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Many people the world over use writing and journaling as a tool to examine their inner thoughts and even as catharsis. But often, writing isn’t enough.
We reached out to Maria Beatrice Alonzi, author of Non Voglio Più Piacere a Tutti (“I Do Not Want to Please Everybody Anymore”), to chat about the intersection of writing and mental health.
What does your writing life look like?
Writing is integral to my life. Annually, I publish a book that often addresses mental health topics. My latest non-fiction book, Tu non sei i tuoi genitori ("You Are Not Your Parents"), was released by Sperling & Kupfer on October 3.
Most of my writing aims to destigmatize mental health, a message I reinforce through my social media. Even my first work of fiction, Noi, Parola di Tre Lettere ("A Word of Three Letters"), published by Salani, scrutinizes intergenerational trauma within families and the disturbing lengths people take to fit in. It was written entirely on my Traveler.
Tell us about your writing process.
I write every day. Writing is part of my day job, too. Whether it's coordinating with various departments in my company around copywriting and advertising for my clients, or drafting the next chapter in a book, writing is a daily practice for me. It's the most precise way I know to articulate my thoughts, and therefore, connect with everybody in a specific way. It's an irreplaceable part of my life.
For my books, I adopt an intense writing schedule, completing drafts of about 50,000 words within three to four months. My Freewrite Traveler helps me maintain focus and resist the urge to edit prematurely.
Traveler also makes it easy to write anywhere. I drafted my first novel on Traveler and typically edit using Ulysses on my computer. Currently, I'm working on a new novel due out in 2024.
How does writing affect your mental health?
Writing and mental health are intertwined in my life in a complex way. With a thorough background in mental health studies, I approach life with acute awareness of its impact on my psychological well-being. However, I feel it's crucial to emphasize that the most important step for mental well-being is seeking professional help.
In Italy, where I'm based, the healthcare system provides mental health services for its citizens (not always accessible and not all over the country, but it’s still something). My advocacy for mental health is aimed at reducing stigma and increasing awareness, so people will actually go to therapy. Nothing can replace professional care.
So my mental well-being is constantly monitored by a healthcare professional. Writing, for me, is an extension of the self-awareness I've cultivated in therapy. It also allows me to better communicate with others, ultimately serving as a platform for advocacy.
Do you have advice for other writers who struggle with mental health issues?
For aspiring writers looking to improve their mental health, I have this to say: writing can indeed be a salve, but it should not replace professional mental health care. When you're dealing with unresolved emotional pain, your first visit should be to a qualified therapist, not a publisher.
My recommendation is to know and metabolize your own pain before attempting to tackle it through writing. Once you have a good handle on your mental state, writing can become a meaningful way to explore your experiences for others. Through your own narrative, you could certainly provide immeasurable value to readers, offering a humane and compassionate insight into the challenges we all face in our mental health.
But make sure you’re OK first. Prioritizing mental well-being can undeniably enrich one's writing and, more importantly, one’s quality of life.
Where can readers find your work?
My work is written in Italian, but some international audiences will soon enjoy Non Voglio Più Piacere a Tutti (“I Do Not Want to Please Everybody Anymore"), published by Vallardi. Noi, Parola di Tre Lettere ("A Word of Three Letters") is being adapted for the screen, and Il Libricino della Felicità ("The Little Book of Happiness") will be available in English and French.
Anything else readers should know about you?
I have a seven-year-old rescue dog, Olivia, and a talented actor boyfriend, Francesco. I also direct, act, and take pride in mixing a perfect martini.
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Maria Beatrice Alonzi is the author of worldwide best-selling books and a business strategist. She holds a master's degree in Humanistic Sciences and a PhD in Non-Verbal Communication Analysis. Over the years, she has helped shape key figures in Italy's digital entrepreneurship and arts landscape, including some of the country’s most renowned artists, creators, and entrepreneurs. She is engaged to actor Francesco Guglielmi and lives in Rome with her dog, Olivia.
Follow her on Instagram @mariabeatrice.
Freewriter Britt Gondolfi has an important message: people need to put down their phones and LOOK UP. The medium she chose to get this message across? Pigeons and poop jokes.
Find out how Britt and her BFF (who happens to be her illustrator) took a silly song and turned it into a book deal.
Astrohaus, the team behind Freewrite, is an American company. Like many American companies, and virtually all consumer electronic brands, our cost base is global. We work with contractors in Europe, in South America, and in Asia. We purchase components from a global supply chain and assemble our product in China, but make no mistake, we are an American company. The majority of our costs, including goods, services, and payroll, are from the United States. Most of our team lives in the Midwest. I founded this company in Detroit, Michigan, and am still here. I am proud to have built an American company that supports 10+ Americans and their families.
But now we are caught in a trade war that threatens our very existence. A war that was building up over time but has crescendoed to a point that no business owner could have prepared for. As I write this today, we have to pay an additional 145% of the cost of any product made in China as a tax to the U.S. Government.Yesterday it was 104%, up from 54%. In March it was 20% and in February it was 10%. Tomorrow?
Astrohaus is an importer because there is no consumer electronics industry in the U.S. China has emerged over the decades as the world's factory. At first, as a low-cost solution, but in 2025, they are undeniably the best in the world.
Now we are in a pickle because we have established relationships with our contract manufacturing partners that go back to when we started in 2014. Yes, some of the folks we work with today have been with us since the very beginning. They took a chance on us and helped us get off the ground. I have personally spent months on the ground in Hong Kong and China working closely with these folks, whom I now call friends.
Everyone, including our contract manufacturing partners, is helping us explore our options, but the truth is that it is incredibly difficult to move factories. It takes careful planning, huge expense, and much more time than we have.
Unfortunately, we can’t wait to let the trade war resolve itself, nor do we have the advantage big companies like Apple have with a diversified supply base in various countries. We must work with our existing supply base in China, and that means adjusting prices to cover some of our new costs. That's assuming a trade deal gets done, because 100%+ tariffs are simply untenable long term.
On Monday, April 14, we will be raising prices. Not because we want to, but because we have to.Thank you for standing by us over the years. We aren’t going anywhere.
Write on,
Adam
Freewrite Founder & CEO
Bryan Young writes for many magazines and online publications. As you get more entrenched within the industry and develop relationships with editors, the process can vary widely. But at the start of cultivating those relationships, it’s usually very much the same. Here's his walk-through of the process.
