We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anne M. Smith-Nochasak a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anne M., thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
Imposter syndrome is not so much overcome as managed. It was one thing to be busily scribbling in my binder, relaxing by the lakeshore with no one around for miles, and quite another to be standing in front of an audience, published book in hand, reading aloud treasured passages while those present chatted among themselves. In the first scenario, I was myself, writing; in the second, I was claiming to be an author, who was somehow worthy of being heard.
As a child, I did not quite fit in, and as an adult, I recognize that I am a misfit. Yet, I now present myself as an author, with two self-published novels to my name. Initially, I was terrified of making any contact with potential readers or markets. I wrote the letters and attended markets anyway, expecting each moment to be found out, to be scorned and despised as a fraud. And to this day, that feeling is down there every time, that pulsing belief that I am a joke, not a real author at all. So, how do I get past it?
I don’t. I acknowledge the feeling, for it is real. Then I step in, smiling and looking confident, sure that I look arrogant and over-confident. I approach people with the openness and acceptance that I am longing to receive. I affirm that I am an unknown author, but I have a story to tell, and I see before me storytellers, each with a story to share as well. Yes, I am unknown, but I am out there, and if I give the best that I am and look for the best in others, then I am not an imposter. For each of us, there is a place in the world, and each day I discover mine.
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?
Growing up in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, then teaching in northern Indigenous communities, has given me much to think about. My way of responding to and understanding ideas, experiences, impressions, and teachings from these years has been to write fiction. I have self-published two novels through FriesenPress: A Canoer of Shorelines (2021) and The Ice Widow: A Story of Love and Redemption (2022). To me, the most special part of being an author is to create stories that are meaningful for me, and to connect with the audience they are meant for. During chats in the marketplace and visits to bookfairs, I discover others who share my vision. In 2023, I traveled extensively regionally to promote my books and gain recognition as an author. I am an unknown author, but if I hide at home waiting to be discovered, then no one will even know that much.
Another special aspect has been discovering the online writing community. Some are award-winning authors, and some are best-selling authors. Some, like me, are small-time authors, with possibly a short-listing or semifinalist status somewhere, but all of us encourage each other and cheer for each other. Author A-M Mawhiney and I now promote each other’s work in our own regions; this collaboration has led to growth for both of us.
This year, I intend to raise my online profile on selected social media platforms and strengthen my presence in regional events – farmers markets, book fairs, craft shows, etc. I will be updating information in this area on my webpage https://www.acanoerofshorelines.com/maritime-connections.html . I am already enjoying conversations on my work in progress, an apocalyptic fantasy set in rural NS, a grandmother’s story of how she fought back in an apocalyptic wasteland. She is feisty, sarcastic, and irreverent. She is, however, not a joke, and this is not a comedy. Believe me, she is a deadly serious woman in a deadly serious world.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three areas would be:
INTEGRITY: I was raised to speak and write the truth, so when I write, my characters respond as real people, not as what we would like them to be.
CONNECTION TO NATURE: Nature is always honest, and nature never judges. Whenever the writing, the marketing, or the feeling of inadequacy threaten to overwhelm me, a quiet paddle along the river or lakeshore, a walk in the woods in any weather, or moments simply standing under the stars renew my outlook and restore my balance.
SELF-DISCIPLINE: Growing up on a farm is excellent practice for rising at three a.m. to drive across miles of flooding or snowy roads to attend an event. You learn to smile when you get there, simply because you made it.
I think developing a sense of integrity is something we can do at any point in life, and it is simply a case of re-evaluating one’s thinking. Nature is not for everyone, but find the activity or place that centers you, the place you can return to for your personal renewal. Self-discipline simply takes structure. Set small goals, and develop steps for achievement. As you reach the small goals, aim higher; just keep following the steps.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
As mentioned above, my connection with nature is very important to me. I tend to kayak or hike, and then write. Sometimes, I respond directly to the experience in a blog post on my website. It is a time of reflection and renewal, a spiritual time but not in the institutional religious sense. Again, not everyone enjoys nature, and for some, it is inaccessible due to physical restrictions or distance. Once again, it is important to discover what centers your being. Be it music, meditation, yoga, or any source of spontaneous creative joy – find it. Go to it. And never feel guilty – the day I put paddle to water and think, “What a waste; I should be writing,” then that is the day I should stop writing. It is these moments that give me the thoughts that become my writing. To think this is time wasted would be a denial of all I am seeking.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.acanoerofshorelines.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithnochasak/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmithNochasak
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithNochasak
- Other: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21530371.Anne_M_Smith_Nochasak
Image Credits
All photos by me, Anne M. Smith-Nochasak
