"To New Friends, New Beginnings, and New Adventures"
Ever since I made the decision to finish Ash to Ashes and send it to publication, my life has barreled down a path I never dared to dream I could experience. It's had its ups and downs. The learning curve has been remarkably steep at some points. I've experienced unsurpassed joys and some considerable disappointments. I've watched personal deadlines come and go, beaten myself up, and hopped back on the wagon to keep rolling along. But all along the way, I've made a point of keeping my eyes and ears open for new opportunities and chances to do and learn more.
Monday I had one such opportunity that I was thrilled to partake in. A teacher friend of mine in a neighboring town invited me to speak to his creative writing class. It had originally started out as a plan to meet with two of his seniors who were working on a novel as an independent study project. Instead, I got the chance to speak to a class of 15 students and share with them my experiences as a writer, an independent publisher, and what brought me into the career path I'm on today.
For my first professional speaking engagement, I felt like it went pretty well. I didn't have a set speech prepared, but fortunately for me, the students were engaged and curious enough about my experience to ask some really great questions. (I also bribed them with art prints, so, you know, that helped keep things going.) I got some laughs. I got some fascinating insights. I even had the profound pleasure of giving a copy of Ash to Ashes to a random drawing winner who happened to have her birthday that same day (even better, she was one of the students who was the most interested and engaged the entire time!).
As time rolls on, I hope I have the chance to have more experiences like the one I did this week. It's one thing to be doing the work that I love. It's another thing altogether to be able to share that experience with others and potentially spark an understanding of "Wait, maybe I really can do this too!"
I donated blood today, so I'm extra inclined to keep this Blog short and on track. (I know, I'm kind of surprised too!)
But first, a couple of announcements before I go:
A reminder that Saturday, March 10, 2018, I will be in Manhattan, KS at Little Apple Comic Expo (LACE) hosted at the K-State Student Union from 10 AM - 5 PM!
Also, a heads up to the fans of Ash to Ashes, I don't want to get too far ahead of myself and make promises I can't keep, but I have some exciting news in the works that I will hopefully be ready to officially share next week. I won't give away any details just yet, but be prepared to see an old familiar hashtag showing up here and on my website and social media outlets... #SOON!
