We recently connected with Kristen Heath and have shared our conversation below.
Kristen , thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I feel so lucky that I get to pursue a creative career full-time. Without the schedule of a typical 9-5, I feel like my daily life allows me to really foster my creativity, Not working in a sterile office setting, I’m allowed to get up and move, play my music, maintain a consistent gym routine- all things that make me happy and help fuel my creativity. Another major bonus of my work is I get to visit schools for author readings and curriculum visits. Just being around kids, hearing their laughs and helping bring that creative, silly side out in them absolutely is my favorite part of what I do. As a children’s book author, I don’t think there’s any better way to stay creative than surrounding yourself with the laughs of little kids. I always leave my readings thinking of new things I can write that they would find funny.
Obviously writing is a huge creative outlet in my life, but as an author it’s important to me to still write without the intention of sharing. When I sit down with the goal of producing a book, I tend to think, “What do kids need to hear? What did I need to hear as a kid?” versus “What do I need to release? What would I like to share?” When I sit and write solely for me, it’s usually poetry, none of which I have ever published. It’s a different level of intimacy putting your deep, dark feelings out for the public to read. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still intimidating releasing any creative work to the public, including children’s books. You immediately open yourself up to criticism and feedback you never asked for or wanted. But for me, that’s the whole point of poetry- my pure, unabashed feelings and sentiments. So the poetry I write is something I will probably keep private, and continue to use just as an emotional and creative outlet.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I published my first book, We’re All Weird! A Children’s Book on Inclusivity in January of 2020. At that time, I had been working in the medical field for the past nine years. I’ve always been a creative person, but never had the best surroundings as an adult to nurture and express that creativity. I was excited to finally put myself and my work out there and promote my book. Unfortunately, my excitement was cut short a few months later when the pandemic hit, closing many schools and businesses. It wasn’t until a year later that I was permitted to return to schools for author readings, following strict regulations on facemasks and social distancing from students and staff. Immediately upon my return, I noticed a stark difference in students’ reading comprehension, as well as a decline in their emotional regulation and increased behavioral issues. Over the next year I worked on developing a social and emotional learning curriculum that goes alongside my book.
The curriculum works by giving real-world examples of relatable, uncomfortable social situations such as dealing with rejection, gossiping, or bullies. I use my own personal experiences from childhood and throughout life to help students understand and relate to the issues. We also discuss why we want to befriend and accept others despite differences in appearance or beliefs. I developed worksheets for all elementary school grades that dive into ways they can express their big emotions, navigate unfavorable friendships, and help create a culture of acceptance and kindness.
In January of 2022, I had the opportunity to pursue my book and school curriculum full-time. I love getting to meet the kids, hear their stories, tell them mine, and truly see the difference I’m making in their lives. I have also had the opportunity to team up with some amazing nonprofits, such as Boys and Girls Club of Greater Kansas City and Lead to Read KC. This past March, Patrick Mahomes and his nonprofit, 15 and Mahomies invited 18 local schools to participate in a Reading Rally held at the T-Mobile Center. I had the incredible opportunity to sit on stage next to Mahomes and read my book together in front of 3,500 people. A lot of the kids had previously met me at author readings and already had a copy of my book at home, so hearing them cheer for me and say every word to my book they had memorized was such a proud, surreal moment for me.
My next book, The Girl with Rainbow Eyes, is set to be released early 2024. I am exceptionally proud of this book, and even more so the team I have working with me on it. The illustrator is a 15 year old girl I met while mentoring at Kansas City Girl’s Preparatory Academy this past year. My editor is an extremely talented woman I met while working with a local nonprofit over the past few years. It’s so exciting to be working with two amazing, strong women on this book. As much as I adore my first book, We’re All Weird!, I am absolutely ecstatic to release this next one. It’s a new chapter for me as an author, one I am really looking forward to sharing with everyone.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
One of the biggest skills I had to master early on was working past my fear of rejection or embarrassment. Constantly being shut down by publication companies, or being told “No, we don’t want to carry your book.” by stores was such a gut-punch when I first started my career. The fear of that rejection was almost paralyzing at times, and kept me from walking into bookstores, libraries, and schools. I was nervous someone would think what I was doing was silly or insignificant. I really had to keep my vision focused on my goal and have the persistence to be told “No.” and then immediately try again somewhere else. That persistence is the very thing that has led me to achieve more than I thought possible in the last three years.
When I first began my career, I was completely unaware of the massive support system that Kansas City has to offer. Our community boasts some of the most talented and creative minds I have come across, and most of them are more than willing to help foster ideas and bring creative ventures to life. I met my previous Illustrator, Nick Burke, at Collective Ex- a collaborative workspace for creatives. Putting yourself out there to the right people can be one of the most valuable things you do as an entrepreneur. In the same sense, I had to learn the hard way about putting myself out there to wrong people. After a few wonderful experiences with other local creatives, I had the misfortune of crossing paths with someone who didn’t have good intentions. Instead of collaborating and working together, he tried to take my work and claim it as his own. It was a devastating blow to not only my program, but my confidence. I could have sworn he was a good guy with good intentions. It shook the trust I had in myself and had me questioning my judgement, as well as other partnerships and collaborations. I had to come to terms with the fact not everyone in this industry is here to do good, and that was a tough pill to swallow. So my best advice is stay persistent, lean on your community, but be cautious of who has access to you and your work.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking to partner with local businesses, boutiques, coffee shops, and bookstores for live author readings, story times, and kids’ events. I also currently partner with local nonprofits and school districts to provide underprivileged students with books and mentor programs. We are always looking for other nonprofits and schools to partner with, as well as companies and corporations to make donations to supply students with books and access to mentors.
I would also love to find a local business that can cater to an inclusive group, and host a monthly meet-up for all ages and all abilities. Somewhere safe, where everyone feels welcome and loved. If you are interested- please contact me at [email protected]
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wereallweird.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Weirdkidsbook/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJHX4L50Nso
Image Credits
photo of Mahomes and Heath credit to T-Mobile Center
