I’m a writer. It took me too many years to admit that.
I knew it as a kid, but then I got sidetracked. Life happened. Somewhere I heard the message that being a writer wasn’t going to make me successful.
I turned my back on it.
I became a business analyst instead. I’m still scratching my head over that one too.
For twenty-five years, I enjoyed a very successful corporate career.
Those stories in my head, that writer I knew myself to be, that identity never left me. I just stopped listening to it.
Occasionally I circled back to my creativity, only to be reminded of the dire prospects of getting published. The door to expressing myself as a writer seemed firmly shut to me.
Then an amazing convergence happened.
Barack Obama got elected president.
I said, damn, if he can do it, then I can do it.
I started writing again, determined to finish the novel I’d been trying to write since I was twelve.
The stress from my corporate job increased exponentially.
I was on the point of a nervous breakdown.
And on the verge of turning fifty.
Then the whole publishing industry got turned upside down. Suddenly self-publishing was possible, accessible and inexpensive.
I asked for a severance package and left my big corporate career behind.
Over the next two years, I wrote and published two novels. It was the most fulfilling experience of my life.
I learned that it wasn’t just the gatekeepers of publishing holding me back. I’d been holding myself back for years, to the detriment of my health and happiness, and I had set myself free.
You don’t have to wait until you’re turning fifty and having a nervous breakdown to circle back to your true identity. I recommend you do it much sooner than that.
The creative journey that we call life has universal themes. It’s the story of everyman. It’s about being human and alive. It’s a hero’s journey.
I charted the obstacles along my journey so I can share them with you.
My hope is for you to clear your own barriers as you embark on your own unique journey.
I promise the trek is worth it.
I’m a writer. I’m also a life coach.
Connectedness is my number one strength.
I look forward to connecting with you.
Kim