Meet Sandra Bush

We were lucky to catch up with Sandra Bush recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Sandra with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

As a people-pleasing perfectionist, my work ethic is based on doing my best to make myself happy. If I can’t give a project my full attention, I won’t take it on. I learned this the hard way.
As a shy child, I lacked the confidence and self-assuredness to believe in my own skills and talents and procrastinated whenever I ventured outside my comfort zone.
During my college career I realized the stress of not completing tasks to the best of my ability in a timely fashion was a recipe for disaster. Pride in my work became its own reward. Doing my best makes me feel accomplished and satisfied.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I have two published novels: Money Man, and Money Man Marooned, of which I am very proud. Additionally, I have edited for Running Wild Press, written for the Pennsylvania School Board Association interviewing educators and volunteers, technical writing experience for multiple museum scripts, and participated in writing a serial novella for a local newspaper. I served on the Board of Pennwriters, an organization whose goal is to help writers of all levels, for 10 years, serving two terms as Area 5 Representative (South and Central Pennsylvania), Secretary, and Vice President. I left the Board last year after my husband retired so we could travel extensively without my feeling guilty about board issues.

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?

Three things that have been essential for me: vision, determination, and learning to accept constructive criticism (and ignore criticism that doesn’t ring true).
My advice: Visualize your dreams and find out how to make them come true.
Practice, learn, and challenge yourself always to do better!

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

The isolation during the pandemic affected me deeply. Previously I had an entire house to myself to work and often sat at my kitchen table to write. Suddenly, Covid was killing people and life changed dramatically. My husband, a financial advisor and the inspiration for my novels, was forced to work from home, and my two adult children moved home with us because of profound loneliness. Four adults working from home, equaled little quiet time to work. Unfortunately, I feel the pandemic changed me forever, and I struggle to find the passion to write I once had. I allowed myself time to step back and found that editing satisfied a creative need and still kept me engaged in the field. Although I still love editing
my goals now are to carve time every day to write and finish the novels (several) I have started. I’m also interested in writing a cookbook, another hobby that was front and center during the pandemic and combining my love of travel with my love of writing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sandrambush.com

Image Credits

All images are mine.