Hello, Wild Ones ~ Today’s newsletter has been months in the making. I’m thrilled to share the very first Prismara Portrait with you: a mini-film that captures the creative journey of Natalia Lazarus.
Natalia set out to write her first book while also preparing to run one of the most extreme races on the planet: seven marathons in seven days on seven continents. What unfolded was more than a book or a race. It was a reminder of what happens when we answer the spark inside and let it carry us somewhere new.
I hope her story inspires you to set your own inspiring challenge—whether creative or physical—and to go for it.
With wild love ~ Kelly ✨
Natalia’s Creative Inner Race
When Natalia and I first met in January 2025, she had already committed to one of the most extreme endurance challenges in the world: The Great World Race — seven marathons, seven days, seven continents (taking place November 2025). That decision alone told me something about her spirit: she wasn’t afraid of big, audacious goals.
Which is why I was so excited to work with her when she decided to write and publish a book in under two months.
Like the Great World Race, though, she knew that writing a book wasn’t just a challenge of simply writing words (or putting in the miles). She knew it was the terrain inside that would be the true challenge.
The day after we met, the phrase The Inner Race landed in her journal, and she knew she was committed to the biggest creative project of her life. The title was more than an idea; it was an explosion of recognition.
“It was like this big, bright light of possibility… I never deviated from that moment of inspiration, because it felt like the inner race really encapsulated the process of personal growth I was going through.”
From the start, she poured pages out of herself: years of notes scribbled mid-run, reflections carried quietly in her body. “It was the longest journal entry of my whole life,” she laughed. “I just got everything out without judgment. And then once that part was done…it got hard.”
That’s when our work together became really powerful.
Writing a book is its own kind of marathon. There are days of euphoria when the words pour through you, and there are days when nothing comes at all. Natalia faced both, and together we created practices that helped her keep going. Her “floor goal” was simple: show up every day, even if all she could do was stare at the screen. In our sessions, we balanced book strategy with somatic inquiry: meeting the younger parts of her that didn’t feel safe to share her voice and strengthening the steady, confident parts that knew she was ready for this.
By continuing to show up to the page and every emotional experience along the way, she began to discover her own rhythm as a writer. She began to trust her voice, her message, and her wisdom.
“Writing a book is a roller coaster ride… I didn’t realize all the blocks that were holding me back from communication, from sharing my voice, from standing up for myself, from taking risks. And then realizing, I’m okay. This is awesome. Now I want more. How else can I grow? What else can I learn?”
The deeper she went, the more the book apprenticed her to its own teachings. She was writing about setting inspiring challenges and about staying with the process when inspiration fades.
As a devoted mother of two, her family was always in the background, shaping her discipline and her why. She woke at 4:30 a.m. to write between five and seven, protecting her family time while carving space for her dream. Her teenagers eventually joined the journey, weighing in on fonts for the cover and cheering her on. They listened as she read aloud the final chapter with tears streaming down her face before pressing “send to print.”
“I just want my kids to dream big and chase their dreams,” she told me. “To know that anything is possible at the end of the day, if you’re doing it for the right reasons and find the people to support you.”
What strikes me most is how the two races fused into one. Training for the Great World Race taught her steadiness, endurance, and the ability to methodically prepare for immense physical challenge.
Writing The Inner Race taught her the same, except the muscles were her voice, her confidence, her willingness to stand fully in who she is, and keep showing up to the process.
“It doesn’t always feel good to run,” she said. “It feels good to cross the finish line. It feels good when you’re having a good day. But you have to push through the miles that are uphill, when your legs hurt, your lungs hurt. Writing was the same. The peaks were awesome, but the troughs were really hard. There were a lot of tears.”
By the time Natalia held her finished book in her hands (about 3.5 months after starting), she was no longer just someone with a dream. She had become an author, a leader, a woman who bet on herself and kept showing up.
Natalia embodies the essence of what I believe creativity is for: not just the act of making something, but the transformation that happens inside you as you make it. A process I call Project-Based Transformation.
“I really believe everybody should write a book… the power and possibility of personal growth that comes from creating something changes you in ways that are so amazing.”
And she knows this is just the beginning. “The moment you decide to bet on yourself is powerful,” she told me. “Just that moment changed my life. The race hasn’t even started yet, and I’m already a completely different person.”
That is the true essence of The Inner Race: the finish line is never the end. It’s the courage to step forward, to keep listening to the spark, to let your growth light the way for others.
Natalia continues to embody this as she shares her book with the world, giving inspiring talks, spreading her message, and preparing for the Great World Race just months away. It is an extraordinary transformation from where she stood at the start of the year, holding little more than an idea and the passion to bring it to life.
Natalia’s Prismara Portrait
Working with Natalia was an absolute dream for me. As a Creative Embodiment Coach, it feels so good to support someone who is ready to bolt out the door to express their ideas. While Natalia faced many of the same internal hurdles that I’ve encountered on my own creative path (and that most people I work with experience too), what set her apart was her remarkable sense of agency. When Natalia wants something, she makes it happen.
And something I keep coming back to is this: creativity is agency. To create, whether it’s a book or a major life change, is to show up fully for life and to become the author of your own story.
As a woman preparing to run one of the most challenging races on the planet, I knew her ambitious book publishing goal was within her reach. But what I witnessed in our work together went beyond completing a manuscript. I saw her blossom into the next chapter of herself, expanding her impact, her confidence, and her leadership.
That is what inspired me to create a short film about her journey.
This Prismara Portrait (video at the top) is the very first storytelling project within the Prismara ecosystem, and it was such a joy to create. With a tiny but mighty team of two videographers (thank you, Alejandro and Brandon) and morning alarms set for 4 a.m., we followed Natalia through a day in her life: writing at Pete’s Coffee before sunrise, running a nearby trail, breakfast with her family, meditation and journaling, and being in community with those who know her best.
A heartfelt thank you to Tucker Walsh, our incredible editor, for bringing her story to life.
I am thrilled to share this co-creation with you and I hope Natalia’s story encourages you to set and accomplish your own inspiring challenge 💗
Follow Natalia’s Journey
Natalia’s story is still unfolding. This November, she will step onto the starting line of The Great World Race — seven marathons, seven days, seven continents — carrying the same courage and grit that brought The Inner Race to life.
Her mission is to help women navigating midlife reconnect to their inner spark through the pursuit of an inspiring challenge.
📖 Read her book: The Inner Race — available on Amazon (Kindle & Paperback).
🏃♀️ Follow Natalia’s Journey and the Great World Race: Track Natalia’s training and global adventure on Instagram.
🌍 Sponsorships & Partnerships: Natalia is opening select sponsorship opportunities to align with her journey. To learn more or explore partnership, reach out on her website.
By supporting Natalia, you’re not only cheering on one woman’s dream, you’re helping fuel a movement of courage, growth, and possibility for everyone standing at the edge of their own inner race.
If her journey inspires you, please consider sharing this post 🙏
