Let me tell you a story…
I was once a little girl who loved books. Before I could even read, I would hold books in my hands and turn the pages, pretending to read. Favorites that were read to me over and over by my Mom, I would “read” from memory. There was magic in books, and I loved it.
I also wanted to make my own magic. When you love something that much the next logical step is that you want to do it too. So before I even learned to write, I made my own little books by folding pieces of paper and writing my make-believe stories in little squiggly lines that were meant to look like handwriting.
As I grew older, I wrote constantly: stories, poems, and even just creative phrases that I liked the sound of and wanted to use in something later. I had notebooks FULL. I won contests at school, and submitted my stories for publication but was rejected time and time again. Those rejections hurt. A lot. They also made me more and more hesitant of trying.
Flash forward many years to the time when I have decided to make my living outside of a regular job. The world has changed by now, and self-publishing has opened things up to writers whose work might not be able to get the attention of a traditional publisher.
I’ve changed too. I’m not so fearful any more. I’m a bit of a rebel, in fact, and I am determined to self-publish on MY terms and to help as many people as I can to do the same. If you dream of writing and of earning an income from your creativity, I want to help you. It’s my mission to help you find your way through the maze of misinformation and come out the other side a happy and successful self-published author.
So why Freestyle – what does it actually mean?
If you try to look up a definition of the word “freestyle” you’ll find as many options as there are people to make them up. It’s why I love the word; even the definitions are freestyle!
Here are some definitions as it applies to your creative business:
- artistic expression, combined with skill and expertise
- demonstrating individual skills or style
- merging elements of pragmatism and daredevil improvisation
Freestyle is not about breaking or ignoring rules, but is instead about gaining an understanding of the rules and applying them creatively to your own situation. This implies a degree of accomplishment and creativity, as well as fearlessness in the face of criticism.
Yes, it means being a bit of a rebel.
You should never have to stifle your dream because it doesn’t fit with some other person’s ideals.You can and should write and publish if you want to, and you should do it on your terms.
Freestyle.
Live Creatively!
