Meet Robert Eujean Ogden

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

Robert Eujean, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My purpose was waiting for me where I least expected it… at rock bottom. I mean… I knew it for most of my life. It was gifted to me as a child. Somewhere along the way, I lost it. The story is detailed more than I wish it was in the book I’m here to promote, Eclipse of the Mourning Star – a memoir of a cloaked spirit warrior.

But I should differentiate between purpose and passion. My passions present themselves through a knowing of sorts. I’ve often confused a passion with a purpose. Each activates a similar insatiable drive. So they’re easy to confuse. But a purpose seems much less about the self for me and comes with superpowers from beyond.

If I hadn’t lost so much in life, I’m not sure I would have ever committed to my purpose. But it was almost as if the Universe, God, whatever you want to call it, was punishing me with tragedy each time I took a wormhole leading anywhere other than to my purpose. See said memoir. But I get it now, Universe. You can chill. Or feel free to balance out the scales with some astronomically improbable success and joy… if you see fit. Or just keep blissing out on Nebula waves or whatever. It’s not like the species is drowning over here or anything.

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

What do I do? Hmm… I wonder as much every morning. My primary focus now is promoting the book I just published, Eclipse of the Mourning Star. The short answer is, I am an author. But for the self-publishing and distribution of the book I’ve incorporated other disciplines I’ve been employed by in the past. From graphic design to painting and a touch of videography. I think even my central production coordinator skills developed at DreamWorks Animation have come in handy during the production of this book. My file hierarchy has no competition anywhere, ever.

In producing the audiobook I’ve been very happy to tap into my sound design background as I’ve recorded, mixed, and mastered the audiobook which is being released in the next few weeks. It brought me back to the days of writing music for the several albums I produced as Swallow Key at Hyde Street Studios in SF. During the Eclipse of the Mourning Star audiobook production, I discovered that I enjoy voice acting. I wasn’t sure at first how my performance would turn out. But now that I’m wrapping up the mastering, I think readers are in for a treat.

The back end of the book’s production allowed me to practice the craft of promotion which has never been my strong suit. But I think my websites are finally looking presentable. Check them out! EclipseoftheMourningstar.com (eotms.com) and roberteujeanogden.com. I currently have three more stops for the book tour in Savannah, LA, and SF. I’m a bit outside of my comfort zone when reading passages live. But it’s a joy to connect with readers and hear their thoughts on the book.

Suffice to say! I look forward to the day when I’ll return to my writing den, no devices, just words and blank sheets and memories of the new faces I’ve met along the way. I have two new novels in the works. But first there is a film production in between. We are starting the journey of adapting Eclipse of the Mourning Star for the screen. This is perhaps the most exciting project beginning in our world. We’re going to try to fulfill a promise mentioned in the book. But the most gratifying part of the process has been the heartfelt messages I’ve received from readers who have been affected by the book and turned a new page in their lives. That… is the purpose.

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

Let’s K.eep I.t S.imple S.uperstars: Persistence is key. Inspiration is paramount. But joy is the secret. As in all things, these qualities are ongoing practices. For the beginner, they are like new muscles. They will ache when first used. But the journey of learning to use them has been rewarding. My advice for anyone in any craft at any skill level is to approach everything with the beginner’s mind. This will ensure the necessary ego checks in continuing the never-ending path of the student.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

That depends on what the goals are. If seeking to become a master of a discipline, then certainly lock the doors and swallow the key. In today’s world, it’s impossible to be a one trick pony with a singular focus. For instance, the freelance videographer is now expected to produce each step of the film, as well as any online presence (for approximately the same rate that say an editor used to make).

I’ve been drawn to both concepts at different times in my journey. For Eclipse of the Mourning Star, I spent four years writing the book and another year gathering the artwork from 33 different artists. So it was certainly a narrow focus for that endeavor as a writer. Since the book’s release, I’ve worn every hat imaginable: editor, agent, publisher, layout designer, painter, production coordinator, publicist, graphic designer, web designer, product designer, voice actor, sound engineer, videographer, promoter, travel coordinator, and cheerleader to name a few.

I often wish I had chosen one discipline. Like a blacksmith hammering samurai swords or an oil painter. But I’m easily bored sometimes. It’s difficult for today’s artists to focus one craft unless they’re backed by a team which handles the backend. I know one or two people who are nearing the level of master. They’ve spent their lives dedicated to one craft. It should be noted that they each have other outlets to supplement fatigue. I admire them for their intense focus. But I wouldn’t trade the breadth of knowledge I’ve acquired in sharpening my edges.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Headshot by Adam Soltau

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.
Productivity
What do you do for self-care and what impact has it had on your effectiveness?

We asked some of the most productive entrepreneurs and creatives out there to open up

Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
How do you keep your creativity alive?

Keeping your creativity alive has always been a challenge, but in the era of work