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Welcome! I'm Crystal Kay.
By day, I’m a dedicated teacher helping young people find their voice. By heart, I’m a writer, poet, and neurodivergent woman sharing the truths I once felt pressured to hide.
This space brings together the creative work that’s shaped—and saved—me.
It begins with Resilience in Verse, my first published book of poetry written in the wake of childhood trauma and narcissistic abuse.
It continues through Voice and Verse, my upcoming podcast, where I explore personal storytelling, healing, and unmasking through raw reflection and meaningful conversation.
And soon, it will grow with the release of my second book, From Masking to Meaning: My Path to Authenticity—a memoir-meets-manual about trauma recovery, identity, and learning to live unfiltered.
I also write regularly on my blog at crystalkaycreative.com, sharing stories, strategies, and insights from the lifelong process of becoming.
Everything here is grounded in one mission:
To speak what I was once told to silence—and help others do the same.
Resilience in Verse is my first book of poetry, born from the wreckage and rebuilding of my own life. I grew up in a middle-class family marked by trauma, alcoholism, and emotional neglect—and for years, I carried those wounds in silence. Writing became my way through.
These poems aren’t just reflections—they’re the raw, honest echoes of what it took to survive, to heal, and to find my voice again. If you’ve ever felt invisible, broken, or unsure if healing is possible, this book is for you. Every verse is a reminder: you’re not alone—and your story still matters.
Verse and Voice exists to create space for the stories we were taught to silence. Through poetry, personal reflection, and trauma-informed tools, this podcast offers a voice to survivors of childhood trauma, neurodivergent masking, and narcissistic abuse. It’s not just about recovery—it’s about reclamation. We don’t just speak. We transform.
A limited series exploring trauma, masking, and reclaiming identity. Through poetry, storytelling, and reflection, Crystal Kay shares her journey from survival to selfhood—guided by the themes of her books Resilience in Verse and From Masking to Meaning.
Structure:
Introduction
1 Speaking the Unspoken
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From Masking to Meaning
Coming Soon
From Masking to Meaning is my personal journey from living behind a socially acceptable facade to uncovering the truth of who I really am. For most of my life, I masked—my emotions, my neurodivergence, my needs—all to survive in environments that weren’t built for someone like me. This book weaves memoir with reflection, offering an honest look at how trauma, childhood conditioning, and undiagnosed autism shaped the way I moved through the world.
But this isn’t just a survival story—it’s a reclamation. Through raw storytelling, inner parts work, and moments of unfiltered clarity, I share what it’s like to strip away the layers of performance and finally live in alignment with my real self. If you've ever felt like you're too much, not enough, or just exhausted from pretending to be okay, this book is a map back to your own meaning.