Get Sexy With It: Feed Your Soul with Danielle Sepulveres

Let’s talk about how downright real Danielle Sepulveres is. Today’s Feed Your Soul features an author and educational speaker who focuses on educating young minds on S-E-X.  She travels as a public speaker for comprehensive sex education on college campuses and is working on writing her third book and first novel. Her two books, LOSING IT: The Semi Scandalous Story of an Ex-Virgin and Too Old To Have A Major and Too Young To Have A Minor are no-holds-back stories that are witty, fun and educative on the topic. Danielle is an extroverted introvert who isn’t afraid to share her possibly embarrassing personal experiences if it means teaching people a thing or two about overcoming the obstacles that come along with sex, jobs, love, dating, bosses and friendships.  What feeds Danielle’s soul? Tacos, the beach, movies and writing.

Are there any consistent activities or rituals you do to maintain a sense of inner peace? I love to listen to music on a daily basis, and it feels like a lifeline in a way when I'm incredibly stressed. Sara Bareilles, Sarah McLachlan, Sam Cooke and Keane are my go-to artists.

When you are in an emotional rut, what are your go to ways to bring yourself out of that feeling? I change one small thing about my routine. Walk a different way to work; stop at a different place for coffee. Sometimes little changes that would otherwise seem meaningless can help shake you out of a rut. Any big changes start small anyway, and altering the tiny things in your life can help you think about changing the big things that are probably responsible for the emotional rut. A good run or long walk followed by reading a comforting book always helps as well.

Before beginning a creative process, what type of preparation do you normally undertake? Honestly often ideas hit me at the most inopportune moments without planning. I've been out at birthday dinners or an event and struck with an idea of something I want to write and then I'm antsy to leave, go home and get started. But I suppose once I know what I'm going to write or do, I surround myself with coffee, snacks and Spotify.

Describe a time you underwent a particularly stressful situation and what measures you took to move through that process. I broke up with someone when I was still madly, deeply in love with him. We wanted very different things and we were ignoring that fact for far too long. I was devastated even though I knew it was for the best. Waking up every day without having him as a part of my life was heartbreaking and stressful because I also felt like I lost a best friend. I kept a separate journal about him to work through my feelings. Writing down everything he meant to me helped. I wrote letters I never intended to mail but just kept in a box under my bed. I watched comforting movies, opened up to my friends even though it was incredibly difficult to show them all how vulnerable I felt. Mostly I didn't put pressure on myself, I knew it would be a long time before I felt like myself and I allowed myself to take that time. It's important to know that you will be okay even when it feels like you won't.

Do you have any favorite movies that always revive your spirit? Moonstruck, Working Girl, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Clueless, and When Harry Met Sally.

Is there a particular genre of music that brings you calm? Anything by Sara Bareilles or Sarah McLachlan.

What is the most inspiring book you have ever read? Oh this is hard, I love so many books in so many ways. I think The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It's so full of love.

Are there any particular exercise routines or practices that you use for grounding? If so, describe how you discovered them. I'm a runner and that's how I know best to use physical means to clear my mind. I’ve loved running from the time I was six years old and discovered I was fast and that moving quickly made me feel good.

Do you meditate? If so, how did you learn and what methods do you use often? I do meditate. I learned in high school from my track coach. He taught me basic breath control and mind clearing exercises to visualize calmness and strength within my whole body. I just like to lie quietly and envision cool clear water clearing out every inch of my body. Then, imagine a burst of light radiating out from my center and throughout the rest of my body.

What’s your favorite motivational YouTube or Netflix video? I'm not sure I've watched any. But any YouTube videos of cats is guaranteed to be something I love.

Who is the most inspirational person you have ever met, and what did they reveal to you that never left you? I have three. John Degelmann, my high school track coach who instilled my first seeds of confidence when he told me I was an excellent competitor and I didn't need to be afraid to succeed. My first creative writing teacher, Woody Rudin who told me there was something magical in the way I wrote and to never stop doing it. And Julianna Margulies, who once told me I needed to date someone secure enough to accept that I was the most entertaining person in the room.

Check her out on Twitter @ellesep, @daniellesep on Instagram, and daniellesepulveres.com. 

Written by Katie Girouard.