In this deeply personal and insightful interview, Nataša shares her journey of healing, self-discovery, and creative expression. As the founder of a women’s mental well-being company, she reflects on the challenges of letting go of relationships, finding the strength to prioritize her family, and how writing has been a powerful tool in her process of emotional recovery. Through her poetry and her upcoming book, Whispers of the Inner Child, Nataša explores themes of inner healing, childhood wounds, and the transformative power of reconnecting with one’s authentic self. Her story offers a beautiful reminder of the importance of self-care, creativity, and listening to the wisdom of our inner child on the path to healing and freedom.
1. What were some of the hardest parts about letting go of relationships you once considered supportive?
It was hard for me to accept that maybe I didn’t mean as much to them as they did to me. It also left me wondering if I had overlooked any red flags before. Were they actually being honest in their communication, and what happened that changed everything? But the whole experience reminded me of my childhood wounds, and I realized I really wanted to heal that part of myself so I could be free and not hold on anymore.
2. How did you find the strength to focus on yourself and your family after experiencing such challenges?
At the end of the day, family matters most and needs me to be whole. I realized I had to take care of myself and free myself from this web of negative thoughts, to leave behind the feeling of not being good enough for someone. Children absorb so much, and I think it’s important for them to see how you manage your own troubles in life. As long as they’re little, they will look up to their parents.
3. n what ways has writing helped you return to yourself and find peace with past events?
Writing has always been therapeutic for me. Having a conversation with a blank page and a pen can solve and reveal a lot. And when you share your writing, you can connect on a deeper level with others who are going through the same things. It helped me get to the root of my emotions, see past events in a different light, and start the healing process. It also helped me find compassion for myself and realize how much I needed to show love to myself. Once you heal, past events begin to look different.
4. What role has self-care played in your journey of healing and rewriting your story?
I agree with the saying that if you wish to take care of others, you first need to take care of yourself. With a newborn and two older children, finding time for self-care was challenging. It mainly came in the form of expressing everything in words and focusing on myself for a change. Self-care plays an important role in this process.
5. How did you manage to stay motivated and focused while dealing with the difficulties you faced?
Talking with like-minded people helped me, as did a session with a psychologist, who made me realize it’s often best to leave situations and relationships where you only give, but receive little or nothing in return. Once I felt at peace with the difficulties I’d been through, it became easier to focus on myself without feeling guilty.
6. What was the turning point that made you decide to pursue projects that truly feed your soul?
Once I was left out of other people’s lives and unnecessary drama, it was time to turn inward and feed my creativity. It was hard at first, and many old traumas resurfaced, but now I’m grateful for how things turned out. It gave me an opportunity to heal and nurture my inner child.
7. How do you approach writing poetry as a form of self-expression and healing?
I started writing when I was a teenager, though back then my themes were more abstract or fantasy-like. Although there were periods when I didn’t write, I keep returning to it because it has saved me so many times. I write about emotions, trying to paint them with imagery. In the end, I always try to leave a message or something that evokes a sense of healing or profound reflection.
8. Can you describe how your personal experiences have shaped the themes and messages in your poetry?
Writing is a form of self-reflection, so the themes and messages evolve with the writer. Personally, my writing went from feelings of depression and disappointment to discovering wisdom in past events, and learning not to focus so much on grieving what was, but to also look forward to new beginnings. There are themes of discovering the spiritual aspect of oneself and our place in the cosmos, as well as letting my inner child speak through themes of nature, bringing a sense of coziness.
9. How do you envision your book of inner-child poetry contributing to the broader conversation about healing and self-discovery?
This may be my personal belief, but I see the inner child as the most innocent part of you—the essence of who you were before the expectations of others shaped you. I believe what you loved doing as a child is often connected to your true purpose. When you give your inner child the love and space to be free, you are guided back to your authentic self. And I believe the world would be different if everyone did that.
Most of us carry wounds from childhood, and if we’re unaware of them, we often react from that hurt place. A wounded inner child can manifest in various ways. As you navigate the gap between what you had and what you needed, you may have built walls around that part of yourself. Healing is unique, but the inner child simply wants to be heard, loved, and feel safe with you.
I also believe the inner child has much to teach us. As adults, we forget to enjoy the little things, to indulge in playfulness, and to not take everything so seriously. We need to see the world through the innocent eyes of a child.
My hope for my book, Whispers of the Inner Child, is to not only evoke the creativity of the inner child, but also to help in healing. It begins with a story, The Girl, the Owl, and the Doe, which unfolds as a narrative between three characters. At the end of the story, there’s an invitation to write a letter to your inner child. The following chapters contain 22 poems, one for each season, with nature as our guide. Each piece includes a page for writing poems or sketches. The book concludes with a few tanka poems.
Ultimately, this book encourages you to acknowledge the past, listen to what your inner child wants to say, and bring curiosity and playfulness back into your daily life. Whether you seek healing, creative expression, or a return to your authentic self, this book serves as a gentle companion.
10. What message would you like to share with other women who are on a journey of self-rediscovery and healing?
Take it slowly, one day at a time. Take as long as you need, but don’t give up—you will get there eventually. It will be worth it to unburden yourself and find freedom. What may seem like a failure on the outside might not feel that way on the inside. Follow the voice in your heart and trust your intuition. Don’t be afraid to use your voice, and let your inner child play.
