Somatic Practitioner Cheryl Pallant

Q&A with Author Cheryl Pallant

Where are you from?

NYC originally.

Who are you today?

Writer, poet, dancer, professor, meditator, Reiki practitioner, cyclist, hiker, a tango and yoga aficionado.

What do you do? (elevator speech)

I write. I dance. I teach at universities and lead workshops around the country and abroad. I ... sorry, this is my floor.

What's your story, how did you get here?

I got here through vision, sweat, luck. My preferred mode of transportation is my bicycle.

Why is creativity important to you?

The creative process captures essence. It affirms who I am and simultaneously lets me transcend myself. I step beyond the usual boundaries of culture and logic and engage with something larger than my individual self, something universal, soulful, numinous, and deeply satisfying.

When did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?

The first time was in fourth grade when fellow students continually asked me to read my stories written for class. They also believed what I wrote, even if it was far-fetched. I realized the power of the written word early on.

How did you embrace it?

I wrote throughout high school and college. After grad school, I challenged myself to make it as a writer. Learning dance, which also took place in college, was pivotal. It provided another language, deepened bodily connections, and used another part of my brain. I've been going ever since, publishing books, articles, poems, stories, performing dance, and teaching.

How did that feel?

I'm grateful to feel a fullness of being.

Where has your journey taken you?

To Malaysia, Korea, and Hungary. To sitting on panels alongside Pulitzer Prize winners. To having the luxury to sit at my desk with a purring cat on my lap.

What challenges have you faced?

Life. An artist's path is wrought with challenges.

What worked for you?

Shifting my breathing and giving myself permission to experiment in my creative expression. I constantly draw on tools of mine like whimsy, humor, meditation, breathwork, somatic practices, dreaming, and good friends.

What didn't?

Not having a well-running computer or a sharp pencil.

What tips can you share with those starting on a similar path?

Familiarize yourself with the field and find a way to distinguish yourself. Trust your gut and get to know the ways the creative pulse courses through and communicates with you. Persist, especially in the face of doubt and indifference.

What are you working on now?

I'm soon to send out letters to potential reviewers for my latest poetry book and awaiting the publication of my memoir. I'm starting a nonfiction book on writing and the somatic connection.

What else do you desire/dream to do?

I want to landscape my backyard with a sitting and vegetable garden. I dream of winning a reputable literary prize.

How will you make that happen?

The landscaping desire is easy once I sketch a plan. The prize? Stating it here publicly is a first step.

Besides the arts, what inspires you and why?

Meditation. To be my true self and all my selves.