Songwriter · Poet · Author · Performer
Ilana
Kovalle
Poetry, prose, and music. From heartbreak to hope, and everything in between.
About my facets
Each of us is a multitude of lifetimes and universes, dreams and despairs, and I won’t dare to compress myself into a tiny post. Still, let me at least share a few of my facets with you here.
You might have already derived that I do quite a few things. And I do all that I do not because I aspire to succeed in all these areas but because I’m curious to try things and to challenge myself to figure them out (admittedly, I do rather fancy figuring things out).
I’m not competitive. I’m not ambitious. I admire excellence in others but I’m not propelled towards it for myself. I’m what you might call a ‘professional amateur’ - I excel in mediocrity. Or maybe I’m mediocre in excellence? Either way, for better or for worse, I’ve learned to accept all that I am and all that I am not.
And what I am is ever-changing. In a way that even what I once considered to be my pillars of constant have eroded with time and been replaced by suspension cables. All I can share with you now is what I am in this moment of my life and right now I’m just a curious person who believes in the power of effective communication and self-acceptance.
It’s probably not the kind of introduction you expected, so let me sprinkle a few casual factoids too.
I’m not fond of labels though - they help with succinctness but also confine us in a box of expectations. So, I’m just a person who:
- Writes (and occasionally reads) poetry, monologues, short stories, novels - writing always makes me feel better (even when I write worthless crap), so it’s not something I can imagine my life without;
- Creates and performs her own songs and assists others with theirs - music is my form of emotional outlet, relaxation, and catharsis;
- Leverages positive psychology and ICF ACC certifications to coach others in the areas of communications, empowerment, and self-identity;
- Applies neuroscience-focused training to develop and deliver workshops and webinars on the topics of mental health and well-being (see the list of my favorites below)
- Takes pride in being an older sister to 4 incredible siblings;
- Loves learning but also shamelessly spends a lot of time watching movies, series, and anime (do chat me up about these);
- Enjoys rollerblading, snowboarding, dancing, and playing with my sweet dog Mr. Darcy;
- Has left her decade-long career in Corporate America with appreciation for financially supporting her moonlighting passions.
— Ilana Kovalle
About Ilana
Ilana Kovalle (nom de plume) is an ethnically-Ukrainian born-Kazakhstani songwriter, poet, and author, currently residing in the U.S. Her songs, including her recent EP album “Stages of Heartbreak,” are available on all platforms (under IlanaKovalle). Her books include an illustrated collection of poetry and prose “Ode to Hope and Despair” and a short collection "LOML."
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s degree in Accountancy, both from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is also a certified well-being trainer with the Neurointegration Institute and has a positive psychology coaching certification from Positive Acorn. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). She has designed and delivered over a dozen of various well-being and productivity workshops, covering topics from burnout recovery to planning fallacy management to empowerment (to take ownership of one’s life), and many other.
Some of her top values include Variety and Stimulation, which is evident in the diversity of Ilana’s pursuits.
A little movement, a little music
Life beyond the page
I also like to have fun on rollerblades! Share your skating—or skate to my music—with #skatingwithIlana and #rollerbladingwithIlana.