Meet Aaron Brown

We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Brown recently and have shared our conversation below.

Aaron, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

This isn’t the case for everyone, or even most people I know, but I can draw inspiration from just about anywhere. Tough experiences, good experiences, conversations, images, art produced by other people. Back in my middle school days, I can recall orating fictional stories for peers. Seeing their reactions drove me to tell more stories. At the same age, when I started drawing comics, I was able to enjoy even more reactions. The other kids were impressed, humored, mortified. The stories I produced meant something. My creativity had power. I knew I wanted to do more.

As I grew older, I began to understand why people resonate with stories. They teach us, comfort us, distract us. That’s why we watch movies, play video games, read books, journal. This is why I still write and share my stories today. To remind people that they are not alone, to edify them, to challenge them, to provide comfort, and sometimes just to give thoughtful entertainment.

In essence, since those childhood years, I’ve been able to keep creativity alive because I never ceased producing art. Practice makes perfect, right? Not only that, but I don’t follow trends. When my pencil hits paper, I’m writing about something that matters to me. There’s a message that I want to convey. Writing from the heart comes with certain drawbacks like limited exposure and finances, but my work feels authentic. Real. A quality that many don’t possess today, but a quality we all enjoy when we see it. Now, when I read stories to the public or publish a book, people react to the eccentric subject matter and excellent writing, but they also respond to the originality. People love stories. They always will. And the same will forever be true of me.

Therefore, I will keep turning my bad experiences into creative stories. I’ll keep immortalizing my good experiences, lest I forget them. And I will take note of all the good and bad art around me, to make sure I’m doing something interesting for the culture. That’s how you keep creativity alive.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

For longer than I can recall, I’ve wanted to be a full-time author, getting paid by others to produce meaningful stories. The year 2020 brought me very close to that ideal. After being furloughed from my job at a daycare, I decided to take a chance. After plenty of prayer and reflection, I decided I wasn’t going back to the daycare. I was going to write for a living. I was going to become a full-time writer!

A few months prior, in November of 2019, I had been presented with a small writing gig with Salem Web Network. That was still going for me, but to make up the income I made at the daycare, I would need to do more. A lot more. Thank God, a lot more came.

I began working for dirt cheap, like $10 an hour, working on resumes for people through a platform called Upwork. Then I wrote an entire book for a guy for just $100. I didn’t feel like I had money for internet at home, so I would drive to the laundromat, where I could use their free wifi, and sit in my car and work. The windows were often rolled down because of the heat, but I made sure the work got done. Despite the cheap pay, I made sure that my writing was detailed, creative, and pleasing to the clients. One 5 star review, led into another, which was followed by another. Now, on my Upwork profile, I can proudly say that the only clients who have left me feedback have all rated me 5 stars, Needlessly to say, I’ve gratefully been able to put the days of low pay behind me.

And now, at this point in my career, I’ve written faith content, short stories, blogs, books, and so much more. I’m confident that I can write just about anything, and if I’ve never done it before, I’m willing to learn. This attitude has led me to serve clients well, and is also the reason I have books on the market. My short story anthology Honey Dreams was published in August of 2024. This was my first time getting back by others for the story that was mine from beginning to end. In addition, I co-created a novel series with YouTuber Jay David, whom I started working with some years ago called Achromatic Chronicles. Our work on the product has led to our first two books in the series being published by Rippaverse Comics.

Sometimes you start small, and poor, but your clientele can grow along with your finances. I;’ve never been the richest guy and don’t want to be. Nor am I chasing after fame. From the first day I started writing professionally, I’ve sought to craft stories that matter. I’m so grateful that such an attitude has taken me to where I am today. And I know God has plans to take me further.

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?

If you want to be a successful writer or artist, one essential lesson to learn is to stop being afraid. Fear makes us settle for mediocrity. For subpar people, relationships, situations. Life isn’t perfect, but fear ensures that life never will be, that life will never get better. I can recall a time when I was fearful of dying alone. That attitude kept me in relationships where the woman and I simply weren’t a good fit. When I stopped being afraid, I was able to move on to better things, namely, finding peace and contentment being alone. Similarly, I’ve been afraid to produce art because people will think I’m strange, or maybe, they simply won’t “get it.” What we all know, even if we forget, is that 9.9 out of 10 times, our fears never come to fruition. We blow things out of portion in our minds and seemingly forget reality. When I did finally publish those “strange,” stories about my failed relationships, I discovered that people did find them weird, but also that they found the work to be thoughtful, creative, and helpful.

Secondly, I’d encourage artists to be consistent. Fear can keep us in place, but so can laziness. If you want to produce great art, you have to put time into your practice. Sure, you may do well now, but you can always do better. Perhaps there is something new to learn, or something old that you have forgotten. Put in time daily, and if not, at least weekly, to get things done. Produce projects for yourself and others and watch your talent grow. If laziness is a struggle, consider finding an accountability partner, or rewarding yourself when you reach goals.

Active listening is such an under-appreciated and uncommon skill today. Listening not only builds relationships, but also builds your craft. The more you listen, the more inspiration you can draw from others. People respond to stories. We consume them through TV, politics, video games, books, etc. Listening helps you cultivate the qualities in stories people react to and the topics most important to them. When I published my anthology Honey Dreams, I wanted to help those who were lost in the dating world and feeling hopeless. I was able to write meaningful stories because I had spent time listening to myself but also those around me. I understood that loneliness was something I could and should include in the book because so many people can relate to the experience.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I can point to different people during different years of my life who have been impactful. Those who encouraged me to write, those who helped me through relationship trouble, Those who simply provided me company when my spirit was crushed and I was alone. The list is long and those who have helped me, know who they are because I make no qualms about telling them. That being said, my Christian faith has done more for many than any person ever could. My faith in Jesus Christ has allowed me to turn difficulties into triumphs, foolishness into wisdom.

God is the reason my seasons of financial difficulty didn’t last, that reason toxic relationships faded into the background, and honestly, the reason I am alive today. Scripture teaches us how to become better people and serve others well. I try to earnestly take these lessons to heart and improve daily. And I’ll keep improving, because that’s what I’m called to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aarondanthony.com
• Other: Achromatic Chronicles: https://rippasend.com/store/jay-david/

Image Credits

Christian Rumley