Education
In today’s episode, I’m joined by indie author and maker, Christina Cato. As an author, Christina enjoys writing romance, sci-fi/fantasy, dystopian fiction, but is open to whatever stories pop into her head: From steamy romance to historical thriller, she goes where the characters and stories take her. She has three published novels on Amazon, but has written one more, and is currently starting on her fifth book — a fictional tale based on her recent experience getting COVID-19! Christina has also been building Star Wars droids since 2015 (she has two complete droids) and has facilitated a thriving community of women-identifying builders through the Stardust Builders Initiatives. She is also an historical re-enacter with the Society of Creative Anachronisms; a Stormtrooper, Imperial Officer, Imperial Combat Driver, Imperial Transport troop Driver for international Star Wars fan-based organization, 501st Legion; and a volunteer for 501st events that include Make-A-Wish granting, fundraisers, STEM based events. And in all the spare time she has left, Christina can also be found hamming it up at conventions in the various cosplay she enjoys and working full-time for Nike. Christina was introduced to me by my friend Jon, who works with Christina at Nike and told me she was an awesome creative dynamo — and he was so right. In today’s conversation, we talk about how Christina got into the world of droid building and how it’s helped her open doors for other people, how she’s learned to stop caring about what other people think and how that’s changed her life, and the one action that has led to every success in her life. We also talk about: How she became a published author after giving up on writing early in her life, and how she takes the seedling of an idea and turns it into an entire story The power of representation for women and people of color How to unplug from the people in your life who have a negative impact The best way to begin accessing our joy and following our whimsy Why it’s not just okay, but should be encouraged to be bad at things How living as your full self creates more space in your life Why there is no right or wrong way to do anything . . . and so much more! Christina’s passions range from the technical to the hands on, but it’s always inspirational. More than that, she tries to do it her own way, using her own “voice” rather than merely copying everyone else. I loved our conversation because it reminded me of how powerful it is to live as my full self and to follow the things — the activities, the relationships, the career paths — that really feel good to me. That’s where Christina has found the most success and the most happiness, and after having this conversation, I’m more convinced than ever that the same is true for all of us. Thank you, as always, for listening — I hope you enjoy the show! — Follow Christina: Twitter Facebook Group: Cato’s Cloud Facebook Group: Stardust Builders Initiative Website (Under Construction) Amazon Other Notable Links: Christina’s Our Star Wars Story Looking for Leia CREDITS Editing & Sound Engineering: Jordan Johansen Music: “Kenton” by Dr Crosby (Licensed via Marmoset)