Five years ago, I couldn’t have dreamed that I’d be joining the East Tennessee Authors at a literary festival. Back then, I was simply writing in the quiet spaces between work and life — journaling, reflecting, trying to make sense of my own unfolding story.
Writing, I’ve learned, is deeply emotional. It exposes you. It asks you to face your pain, to name it, to shape it into something that can breathe outside of you. There were moments when the words refused to come, when the silence felt heavier than the thoughts I was trying to express.
But clarity of purpose keeps calling you back. You start with a single word, then another. Writing begins like a water spigot — at first, a hesitant drip, then a steady trickle, and eventually, a rush. Once the rhythm comes, you can’t turn it off.
My Substack became a space where I could pour out what was stirring inside. Each post, each reflection, became a drop in the larger flow — one that connected me to readers I never expected to reach.
And now, standing among other authors of East Tennessee, I am reminded that stories are living things. They begin small — quietly, uncertainly — and if you nurture them with honesty and purpose, they will grow beyond your imagination.
Writing is both pain and joy, solitude and connection. It is, above all, a journey of becoming.
So wherever you are — begin. Write the story only you can tell. Start the podcast you’ve been dreaming about. Post the words that have been sitting in your notes. Create, share, and let your voice ripple outward. You never know who might need the truth you hold.
If you are in the East Tennessee area Saturday October 25, 2025, I would love to meet you. I will have plenty of books and will personally sign your copy.
BLOUNT COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
508 NORTH CUSICK STREET
MARYVILLE, TN 37804
PHONE: 865-982-0981Saturday October 25, 2025 10am-2pm
Preview The Future of Work is Human HERE