Reader,
Sometimes, we get so caught up in what must happen that we leave no room for what could.
A week or so ago, I received a super vulnerable email from a lovely woman who had purchased a copy of my latest book, Safekeeping for her sister, a writer. She wasn’t a writer herself, but she wanted to support her sister’s creative life—to show her that she valued it, that she wanted to be a part of it.
She told me that she had tucked the book away in a drawer, intending to gift it to her sister. But when she pulled it out to wrap, something made her pause. Instead of reaching for the wrapping paper, she sat down and started reading.
She read Safekeeping cover to cover. No, she didn’t do the writing prompts or reflections (obviously), but she read “Chelene’s Vaults,” where I share the more personal, behind-the-scenes blunders of my writing life. She took in all the tips, the reminders, the questions I pose to writers. She scanned the “How to Say No with Love” chapter. She drank in the “Project Pillars” too. She told me—she finally got it.
Her sister is the only writer in the family. Who, over the years, has skipped (or, as I like to think, intentionally said no to) a few family gatherings and other invites that would have chipped away at the time she had set aside for her creative work. She was prioritizing her writing. And, like so many of our families, hers just didn’t get it. They didn’t understand why she’d choose solitude over celebration, or why a blank page could sometimes hold more weight than small talk at a dinner table.
But after reading Safekeeping, this woman got a peek into her sister’s world. She saw the why behind those choices. She realized that being a writer isn’t just about getting words down on the page. (Thanks, pop culture, for making it look like we just sit at our desks churning out masterpieces in one go.) Drafting is just 17 percent of the process! The other 83 percent? The thinking, the revising, the self-doubt, the clarity, the rewriting, the questioning, the mental and emotional gymnastics—it’s all part of the work. An integral part.
And she saw it. She felt it.
She thanked me, and honestly, I was floored. Never in a million years would I have thought that a guided journal for writers could not only shift perspectives but also heal relationships. That it could help bridge the gap between creatives and their loved ones. That it could replace outdated ideas about what it actually means to be a working writer in today’s world.
And that’s the thing about making aligned decisions. When you create something rooted in your truth, in care, in possibility, it has a life of its own. Your book’s action (what you want it to do in the world) blooms into something bigger than you imagined. The impact ripples outward.
I’m still taking this all in. I shared a small piece of this story on CBC's On the Coast.
And if you want to hear more about how I prep for events and media, hop on my author list. I’ll be emailing about my new process next week! Hint: I share more about my before-and-after-event/interviews processes and how they’ve evolved over the years.
Reflective question: What would shift in your creative life if those around you truly saw what it takes?
with love
Chelene
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