There's no such thing as cosmic storytelling superpowers
Or, why I'm starting a newsletter on Substack
I always loved telling stories. When I was a kid, I was a true romantic soul. I named my goldfish Love Veil, with no irony whatsoever. The first book I wrote was called, “There once was a little flower.” And boy, did that little flower have a hard life. The rain on her petals was her tears.
When I was in first grade, author/illustrator Steven Kellogg came to my classroom. I was too afraid to talk to him, but my teacher said if we were shy, we could give him a little pat on the back. So while he signed my book for me, I reached out and touched his shoulder, and--ZAP! POW!--I knew at that moment that I wanted to be an author/illustrator just like him when I grew up…and I’d just received from him some sort of cosmic storytelling superpowers to make it possible.
Spoiler alert: Turns out that there’s no such thing as cosmic storytelling superpowers, unless you count hours and hours of practice and hard work. Who knew?
After that earth-shaking revelation, I quietly and diligently worked on my writing and art for years, but a lack of information and a hefty dose of self-doubt and perfectionism kept me from effectively pursuing my dream.
It wasn’t until I focused on healing my heart and facing my insecurities that I gained the confidence to network with author/illustrator professionals and join communities that could spur me on professionally, like SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). That’s when I started finally having breakthroughs, which culminated in landing an agent for my illustrated YA fantasy novel, THE BREATHING STONE. (Anjanette Barr at Dunham Literary. She’s lovely. And my book out on submission to publishers now!)
That’s why I’m starting an author newsletter that focuses on two areas: mending hearts and launching destinies--because to get traction in your creative career, you both need a brave, whole heart AND clear information about how to launch.
Now, I know I’m not the only one doing this. But most resources just focus on the heart, or just focus on careers. In my own journey, I discovered that launching into your destiny requires an inward and outward quest. Hopefully this newsletter will help with both.
The expertise I’m bringing to this newsletter includes my own experience launching my author/illustrator career. But that’s only a fraction of my story-- I also have 20 years of experience helping creatives take steps forward with their craft and career: teaching writing at New England colleges, writing and career coaching, directing a faith-based leadership school, directing Montserrat College of Art’s Career Design Studio, and most recently, working as the Assistant Dean of Academic and Career Services at Montserrat. And yes, I’ll be drawing from all of these experiences as I write these letters. ;-)
Right now, there have been some setbacks in areas of the creative economy, including the publishing world, and I’ve seen art college grads just starting their careers become jaded and bitter about their chances before they’ve even begun.
It will take increased persistence, ingenuity, and courage to make a go of it. But we need more creatives pursuing their dreams and sharing what they have with the world, because when AI can create an image or story in less than a second, what humans do and think and create matters even more. It matters because we’ve made a choice to pour our blood, sweat, tears--and yes, even our time, the most precious resource of all--into making something meaningful and real.
(Ah. There it is. Evidence that I still am a true romantic soul.)
My hope is that by sharing my story, experience, and the practical tools I’ve developed, it won’t take other creatives nearly as long to clear out the junk that’s holding them back so they can wholeheartedly pursue their dreams.
{Mending Hearts, Launching Destinies will update on a bi-weekly or tri-weekly basis, starting mid-March. See you then!}