Yesterday I had the privilege of meeting some great people whom all were brought together based on their love of writing. As I sat on the panel side of the table there were many moments where I wanted to retract and go to the opposing side of the table to be able to fully engulf the information both Tim and Lori were sharing with the group. Something was alluring about hearing both authors’ stories of how they began their journeys and what inspired their books. As I sat and listened I began to take a silent walk down memory lane as I walked through what inspired me to finally take a leap of faith and publish my first book. The Diary of Janay Wilkerson was the first book I published in 2020 and despite my love for the title I made many mistakes on my journey to authorship that I am now thankful for and share with other inspired writers in hopes that they will learn from my mistakes. I remember the discomfort I felt early on in my journey when viewing the text and taking notice of all the flaws within the pages of my manuscript. I felt numerous times the sting of failure because the story that I desired to tell in my opinion had too many errors for me to feel there could be an understanding of the story itself. Yet despite the flawed paperback my readers still understood the story, offered great feedback, purchased the book every time it hit the shelf, and sent me reviews referencing my gift, the stories components, and the vision that I felt I had not watered properly due to my dire need to get the story out as promptly as I could. As I sat behind the table sharing my story I could see the eyes of one of the writers light up with shock as she tried to understand how a creator could withstand such an experience.
Afterward, we exchanged contact info and she passed along partial pages of her manuscript to me hoping I could offer her some constructive feedback. My goal was to dive into her manuscript right away but after working 16 hours on the night shift I decided to wait until I could offer her some fresh eyes that were no longer drained from the reign of night work and exhaustion. I started reading her manuscript and gave her a call after feeling impressed with what I had read and instantly being able to see a portion of her vision despite the limited pages I had in front of me. As I spoke with her on the phone I could see so many similarities between her and me in terms of the dreamer spirit that many are unwilling to show in a transparent format. Listening to her share her goals of creating 33 publications, her goals for what she would like to do with her series, and her plans for the future was chilling to me based on the fact that it was clear the wheels of the imagination were flowing and despite the many insecurities about her newly formed process she was following its call allowing it to lead her down a path of possibilities that can be both frightening and exciting given the day. I found her to be intriguing as I listened to her express the stories that rolled around in her brain and the plans for her series that although they had not all been laid to paper it was clear and waiting to be constructed. I informed her that she was sitting on a gift that not all writers have the privilege of owning. Her ability to see 33 individual stories in her brain, and having a clear concept of what each story entailed and where she wanted the story to go was a gift within itself. I explained to her that writing can be critiqued and taught, but having an imagination filled with visions of creativity is something you either have or don’t. Anyone can sit down at a desk and write and earn the right to call themselves a writer but not everyone can sit down, allow their imagination to lead them, and create earning the right to call themselves a creator. I encouraged her to keep honing in on her process, evaluate herself because self-awareness helps with the writing process, and follow her imagination down whatever rabbit holes she is directed because that is the true source of her gift and that will be what takes her and her stories to where they are meant to go. As I left our conversation I felt thankful for crossing paths with her and getting that reminder of what it feels like to be flustered with hope, fear, creativity, and overall new growth in the realm of creation. Often as we get further along in our process we make it about things like marketing, sales, support, our next, etc. Allowing ourselves to become lost in spaces that don’t matter or didn’t matter to us in the beginning. This morning I was reminded of the beauty of what it means to be a creator and what it means to allow your imagination to take the lead. Speaking with that author and listening to her innocence as she projected her desire to create was euphoric to me and it served as a reminder to me that at the end of the day, there is no greater purpose than creating based on a vision God has rewarded you with that can bring joy and meaning to someone else. The irony is that author reached out to me for inspiration and guidance and it was clear at the end of the conversation that we both walked away inspired by one another! I have been making it a part of my daily regimen to give thanks to the universe for multiple things that I have, see, and experience throughout my day because I believe that by doing so I open my vortex up to so many beautiful possibilities and I have found that the more I give thanx, the more I find I have to be thankful for. I can say that on this Friday morning, as I sit across from my client and listen to him snore blissfully in his hospital bed, I can acknowledge that I am thankful for so many things that have occurred this week. I am grateful for the new cases I have been working on this week, I am thankful for meeting Tim and hearing his legacy knowledge of what the traditional publishing world is like Lori for sharing how the death of her parents inspired her beautiful children’s book, and Ms. Comer for sharing her light and aspirations with me on this rainy Friday morning!
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