Meet Erin Wright

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

Hi Erin, so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?

Empathy is a part of emotional connection. Everyone’s hurt, so how can you not connect with that?

For most of my life, it was difficult to be honest and open enough to empathize with others. It took moving to a new state, getting a new job, and leaving friends behind. That hurt.

The grief and hurt never go away, either. I still find myself mourning the loss of a friend from almost a year ago now, because I couldn’t allow myself to be honest. I felt so deeply hurt and abandoned. Everything happened so suddenly, and I’m sure he was feeling it, too. I still wish we had the chance to truly share our sides of the story and heal that hurt.

Sometimes, unfortunately, regret is there to teach us to take action and do anything. After he walked out of my life, I didn’t attempt to reconcile. No matter how badly I wanted to then, and still do now.

I never want anyone to feel like I did. No one deserves that immense amount of grief and uncertainty. Being vulnerable and accepting of yourself and others’ pain allows everyone to heal together. That’s why I choose to empathize with those around me. We connect and feel less alone.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Personally, I’m focused on creating a space to connect with others. Games are an excellent segway to friendship, learning, and community.

Whether online or in-person, that’s always been my goal. I’m frustrated with the lack of places to meet people in Baltimore, especially those my age.
With the world getting more and more expensive to exist in, people deserve a space in which they can affordably engage in their hobbies and community. If someone walked into the shop, Silver Canon, with a $5 bill, we’d find them a game to play. When the barrier to entry is $5 and telling us some of your favorite things, that’s incredible. You don’t need to have previously played games all your life, either.

Let’s say you’re someone looking to play a game with a grandparent. Said grandparent loves the game of Bridge, and you really love cats. I’d suggest “Cat in the Box,” a Schrodinger’s cat-themed trick-taking card game. Used, this game runs around $20-$30 and would be perfect.

Here at Silver Canon, we love to offer experiences and games at a more affordable rate. We get trade-ins of previously loved video games, card games, and board games often!
In our Premium Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, the fee is a flat $40 per person for a 3-month campaign. The groups meet weekly, and we even have an updates channel in our Discord for players looking to drop in!

Even with our Miniature Paint Class, we charge a fee of $20. It generally runs for about 2-3 hours in the evening. For $20, get access to all the supplies, the class, and the mini to paint and take home with you.

What I’m getting at is we provide a service unlike anywhere else. Money is merely a tool to survive in this world, so our services reflect an understanding that we don’t all have the luxury of spending $200 on a night out or a hobby. The things we enjoy should supplement our life, not run it. That’s why I find it important to create a space for us all to connect, have fun, and interact with the things we enjoy affordably.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe my ability to be genuine has helped me greatly in my journey. I’m also adaptable and not afraid to learn new things if the job requires it.

With everything I do, I approach it with the mindset of doing my best. Even if it doesn’t measure up to others’ experiences or work, I still did my best.

For the last two years, I’ve been learning more about connecting with people, advertising, and finances. Running a small business is difficult, but rewarding.
I mentioned burnout earlier, and it hits the hardest at my job. When you’re working close to 50 hours a week on your dream, that leaves very little time for the luxuries you’re supplying others via that service. And that sucks. I get very little time to play games, and when I do, I’m reviewing them or testing them. Turning my favorite activity into work.

I’ve been creating videos for nearly a decade now, and I’ve learned a ton. It’s one of my passions. I’m still learning every day and trying to improve my skills to work towards a more impactful platform and community. I want to share my experience, knowledge, and services with as many people as possible. I want to help in a way only I can, because I’ve continued to put in the work to do so.

To those who want to make a difference, whether in your life or someone else’s, stay the course and decide what will pull you further towards your dream. It requires discipline, but we all have it in us to make that choice.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

Jackie Stewart’s autobiography, “Winning is Not Enough,’ impacted me greatly.

I found a copy in a thrift store, in the sports section alongside paperbacks of baseball players, golf tips, and fishing magazines. It spoke to me. I’ve always loved Formula One, ever since I played F1 2013 on my Xbox 360. I recognized Jackie Stewart’s name and picked up the book out of curiosity. I gravitated towards the hardcover copy, as there were two. When I saw it was an autobiography, my interest dampened.

Why would I want to read about some rich guy’s life driving a car? I respect the talent, don’t get me wrong. But his life experience growing up in Scotland and becoming an F1 driver is a level of success I’ve never even touched yet.
So I cracked open the book. I read the introduction and the titles of the chapters. I closed the book and looked at the cover.

“Winning is Not Enough”

I needed to know why he thought that. What wisdom could spawn from an insatiable craving for success?

After reading the first 3 chapters, it clicked. And I got it. It felt as if Jackie and I were on the same wavelength. His wife mentioned that even after his amazing career in F1, he wanted more. Certainly not in a greedy way, but a true example of a fourth profession. Like me, Jackie couldn’t just sit and enjoy retirement. That wasn’t the life for him. We can’t “not” influence the world around us and strive for more.

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Erin Wright

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