Julianne Hough had an “awakening” while writing her new novel “Everything We Never Knew” (exclusive)

“I feel more clarity and understanding about what is important to me and what I want to put out into the world… I feel creative. I feel so in love,” Hough tells PEOPLE

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The Dancing with the stars The host channeled this “magic” into the story of a woman named Lexi who realizes that she can sense other people’s emotions and see into their personal memories. But this ability comes at a price: she must also confront her past, which she has vehemently tried to suppress.

“I realized I could tap into the universal themes that everyone experiences: loss, grief, abandonment, betrayal, hurt, all of these things that we experience as a human collective,” says Hough. “I’ve been very, very conscious over the last four years of being as authentic and real as possible and not worrying about the narrative from the outside in, but from the inside out.”

To connect with the character she was writing, she needed to understand herself better, which Hough admits wasn’t easy.

“It just sparked this new curiosity in me and it started to dissolve all the protective systems that I had set up for myself to keep myself completely fine,” said the Safe haven says the actress. “It hasn’t been the easiest journey, but it has allowed all parts of me to exist and come out, and then I really have a clear picture of who I am and what my purpose is in this next phase of life.”

When Hough set out to “identify patterns and behaviors that were hiding her from her best, highest self,” she had to dig deeper than she originally expected.

“I thought all of my trauma really occurred between the ages of 10 and 15, but I realized, ‘Oh my God, I’d been through so much before that,'” Hough recalls. “Our parents are doing the best they can in the moment, so it’s not about blaming, avoiding or shaming. It’s about acknowledging, confronting and then realizing that we can take ourselves and heal the wounds that have lasted for generations.”

Related: Julianne Hough Says She’s ‘Very Happy’ to Be Single, But Her ‘Heart Is Open’ to ‘Something Very Special’ (Exclusive)

Hough says her life now feels like it’s in full bloom. “I really feel like I’m harvesting, like I’m absolutely full after many years of planting seeds and releasing things that weren’t working before,” she says. “I feel more clarity and understanding of what’s important to me and what I want to put out into the world… I feel creative. I feel so in love.”

While the Unbound The actress says she is not in love with anyone or anything in particular, but tells PEOPLE she is ready to open her heart again after separating from her ex-husband Brooks Laich in 2020 and divorcing them in 2022.

“I needed time to myself. I needed to sit in that awkward silence and think, ‘I feel so alone right now,'” Hough says. “I can say that my heart has opened in the last year and a half… I have so much love to give. I can’t wait to pour it out.”

Looking ahead to the release of her book, Hough is excited for people to be able to relate to the story. “My experiences with this book, Lexi’s experiences in this book, I don’t think they’re limited to any one person,” she says. “I believe everyone has the ability to tap into those spiritual senses, and it’s all a matter of timing. It’s about openness, curiosity, and a willingness to surrender to what’s possible.”

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As for the next chapter of her life story, Hough is taking her own advice and embracing whatever comes next. “I just want to be in a place that feels really easy, calm, alive, and allowing things to happen that are meant for me,” she says. “The fear of change has turned into the joy of transformation.”

Everything we never knew will be published on August 13th by Sourcebooks Landmark and can be pre-ordered now wherever the book is sold.

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