We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Bennett a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kelly, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Imposter Syndrome is like bad breath, anyone can get it; almost anyone can get over it; but there is no long-lasting cure. The only time I do not have Imposter Syndrome is when I am head-down immersed in a project. So how do I overcome: Do my work.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I write books for children–mostly picture books for children ages 2-10, celebrating families, friends, pets, fun and games . . all that goes into being a kid!
Right now, I’m all about baseball!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Commitment: Take yourself and your dream seriously. Schedule time to work toward that dream. Set manageable goals. Faith: In oneself and in the work. Writing, like all creative endeavors, is subjective. You will be rejected, keep at it!
Learn: Keep your eyes, ears, mind open. If you don’t know something, study, learn, ask questions. Take classes.
Ask yourself: How can I?
Here is the best writing advice I can offer: If you want to be a writer: Write! Commit to writing, whether an hour a day; a page a day; a certain number of words per day…or week…or month, when and for how long, and what is up to you. Think about it: if you write one page, five days a week, at the end of the year you’ll have 250 pages.
And read, read, read! The best writers are great readers. Along with this, make time in your day to think your own thoughts. Put down the phone, TV, friends, noise and going inside yourself! Daydream, imagine, suppose. And don’t be afraid of your own ideas.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Staying motivated is the hardest part of being a writer. Writing is a journey that never ends. With no “boss” telling us what to do, and no “office” to report to—and often no book contract or deadlines pushing us forward, it’s easy to stop before we reach our goals. We have to motivate ourselves. There are two books that are my constant companions, both are “journey books” of a sort:
THE WAR OF ART: BREAK THROUGH THE BLOCKS AND WIN YOUR INNER CREATIVE BATTLES by Steven Pressfield, is a tiny but might book which explores “Resistance”: all the ways the world: work, family, friends…WE keep ourselves from achieving our goals by allowing other things and people—even loved ones—to gobble up our creative time.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak, feeds my creative spirit. When Max, the main character, is sent to his room for being naughty, he goes on a wonderous journey where he meets, joins and tames the wild things. Max reminds me to stay true to my “wild” and play!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kellybennett.com/
- Instagram: @kellybennettbooks
- Facebook: @kellybennettbooks
- Twitter: @kgbennettbooks
- Youtube: @kellybennettbooks9789
- Other: Pinterest: @notnorman
