have even shared the screen with Josh Brolin, Neil Patrick Harris, Kane Hodder, Naveen Andrews, and many more.

Last year, I released the documentary film, “Hardball: The Girls of Summer.” Currently, I live between California and East Africa, writing and developing new projects, while consulting on film and TV projects. 

Visit my website to see my work – or check me out on IMDb.com