Mirtha Michelle is a passionate woman who turned her hobbies into her career. Her Instagram bio sums it up in a nutshell: “Poet, Author, Actress, Lover & Adventurer.” While the latter two is a testament to the type of energy Mirtha brings, the Miami native always knew she wanted to be in an artistic field.

It was in college at FIU when Mirtha stepped her toes in acting, but she’s been writing ever since she was a little girl. Moving out to Los Angeles in early 2006 proved to be a leap of faith as she stepped into the entertainment world and quickly fell custom to the Hollywood nightlife. Admitting she’s a retired clubber, Mirtha has settled down to enjoy the simpler things in life, such as a glass of wine and amazing food.

Beyond her fashion and beauty compliments, Mirtha prides herself in her pen game, publishing her own work and poetry. In 2014, she unleashed her first book which was well-received from consumers. Since then, she’s put out three books total — something she’s focused and put much time and effort into in the past 5 years of her career.

We caught up with Mirtha to discuss her nightlife preferences, favorite restaurants, and what she looks for in a man.

What inspired you to write?

Since I’m a poet, I mainly write poetry and prose. It’s all based on my life, my experiences. A lot of people have called me the Latin Carrie Bradshaw, if that gives any insight to what I write about. I write about my experiences as a woman in this modern world we live in, in a poetic form. I write about love and how I still believe in it, hope and how you should always have it regardless of the difficulty that life might throw your way.

How often do you go out? 

I don’t go out as much as I used to. [chuckles] I’ve been going out since I was very young because I grew up in Miami. When I first moved to LA, going out was part of my life. To be honest, I used to be told that I went out a lot and I thought I didn’t go out as much because I didn’t go out every day. Because in Miami, I went out every night. When I moved to LA, I was out a good 3 to 4 times a week. Now, not so much. In the last 4 to 5 years, I mainly go out for events. I like nice dinners, I’m a restaurant girl. If I end up at a club, it’s because of someone’s birthday. I’m not a big clubber anymore.

What are your favorite venues in the city?

I love Italian food. On a chill night any day, I’ll probably be at the bar at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood. It has great food, it’s really chill. I can have some wine and great pasta, and not have to have reserved it way in advance. I can just show up and hopefully, there will be a space. I may have to wait a little for a chair, but I love going there during the week.

I love trying new restaurants. I went recently a few times to Kassi Club, which is a Greek restaurant but it has live music. They have a DJ, so it does feel like you’re in Greece. [chuckles] It doesn’t feel like LA. Usually, whenever I want to do something low-key, I end up at by Sunset Tower, their Tower Bar. If I want to do a more scene-y crowd, I’d probably end up at Delilah or at an H.Wood venue.

What’s the secret to being a showstopper when you walk in the room?

I’d say confidence. You have to be confident. In LA, there are tons of beautiful people all around, but not everyone is confident. Not everyone is sure of themselves and what they bring to the table. There is a lot of insecurity in this town. That’s something I always stood out with, I’ve always been very confident since I was very young.