Episode 10: Life After Surviving A Mass Shooting

Reawakening Beauty Podcast by Shawna Patruno

Air Date: August 08 2021

Today, Shawna speaks with Victoria, a survivor of gun violence. Together, they excavate a traumatic experience, recognize hardship, support each other, and ask podcast listeners to open space in their hearts for those who have been touched by this issue.

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: 

  • Could you briefly introduce yourself? 
  • What helped you cope after going through tragedy like you did? 
  • Are there any post-traumatic stress issues that might have come up after your experience? 
  • How can we go about helping others who have been through traumatic experiences? 
  • Going forward, is there something we could do as a society to help lessen gun violence? 
  • What is the message you’d like to share today? 
  • Are there any projects you’re working on right now that our listeners might be interested in? 
  • How can people listening reach you?

SHOW NOTES:

  • Victoria shares her experience as a gun violence survivor. 
  • Trigger warning for anyone reading or listening who has dealt with gun violence – Victoria shared her experience within the deadliest mass shooting to date. It all happened when she took a trip to Las Vegas and went to a concert where the shooting occurred. For ten minutes, she saw and heard 99 bullets per second soar through the crowd.  
  • She believes she’s alive today to tell this story as a filmmaker and storyteller. 
  • Trauma occurs on different levels. As a survivor, she appreciates that her post-traumatic stress and anxiety serves a purpose. 
  • Victoria is finding her voice through her struggles. 
  • When you meet someone who’s lived through mass violence or other trauma, really try to understand where they are coming from and their experience. Strive to connect with them. Do not be on the defence. 
  • She is writing a short film called, “10:04” which shares a girl’s experience before, during, and after a mass shooting. This is a story of victory, rising above challenging situations, and living as a survivor.

REFERENCE MATERIAL:

SHAWNA PATRUNO (HOST OF REAWAKENING BEAUTY)

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FREE RESOURCES AND MORE INTERVIEWS (YOUTUBE)

PUBLISHED WORK ON CONFIDENCE AND SKIN CARE TIPS

VICTORIA (GUEST ON REAWAKENING BEAUTY)

BIO:

Victoria is a native New Yorker, born into a Greek and Italian family, who instilled culture in her from a very young age. Always shy and introspective, Victoria began writing as a young child, after falling in love with her curiosity for the entertainment world. Deeply inspired by her own parents’ tragic love story and the pain and triumphs of her ancestors, her writing style explores the highs, the lows, and the overarching lessons of our individual and collective experiences on Earth. Victoria uses sensitivity as a tool for tapping into the depths of human emotion. She studied Creative Writing and Psychology, graduating from the College of Arts and Sciences at New York University. Her writing demonstrates her commitment to developing intricate characters from all walks of life, around which a strong narrative is born and evolved. Victoria’s storytelling and production illuminate the power of laughter, visceral emotion and sound for healing, carefully alchemizing the heart breaks of life into art. She aims to create an affinity of love, light and resonance for those who feel personally drawn to seek growth and find relief through the work. She is the creator of Greek Honey, an independent series and the first project of Perivolaris Productions, and serves as the head writer of season one’s ten episodes.    

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES: