We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katie Nave. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katie below.
Hi Katie , so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?
A few years ago, after my dad died suddenly, I was in a season where I couldn’t imagine ever doing a creative thing again because it felt pointless and painful. It sounds melodramatic, but I had fallen into a pit and I knew that I needed to pull myself out because creating something, no matter how ugly or messy, was the only way I’d be able to heal.
To shake things up, I bought a vintage typewriter just like my great grandmother had when I was a kid and began writing poems about loss. I had no clue what I was doing, but through this process I felt myself come alive again. The experience taught me that when I feel stuck or blocked, I simply need to get more honest about what I’m trying to communicate. Big, flashy ideas will come and go, but your truth will always be there waiting for you whenever you’re ready to share it.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a freelance writer and voice over artist based in Brooklyn, New York. You can read my personal essays in outlets including Business Insider, HuffPost, Newsweek, Elle, and Glamour. I’m currently writing a story that I absolutely cannot wait to share.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Above all else, my ability to ask for help has brought my career and creative life to a place that I never could have reached alone. There is so much power in community, mentorship, and creative connection. When I’ve lost jobs, received too many rejection letters, or been on the verge of giving up, I’ve thrown Hail Marys to people that I admire and they’ve always come through. I have a writing mentor who champions my work and makes it better, colleagues who respect my voice, and a husband and friends who remind me of my value anytime I seem to forget.
Being curious has also served me well. There are so many times when I’ve felt like an imposter, but I’m learning to ask questions before assuming that I should already know everything. For the most part, people are happy to take time to share their experience and skills if you just ask. Staying open to new ideas and saying, “Oh, tell me more about that…” has brought me to some pretty rad places.
Building self-trust has been one of my greatest skills. As a mom, a full-time employee, and a person with laundry and dishes to do, it can feel nearly impossible to find time to dedicate to my own creative process. But I know that it’s good for me and I trust that I’ll make the time and space to do it, whether that’s getting up before sunrise to write a book or discretely working with watercolors during a Zoom meeting.
For anyone who is trying to figure it all out, you’re certainly not the only one! None of us really know what we’re doing, but asking for help, staying curious, and trusting in yourself can work wonders.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents have always encouraged my career, even when it has involved over-sharing in personal essays. Growing up in the confines of the Southern Baptist Church gave me a hunger for rebellion and when I said I wanted to move from a small town in Georgia to New York City to pursue my dreams, my mom and dad didn’t flinch. They understood that I needed to write in the chaos of this extraordinary city and never once tried to stop me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.katienave.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kathryn.e.nave
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-nave-268a163a/
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