Now is the time...

...to embark on your creative journey.

When I was a practicing architect, and disclosed my profession on social occasions, people would invariably say that’s what they had always wanted to be. For some reason, the profession of architecture resonated with a lot of people, or, I should say, the IDEA of the profession. The dream of creating beautiful buildings, unique structures that would last for centuries, having a lasting impact on the world long after the designer had gone to dust.

Now, when I tell someone I am a writer and professional book coach, they often say they have always wanted to write a book. I think what these people are really expressing is the desire to live a creative life. The desire to create, to make art, is as human as language and thought.

But relatively few folks move beyond the dream.

I’m here to tell you, the barriers to being a writer are far lower than the barriers to being an architect. That’s not to say there aren’t skills and craftsmanship to master, because there definitely are. But no one is going to ask to see your license to write. No one is going to die if your project collapses under its own weight. And the best way to learn and make progress is to just get started.

If not now, when?

There’s only so many hours in the day, and so many ways to fritter it away. So many others who want to have a piece of it. I get it…I live here too, in this world, in this time. But just remember, every moment is a sliver of your life. Whatever you choose to do, you are literally giving away a piece of your life to do it.

That sounds depressing, doesn’t it? Maybe it’s time to re-prioritize.

All I’m asking is that you stop dreaming and start doing. Invest some of your life into a creative process that brings you joy and fulfillment. Whether that’s painting, or cooking, or architecture, or writing. I’m going to talk mostly about writing, because that’s my focus now. And because I believe, whoever you are, your voice, and your story, matter.

We live in a world, in a culture, which tells us that some voices, some stories, are more important than others. DO NOT BELIEVE THIS LIE. Whatever you have to say, whatever story you want to tell, fiction or nonfiction, there is someone who needs or wants to hear it. Your words won’t resonate with everyone. That’s okay—you don’t want to read everything, either. But you will never find your voice or the people who are looking for a story like yours if you don’t start writing.

The more stories there are, the harder it is to repress them. For every book that is banned, I would love to see sixteen more published about the same subject.

Fiction or non-fiction, it doesn’t matter.

Great literature or trashy novels, it doesn’t matter.

Traditional published, hybrid published, or self-published, it doesn’t matter.

And by that, I mean, all choices are valid. All creative output is valid. Even if you are the only one who ever sees it. Maybe especially if it is for you alone.

Who am I to tell you this?

My name is Nichelle Seely. I am a self-published author and a certified book coach.

I have written novels, short stories, and serial fiction and memoir. I know what it’s like to be an author in the trenches, trying to shape some big blob of a story. To query agents and publishers and face rejection. To scale the steep and ever-changing learning curve of indie publishing. And if I can do it, you can do it, too.

I want to help you, urge you, encourage you, to live your creative life and get your story on the page. Or your paintbrush in your paint. Or your camera between your eyes and the world. By whatever means, I implore you to cast your thoughts and feelings and energy into the river of creation.

Let’s get started.