We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chantell Renee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chantell, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
On my own I developed confidence and self esteem. I didn’t have a support system growing up. No one to say I was doing well or that I could do it because I was able to if I just tried. At some point. I realized I was only going to collect predators if I kept being the victim of my own story. I became a hairstylist, and found people liked my work. Then, I started to share my writing and found, people liked my work. Sure, there were mean people saying mean things, but I didn’t have to listen to them, it was my choice.
Never let ANYONE tell you that you are not good at something when you see that what you do sells or gets compliments. And that’s all that it takes to believe in what you do and place value in yourself.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
For several years now I have been an independent hairstylist and an Indie Author. I am a creative in many other ways as well. I paint, make oddities, and create a podcast with a fellow Horror Author.. at just over 30 years experience with hairstyling, I feel like I am able to not only care for my clients but also teach others.
With my artistic endeavors, I am really just getting my footing. I worked with Houston’s Wilde Collection years ago and that helped propel me into a more gothic place for my work. I was already writing dark urban fantasy. So it was inevitable that I would end up in the horror genre.,
being a female, horror is something that I have lived most of my waking hours. Sure, everyone can get shot or stabbed on the way into a gas station. But as a female, we could get harassed just for looking a man in the eyes while in the vegetable isle. And being a female in Texas, though I was born here, is scary right now. So I have plenty to give when I am creating stories.
I still have a salon space in Independent Heights. I also work with VIP guests with the Four Seasons when requested.
This year I will be keeping my public book appearances local, or within Texas. You will be able to find me at the Shadow Alley Markets created by Wormwood and Vine, who also carry my art for sale year long. I will also be selling at the Texas Author Con in Dallas early summer. And in the heat of summer I will be at my big event with the Houston Horror Film Festival! All these events can be found via all social media platforms or by simply googling them.
I also hope to collaborate some events for my work with Ravenwolf Manor, a new gothic BnB created in a 133 year old Victorian Manor in Navasota Texas.
You can expect several short story releases with various horror anthologies and at least one new book release by end of summer.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Well, if you are an artist, the best advice I can give you to improving what you do is trust in your message. Art is simply a communication delivered by the creator with passion and freeness. If you happen to be going down the journey of writing, you can never go wrong by simply getting involved with the writing community around you. he will quickly learn which part of that community works for you and which part of it is not for you. Always stay humble, and be willing to accept advice to improve your craft because as a writer, you will always be improving your craft. And if you were reading this, and you are a hairstylist or in some form of service industry, where you provide a service for another human, the same advice applies. Always be willing to improve, listen, and continue to improve your craft.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
There is no right or wrong way to pursue your passions. Sometimes our lives are built to make us have to spread out the efforts we need to take to achieve our goals. The main thing that I personally feel has helped me improve the areas I’m not strong in, is to be willing to observe and help others in the communities I want to be involved with. Giving of yourself not only a wonderful quality, but necessity at times. Also, by being in that role, you will be able to observe how you would want your life to be when you finally get into the role that you’re trying to play.
So let’s look at me being a writer. I volunteered for many organizations in the beginning of my journey. As an Indie author, I worked with various writers who were published or not published, or who were trying to get published. When doing this, I discovered that this is a Community where independence is key. However, that did not mean working with other writers wasn’t important. I found my strength working with others. I cannot express how important it is no matter what community you are involved with to share your work, and be willing to help another person develop their work as well. Now when I say develop, I don’t mean do it for them or add your voice to their art , I mean, actually helping them improve by giving them your true impression of what it is they have created.
You will never lose a client, fan, or buyer by helping someone else achieve goals with the same people. However, you will lose all those things and respect in the professional part of your community by trying to stop other creatives from doing well. So learn to work in your communities whatever they might be, as a team player. As the saying goes, the tide that rises one boat can rise them all. In other words, there is plenty of room for everyone to be successful. You do not have to punch holes in another person‘s journey in order for yourself to be successful. be assertive but be yourself. I personally celebrate all my close, friends achievements, and I show them support as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chantellrenee.com
- Instagram: CRrenee_
- Facebook: Chantell Renee
Image Credits
My cover designer for all my books is Elizabeth Mackey The flyers for the events are on their event sites and all rights reserved by those Entities
