Meet Kerry Dunlap

 

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

Kerry, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

As a young person, I lost more people than I could count to the madness of the world, the conditions of my community, and, in some cases, natural causes. Loss has been an intricate thread in the tapestry of my life, embedding in me a confidence that would not exist without those experiences.

I learned that to live is a blessing, but to live without hardship is a fantasy— a luxury to which even our favorite characters in the most beloved stories are not afforded. What if Harry had his parents? What if Violet Sorrengail hadn’t had a disability and her father had never died? Who would they be? Would they still shoulder the burdens the world thrust upon them with the same vigor, grit, and resolve?

Tapping into the pain of my loved ones’ lives being cut too short gave me the tenacity to live a life worth living. It granted me access to a strength that, in my experience, only comes from pulling yourself out of despair or willing yourself to see beyond circumstances—beyond what others claim is impossible—to envision a future that is good, healthy, and worthy of everything you have endured.

I feel a responsibility to live in ways they never had the chance to—to love deeper, laugh harder, and cherish every day on this earth. Resilience is a choice I make daily because I want to experience as much as I can with the people I love. With this understanding, I refuse to give in or give up, no matter the madness of the world or the circumstances I face.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Creating things and putting them into the world is what I love to do. Bringing people together through my expression is what I believe I was made for. For a long time, I have focused most of my energy on writing and performing music, as well as socially curating events—like the Empire State Music & Arts Festival—for the independent music and art community of NYC. My love for social curating has led me to event planning, production, and coordination—a passion that has grown and continues to grow every day.

More recently, my amazing wife, Zandra, and I created a platform called Our Unofficial Bookclub, where we produce content centered around romance and fantasy storytelling. This venture has not only reinvigorated my need to create but has also helped me reconnect with my first loves: literature and writing.

As a kid, I grew up in a very strict Christian home, where certain books did not fit within the boundaries of what was considered appropriate for a Christian child. My parents forbade me from reading them, and in protest, I decided I wouldn’t read at all. (Of course, in school, I had no choice—but you get it.) For a long time, I didn’t. But my love for fantasy and romance never left me, and I’ve been fortunate to reconnect with it in a meaningful way in adulthood. Reading about and creating worlds through the written word fascinates me and helps me make sense of the often chaotic world we live in.

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

Honestly, for me, discipline, consistency, and collaboration have always been the three things that shape my outcomes. The discipline to say yes or no when needed, the consistency to see things through and the ability to work with others are, I believe, fundamental attributes a person must have to be successful—regardless of the journey they are on.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

I’m not sure I could—or would even want to—give just one person credit for helping me overcome the challenges I’ve faced. It has been said, “It takes a community to raise a child,” and I’d take that statement even further: It takes a community to sustain a joyful healthy person in the world we live in. We are shaped by the people we surround ourselves with, and to everyone who has played a part in my growth from childhood to manhood, I am deeply grateful.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Picture 1 & 2 Devin Cruz
Picture 4 Tucker Mitchell

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

The answer to whether you are walking or wandering often changes from season to season

Highlighter Series
What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?

With so many high-achievers in our community it was super interesting to learn about the

Highlighter Series
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?

We asked some of the wisest people we know what they would tell their younger