We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful JD Slajchert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with JD below.
JD, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Creativity—like all things—is fragile. What I mean by that is simply that creativity is an incredibly hard thing to protect and should be carefully fostered. I just recently returned from living in Paris, France for two months where my sole aim was to feed my creative spirit. Like Joyce, Hemingway, and Fitzgerald, I went to Paris to bottle some of this creative vim with the hope of one day letting it spill onto pages of my very own. I wanted to be in the center of the world famous City of Light that has, for generations, inspired the world’s greatest artists. By doing so, I felt as though I was able to refuel and relight the fire of creativity inside me, which will then allow me to write fresh, inspiring stories. So, to answer your question directly, I keep my creativity alive by traveling, seeing the world, meeting new people, and, most importantly, thrusting myself into the center of where I feel as though life is happening in the most colorful way.
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’m an American novelist, speaker and philanthropist. My second novel, Darling, You’re Not Alone was published on November 3rd, 2022. My journey to published author began innocently as a letter exchange with a friend, which eventually became the backbone to my debut novel, MoonFlower, which was released in 2018. MoonFlower was inspired by my biggest fan as an athlete, young Luc Bodden, who suffered from and subsequently succumbed to Sickle Cell Disease. As a speaker, I aim to inspire individuals from all different ages and socioeconomic backgrounds to follow their dreams. And finally, in my philanthropic work, I am The Director of Relationship Development for The LucStrong Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children who are diagnosed with Sickle Cell Disease, and I am also a National Ambassador for The American Red Cross. Currently, I’m working on my third novel.
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?
It’s interesting to think about looking back on my journey because I still feel as though I have so much ahead of me and so much still to learn; I guess we sort of all do. But if I had to pick three qualities or skills that I felt were most impactful in my journey, I’d have to say the first thing that comes to mind is using failure or disappointment as fuel. Throughout any journey, you’ll surely encounter quite a bit of doubt, roadblock’s and moments where you feel like you’re just not good enough, but that’s when it’s most important to double down and work harder. I feel like I’ve always done that. The second skill that comes to mind would have to be just my love for reading. Reading and reading a lot was such an incredible tool for me and is what I feel as though I owe the majority of my success as a writer to. All great writers are great readers. And, finally, the third skill I’d like to highlight is waking up each day with a smile on your face. As easy as it is to forget, we’re all so lucky to be here. The opportunity to wake up each day and work towards your dream is an incredible honor and privilege. It should always be met with a smile. I think we all can do a better job of smiling more than we do.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
I have to admit, I’m enamored with this question. The reason being, is because I feel like I’ve seen a tremendous amount of growth in the person I’ve become in just these past 12 months. Living in Europe and spending a significant amount of time out of the United States has offered an incredible perspective and lens with which to live life in that I had never been previously exposed to. It’s truly astonishing how different it is there. After traveling to Paris, Barcelona, Nice, Lausanne and even Toronto, I spent time around some of the most alluring and striking people I could imagine—I couldn’t create characters in my head as exceptional as the people I met throughout my travels. I loved sitting across from these people and letting them tell me about their worlds and the pace with which they felt life should be lived. I loved learning about what they’re passionate about and I loved learning about how they took their coffee. To be honest, these past 12 months have been the greatest 12 months of my life, and it had nothing to do with all the beautiful places I visited, but everything to do with all the beautiful people I met. I think about each of them often. I can’t wait to get back to the road again.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jdwritesbooks.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jd_slajchert/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JD_Slajchert
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS918ww0iZr7j6i6tO7p6xQ
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/JD-Slajchert/author/B07HB5XX39?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Image Credits
Russell Baer