Meet Amy Beth Wright

We were lucky to catch up with Amy Beth Wright recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amy Beth , 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. Impostor Syndrome is something we have words to describe, but it’s also something that has held people back forever, so we’re really interested to hear about your story, and how you overcame it.

Since my twenties, I’ve thrown myself into more than one career—modern dance and choreography, yoga, teaching, and writing—for each, I had an image of what success, or even big, recognizable accomplishments, would look like in that field. If reality and those images of success (like having a touring dance company, or publishing a book by a certain time) didn’t line up, a sense of failure in not—or not yet—realizing dreams I’d visualized would form. When I turned 30, friends who’d already crossed that threshold said, “The thirties are the best decade.” Now, when impostor syndrome creeps up on me, I note what others have accomplished by age thirty and think, What did I do with that ‘best part’ time in my life?

In the fall of 2023, I was invited on an international media trip to France with three other wine, food, and travel journalists. Two days before departure, I broke out in hives; I traveled with a tube of cortisone cream on hand at all times! A panel of allergy testing upon return indicated the outbreak wasn’t an allergic reaction, and I eventually concluded it was stress-related. That trip, and the way my stress level hit peak, prompted me to consider my timeline in a more positive way, and to take more seriously the work I have put in to be able to do what I do now. For example, I spent three years earning my master’s degree in writing, and in the years after, I have worked hard on my writing practice. Instead of dismissing my current career as a “second go” at adulthood and professional life, I appreciate the time I’ve invested in it, and how the earlier parts of my life have offered me maturity I bring to interviewing, research, writing, and teaching, and to my professional collaborations and friendships. I have a longer view on things—it’s not about what we produce quickly, but the way we work steadily over time to evolve into better and more positive expressions of ourselves.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I write about wine, food, and travel, and am constantly inspired by place, and by local agriculture and wine, which can transform community and economic infrastructure. I have learned in recent years that traveling to explore these regions firsthand is a huge endorphin rush that makes me feel alive in a different way.

I also teach undergraduate writing at Purchase College, part of the State University of New York. A colleague once told me she thought it must be “boring” to teach this curriculum, but nothing could be further from the truth. Students love to reflect, write, and express their thoughts, values, and experiences, and will do that with imagination and excitement when they have the time, space, and support to do so.

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?

Here are three things that have stayed with me:

Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “The only journey is the one within.” This phrase echoes for me when darker feelings surface, like disappointment in early career endeavors, in my overall timing, and in my journey to be a parent. It reminds me that we are the ones to ultimately determine our perceptions of what success is, and that ultimately, and not to be morbid, we are alone in a way—it’s up to each of us to know our value, and to look honestly at the moments we have felt pain or loss and make sense of them in terms we can only, ultimately, define for ourselves.

Also, in 2009, I completed my first yoga teaching certification. That time, and my teacher Jodie, impacted my thinking and how I respond to others. I learned about detachment, and that so much can be let go of very quickly, as life is very brief. This has changed my approach to ambition and success. I recognize that our achievements, the ways we distinguish ourselves, matter so much less when they are just for ourselves, and so much more when they make an enduring difference in the communities we inhabit, which will continue on when we are not here.

The last is from my dad, who has told me more than once that one of the most important traits to cultivate is courage. I have thought about how courage means taking a risk even when you might not want to, and (like Rilke wrote) looking within and not talking yourself out of things that feel important. It also means looking at challenges in an optimistic way.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge? 

I feel short on time for the many creative things I want to do. Sometimes this is practical, sometimes it’s a more existential issue.

I am in the most professionally fulfilling time in my life and feel happy that I don’t want to give anything up. I am trying to balance being a good educator with writing about things that feel meaningful. So, I am very intentional with my time now, and try to listen to that voice within. Sometimes this means isolating myself to finish something I am working on, as I feel too much engagement and excitement about what I am doing not to. I want to make the most of the time I have with a sense of purpose that transcends ego and accomplishment—beyond being recognized for something. It’s exciting to be caught up in something I love to do, and I am trying to make the time for that, and the most of that time, while I have it.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
For the feature image, please credit Jenna Salvagin.

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