Meet Cierra Martinez

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cierra Martinez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cierra below.

Cierra , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

I developed my confidence and self-esteem by always staying true to myself and my beliefs. It’s hard when you constantly look outward to find a sense of confidence and self-esteem that I believe it needs to come from within. Everyone seems confident all the time and it can be hard to see that and follow it. I think the key is knowing that everyone has those moments where they don’t feel confident and have low self-esteem and that it isn’t just a problem you are dealing with alone. A lot of the times I think it’s best to talk about it with others and let them know you aren’t feeling confident. It’s okay to admit that and it does end up giving you confidence to admit that. Having a great support system helps build confidence and self-esteem. My family and friends are this for me and I think of them cheering me on when I have moments of low confidence and self-esteem.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a self-published author who writes Young Adult Contemporary stories. This is my true passion in life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. What I love about what I do is that I write coming-of-age stories. While other people write about fantasy words, I write about the real world. Though it may not be a popular genre sometimes, I believe that it is important to write what’s true to you. I love writing real stories about teenagers and the issues that they go through during adolescence. Being 26-years-old, I have been where they are and I am still learning and growing. I write from real experience and I just hope my readers can learn through it and find a little bit of themselves through my characters. Whether it be struggles through friendships or family issues, there is a place for everyone when they read my books. I love to share my journey with others and I am happy that I will be able to at the upcoming Irwindale Book Festival on March 22nd.

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?

The three qualities that I believe were the most impactful on my journey is endurance, independence, and stubbornness. Being a full-time student gave me a lot of endurance to finish a task. A lot of times people tell me that they can’t finish a project or they start and give up halfway through. It’s easier said than done, but at the end of the day it comes down to endurance. It helps when you are passionate about what you do and have the endurance to get through it. The other quality is independence. This is an important one for me because independence is key to getting something done without too many distractions. It doesn’t mean not taking breaks or asking for help, but rather to be self-assured when doing a task. The last one is stubbornness. When you are doing something that others may not be doing, a lot of the times people tell you to not dream too big. Being stubborn can be a good quality at times because it makes you follow your dreams no matter what. It’s easy to want to give up and do what others are doing but being stubborn about what you want can be a good thing.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

When I feel overwhelmed, I take time for myself and rest. A lot of the time people say to just power through but I am a strong believer in not forcing yourself. When it comes to writing, it’s best not to force writers block. I watch tv or listen to music and then surprisingly come back feeling inspired. A lot of time people focus on word count when it comes to writing but it is important to take care of your mental health.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: cierramauthor
• Other: Tiktok: cierramauthor

Image Credits

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