Hi, I’m Sonya

I'm a writer, poet, author, and the founder of Nurtured Narratives, a writing company rooted in wellness. And I'm so happy that you're here.

My story

When I was young, I was scared of my voice, of saying the wrong thing or saying it too loudly. I'd never raise my hand, never share without being asked. But when I put pen to paper, I was fearless.

In writing, I found a sense of bravery. I could explore the edges without anyone ever knowing I was tiptoeing them. I could make mistakes—and erase them before anyone knew I'd made them. I could write happy endings even on the days I wasn't. Writing made me feel powerful. It made me feel more than when I felt less than in real life. Writing helped me find characters who were confident, bold, and loveable. All the things that, for years, I thought I wasn't.

At age five, I wrote my first book, "The Prince and the Princess Dragon," followed a few years later by "Cinderfellow." (Clearly foreshadowing my feminist inclinations.) At age 12, I self-published a book of poetry and sold it in my middle school hallways. At age 17, I was a finalist for a national writing competition. At age 23, my first article on the internet went viral. And yet, it took me until I was in my 30s to start calling myself a "writer."

That young girl inside me was still afraid of being heard, fearful of owning who I had been my entire life—because what if it still wasn't enough? But here's the thing: once I started calling myself a writer, everything changed. I finally became the characters I had written about for decades. Suddenly, I was fearless. Suddenly, people actually started calling me "brave." No longer was I writing my dreams down; no, I was writing my dreams out loud. It was as if my pen went from being a crutch to being a wand, and I watched as I turned my dreams into reality.

I started a writing company, boldly raising my hand for people to hire me. I pitched dream outlets—and landed them—while learning to get comfortable with 100s of rejections. I moved to Europe, writing from cute cafes on my laptop, just like in the movies. I taught journaling workshops, becoming the person asking the questions and not the one scared of being asked to answer. And soon, I won't be selling my book in hallways but on bookshelves in Barnes & Noble.

I stepped into a life I'd been drafting since I was five—and I made it beautiful. Not just in the imaginary, literary kind of way, but in the way that you can touch and feel and smell and taste. And all it took was finally owning who I'd always been. It took letting myself be seen, messy first drafts and all. And I could regret not doing it sooner, but I choose to be grateful that I did it at all.

Hi, I'm Sonya Matejko. Today, I am a writer. But tomorrow? Well, you'll have to keep reading to find out.

Moving through words

While words have always been my first love, I've discovered that sometimes the best way to find them is to first find stillness. As a certified yoga teacher (RYT 200) with specialized training in Trauma-Informed and Yin practices, I create spaces where movement becomes another form of self-expression.

My journey with yoga parallels my relationship with writing—both are practices of coming home to yourself. When I'm not helping people find their words on the page, you can find me guiding them through gentle flows in Vienna's historic studios, where ancient architecture meets ancient practice.

This intersection of movement and writing comes together in my signature workshop, Express Yo(ga)self, where we use both the mat and the pen to unlock deeper self-awareness. Whether through words or poses, my mission remains the same: helping you find your way back to yourself.