Celebrating a Commitment to Creativity
I wrote a book.
That's probably not a surprise, but the thing is that I finished the first draft in 2020. Then, I gave up on myself. I thought the book was good and had potential. It is a book that truly represents me and my goals for the future. But I let my gremlins talk me out of it, so the book simply sat there being sad.
I couldn't face the fear of rejection, of not doing it right, of not finding an agent, of being completely wrong about my own work. I was mired in the world which believed that the only legitimate books were traditionally published, and that I would never find that perfect agent who could get me the perfect publishing deal.
Of course, I realize, you can never find them if you don't try. Still a part of me didn't want to try.
My attitude toward how books should be published has changed a lot over the years, for several reasons:
- I have read (or attempted to read) many poorly written and poorly edited books written by well-known authors and published by traditional publishers.
- Traditional publishers give the most support only to those authors whose books they think will be bestsellers, so even with a publishing contract authors have to do a lot of work on their own or risk having to pay back even the most minimal advance if they do not sell enough books.
- I have read many, many excellent books by lesser known authors with diverse voices that were either published through a hybrid publisher or self-published. Yes, there are some self-published works that could use a good editor, where the author pushed publish too soon, but there are many more high-quality books out there.
- I have interacted with a lot of agents, and realized that rejection often comes down to what can sell at the time, or personal choice. Neither of those things are bad, but I know my books are different. I don't write to the market, and I am not good at what feels like a dating app in some ways--searching through hundreds of options to find the one agent who will say yes!.
- I published my first book P.O.W.er through a hybrid publisher, and I am very proud of that book. I learned a lot, and I have no regrets.
- My book is short, and many publishers don't want short books. I wanted to write a book that provided insight into the power of creativity through stories and research and activities. Something like that can be short, and still achieve its goals.
- Finally, part of the Spark Collaborative dream is to support the creation of other's works in all forms. Therefore this will be the first of hopefully many projects under the imprint of Spark Collaborative Media.
Re-Creating the World:
The Power and Joy of Collaborative Creativity
If you’ve ever felt disconnected from an important part of yourself, or wondered if there were better ways thrive to in a complex world, then you are ready to rediscover a powerful tool that we all have the ability to use—CREATIVE POWER! Through essays, stories, and Inspired Action challenges, you will discover how to:
- Re-connect with your creative spark and strengthen your creative muscles.
- Re-claim your own creative genius.
- Build a community of collaborators who explore and create together.
- Claim the creative and collaborative power that will help solve problems, build communities, and develop a stronger creative economy.
- Re-connect with the joy of embracing an important part of ourselves, our creativity, that many have forgotten.
Let’s create together for a better future!
In the near future, I will be creating a Kickstarter campaign to help me do this book right. At first, the thought of that made me uncomfortable. However, in the book I argue for a need for a creative economy, a need to shift how creativity and creative thinkers are treated, a need for us to believe in ourselves. If I want to talk the talk, I need to walk the walk.
I also realized that this book is part of my business. Nobody, starts a business without capital. Nobody! So, I will be asking for help. But of course, I know not everyone can donate. If you are interested in donating OR being part of my launch team, please sign onto my mailing list today, and keep an eye out for the kickstarter campaign.
If you aren't able to, all I ask is that you celebrate with me and, perhaps, buy a copy in the future.
