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Leigh Marino

GETTING TO KNOW

Leigh Marino

LEIGH MARINO has been an artist for as long as she can remember. At 14 she realized that in order to feel the good feelings in life, she needed to allow herself to feel the uncomfortable ones, so she turned to film & television to help her connect with those emotions in a safe way. One of her passions in life is to share those emotional experiences with others - through creative storytelling.
Leigh earned a BFA in Film/TV from NYU, completed the Cinematography program at The LA Film School, and studied cross-cultural dialogue at the International People’s College in Denmark. She has also published The Tiny Girl in the Egg, a story of a girl living in an egg who grows and wants to break free from her shell but fears the outside world. Leigh lives in New Jersey with her family and is the owner/creator of Encourage Thought.

An Interview With

Leigh Marino

How would you describe yourself in three words? 

Dedicated, optimistic and encouraging. If I believe in something, I’m not going to give up on it. I’ll continue to show up and dedicate my time, energy, attention and care to whatever matters most to me. I'm also consistently looking for the silver lining and taking lessons and gifts out of hard times. One of the things that brings my spirit to life is encouraging others to go for their dreams and doing what I can to help them feel empowered. 

Who or what do you go to for inspiration when writing? 

I would say life in general. I mean, when I feel inspired to create, it's usually in response to something that's happened or a question that I've asked; and an answer or compelling idea has come to me.. I practice stillness - looking within, asking questions. As I'm writing, I don't always know what's going to happen next, it’s a discovery for me as much as anyone else. Sometimes I'll write something and then I'll say, okay, what happens next? And then it'll come to me. Whatever's next comes.

How important is self-love to you and why? 

I think self-love is one of the most important things. Loving yourself allows you to take care of yourself the best way that you can and accept all of the parts of yourself as best you can. And that allows you then to give the most to others and also accept others in all of their humanness as well.

 How do you recharge when you're drained? 

Sleep is a huge thing for me. Being still, being in nature, putting my phone on airplane mode, and just being alone. I also love to go to the movies and am part of a singing group.

How would you like to be remembered? 

I would love to be remembered as somebody that people feel comfortable to be their true selves around. And also as someone who does the same - someone who is authentic. 

You have experience in many different forms of art and storytelling: film, photography, visual art. Which is your favorite?

Definitely film. It incorporates everything - storytelling, moving images and visual art. When I'm on set, I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I think film has the opportunity to move people and touch them in a very strong way.

You have a lot of stories and projects going on at once so how do you juggle all those and go from one thing to the next? 

When I sit down to do my creative work it's really just about whatever's there for me. Right now I've been working on making little short films and sharing some poems that I've written. That just feels like what I want to do. When I sit down to be creative - what's there? What's the most exciting thing for me at the moment?

Why is storytelling so important to you?

Storytelling is a way to connect with people in a way that is, number one, enjoyable for them. Number two, it can be eye-opening & powerful - when you reach someone on an emotional level, in a way that connects with them, you have the opportunity to touch their lives deeply. Storytelling can help people think about and see things in a different way - you can share a lesson without stating the lesson. Someone can take from a story what they need to take, when they need to take it - over and over again. Sometimes different things at different times.

What is your research process like?

It depends on what I'm working on. I interview people or research things involved in the story. Whatever it is that I need to do to be authentic to the story.

How have your life experiences contributed to your writing? 

My life experiences are what I’m drawing from - they are everything. Whether I had something significant happen to me in the past that shows up in my work or it’s something that comes to me in the present as I’m writing - life experience is what shapes me and shapes the things that I have to say. I've had experiences where I'll write a story and then certain aspects of it pop up, in my current life. I’ve also written some stories that had the essence of them come true later in life - which is wild. Storytelling, for me, is a tool of self discovery, of reaching into my subconscious. It's a way to learn about myself and others through characters. 

What kind of audience are you intending to reach with this book?

There's a deep element of grief and loss in this story that I feel allows it to touch a broad audience - everyone has lost something at some point in their lives, whether it be a pet, a job, a home, a favorite toy, a loved one. So, in that respect, it has the potential to touch many.

Specifically, though, I do have intentions of sharing this book with the grief and loss support community - there are many that use books to help bereaved people process their grief and receive support as they go through it. I feel passionate about using it in that way. This story can be equally loved by children and adults, alike. 

Can you share a reader testimonial about your work?

 “One night, a few winters back, Leigh and I were sitting around an outdoor fire together at my home. She told me that she had written a story, another children’s book, and asked if I’d like to hear her read it to me. Being someone who loves to be read to and especially something that Leigh wrote, without hesitation, I said of course! About 15 mins later, when she read the last word, with tears in my eyes, I proclaimed, with such conviction, ‘people need to hear this story’. 

To Be A Christmas Tree is a story not only for children; but for everyone at every age. It’s the kind of story that will be brought down from the shelf and read each and every Christmas and probably at times in between! Leigh writes with such imagination and heart. One feels as if they are in the story- in the woods with the trees, alongside the mouse, in the house with the family and by the end, one feels as if a part of them is also the Christmas tree. This story is not only about a Christmas tree, but the circle of life within the circle of life- eloquently taking us on a journey of death and rebirth and all of its pain and beauty.” -Nicole Spadafora, friend of the author 

When did you know that this book needed to be written?

In 2018, we had a Christmas tree that we were putting by the side of the road, and I thought to myself, “I didn’t spend much time with the tree.” We were just so busy with the holidays, we had essentially taken a life just to use as a decoration, with little thought or appreciation. I decided to honor and spend time with our tree the following year. I remember standing in front of it, connecting my beingness with its beingness. It felt powerful, vibrant and alive. A question formed in my mind. I thought, “This feels like a good thing. But how could that be so?” At that moment the idea for this story came to me, like an answer to my question. Where does inspiration come from? In this instance, I like to think that it came from the tree. 

What one thing do you want your readers to learn from you from this book?

I would say to recognize that nature is alive and it has a being. It has life. A tree is not just a thing for you to use and chop down or do whatever you want with. I'm not saying to not do things with nature, but to recognize that it is a life and when you're using it to be grateful and honor the life that you are taking. 

What are some ways that you connect with nature?

Many ways. I have lots of plants in my house. I love working in the yard and planting things, growing things. I'll stand in front of a bush or a tree or a flower and I just love to feel its life and tell it, “I see you.” A plant just is - it doesn’t know itself from the outside - it doesn’t have eyes to see. So I allow myself to connect with it on the level of being, giving it the chance to know itself through my eyes. Witnessing and feeling a part of the magic of nature gives me such joy. 

Do you think everything has truly already been said before? If so, how do you stand out among other authors?

Say I'm telling a love story, which you know there are millions of love stories out there. There's no love story that's been told from my perspective. Sometimes something doesn't resonate with you and then suddenly for whatever reason, on the 100th time you’ve encountered it, it does. Or one day it suddenly does in a new way. Sometimes I can’t fully grasp a concept until it’s shared from someone else’s perspective. Also, I think some things are worth repeating. 

What is one change people could make to have a better life?

Invite more stillness into your life.

What kind of reactions do you expect you'll get from readers?

So far, as I've read it to friends and family, about 85% of them cry. I feel that readers will connect deeply on an emotional level and I also hope that this story will encourage them to think about nature in a different way. I hope that children will ask questions and be curious about their own Christmas trees and the nature that they encounter in their lives. If children can grow up connecting to and knowing the life inside all things, I feel it can be a more harmonious and peaceful world.

If you could tell everyone in the world one sentence from your book, what would it be? 

“While it's fun to look to the future with glee, it will come soon enough. You will be a Christmas tree.” 

Recently, I've started volunteering with hospice patients and it's given me a new perspective of “the finish line.” All the things that we, as humans, worry about and strive for, when you get to this place, don't matter anymore. This experience has helped me remember to be present. I have goals, these things I want to do in the future and that's great, however, it’s imperative that we stop, slow down, and enjoy life now - because - this is it. This is life.

Why a Christmas book?

 I didn't really set out to do a Christmas book, but that was how the story came to me. In 2018, we had a Christmas tree that we were putting by the side of the road, and I thought to myself, “I didn’t spend much time with the tree.” We were just so busy with the holidays, we had essentially taken a life just to use as a decoration, with little thought or appreciation. I decided to honor and spend time with our tree the following year. I remember standing in front of it, connecting my beingness with its beingness. It felt powerful, vibrant and alive. A question formed in my mind. I thought, “This feels like a good thing. But how could that be so?” At that moment the idea for this story came to me, like an answer to my question. Where does inspiration come from? In this instance, I like to think that it came from the tree. 

What was your favorite part of Christmas growing up? 

When I was little, it was receiving the presents, of course. Now I find as I get older, it's giving. Finding the perfect present for someone and being so excited to give it to them. Also, now the trees. The trees are very special to me because of this whole experience. My daughter usually names our Christmas trees. 

How do you decorate your tree these days? 

In earlier years, I would always put colored lights and lots of ornaments because that’s what I grew up doing. In recent years now, I like to do it very simply. I'll just use a strand of white lights and maybe a couple of our favorite ornaments. It's nothing crazy unique but I like to keep it simple and let the tree shine.