Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kelly Walden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Kelly, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.
When I was a sophomore in high school, my English teacher gave me the dreaded assignment of writing a creative essay.
That night, instead of doing my homework, I told my parents I had a late-night study session at a friend’s house but snuck out with my boyfriend to the Odyssey, an underground Hollywood nightclub.
Upon arriving at this dungeon-esque scene, my bright blonde, cheerleader bob was out of place amid punk rockers with colored spiky hair, multiple piercings, tattoos, and intentionally ripped clothes. Even though I didn’t fit in, an exhilarated rush of wild freedom erupted within me.
The next morning, minutes before the bell rang, in the hallway outside my class, I hastily scribbled my essay about the edgy people and music I’d encountered the night before.
The following week I was shocked when friends and people I didn’t know congratulated me on the essay my teacher, unbeknownst to me, submitted to our school newspaper.
I asked my teacher what was so different about this essay compared to all the other assignments. He replied, “You clearly wrote this from a place of passion, and that makes all the difference.” I didn’t tell him that I’d also written from a place of haste, not allowing space for my typical paralysis analysis.
Back then, a writer was the last thing I aspired to be. But my teacher encouraged me to continue. I didn’t let him, or anyone know how much his words lit a match to an ember I didn’t even know I had.
Ten years and many relationships later, I was amid a break-up of yet another guy I’d been dating, and fell into a quarter-life crisis. This bottom was so devastating I nearly drowned in despair. Luckily I had the wherewithal to drag myself to my therapist’s office, where I had a most unexpected spiritual awakening.
Amid what felt like gallons of non-stop tears I glimpsed my higher-self. Juxtaposed to my inner Cruella de Vil-esque critic, my higher-self shone brighter than the sun, with a heart bigger than the world, beaming wisdom from the uppermost regions of heaven.
Upon returning home that night, I whipped out my journal and began downloading my experience like my life depended on it—because it did.
As I wrote, day after day, about the wisdom, grace, and love from my supreme self, a healing custom tailored for my soul flooded my veins. I somehow knew this elixir could only continue reaching my most broken places if I kept writing.
As I did, I began breathing more easily, and light began to slowly permeate my most stubborn, calcified inner caverns.
It dawned on me that the words I was writing were love letters to my most wounded self, soul tattoos with instructions to exit the maze of my forgetfulness, should I ever fall into such despair again.
All this furious transcribing a rope ladder woven of words to help my prodigal-self find her way back home, eventually became my first book, Discover Your Inner Goddess Queen: An Inspirational Journey from Drama Queen to Goddess Queen.
What this process had in common with my first published work back in high school was the passion behind it.
Both of them involved writing without thinking… just getting my thoughts out of my head like I was on fire.
Today, twenty-five years later, my younger self would be shocked to see I’ve written and published 10 bestselling, award-winning books, 7 Oracle card decks, and two journals, along with scores of articles featured in well-known national and international publications.
Younger me would never believe that I now facilitate workshops helping others to overcome blocks to writing their books as well.
Among other things, I share with my students the Holy Trinity of Overcoming Writer’s Block:
- Write from Passion: Maybe this is your tragic to magic story that happened to you last summer, the wisdom you uncovered while trudging from the mud to the mountaintops of Tibet or your inner terrain, or the passion you feel about a new-found hobby, love-interest, or puppy. Let your passion, excitement, curiosity, even anger lead the way.
- Drain Your Brain: In other words, even on the days that you swear what you’re writing is more boring than stale toast, if you’re tethered to what you’re passionate about, simply get it out of your head and onto the page. If you do this, you will, more often than not, be delighted and surprised that what you write has merit.
- Give Your Inner Critic a Promotion: Like most people, I imagine you’ve done what I’ve done and foolishly tried to get rid of her, ignore her, throw her off a cliff, or bombard her with the rosiest of affirmations.
Some of these techniques work temporarily, but like a fad diet, when the inner critic (like weight) comes back, it does so with a vengeance.
What I find works best, is treating the critic like a foreign film. Instead of fixating on her dialogue, “Your work is crap, worthless, unoriginal, and not worth the virtual paper it’s printed on,” read the subtitles at the bottom of the screen where she always loops the same message:
“I love you and want you to survive.”
With this in mind, develop a respectful relationship with your inner critic. Instead of trying to get rid of this part who is so devoted to you, simply promote her job from writer to editor. This is a job, after all, better suited for her.
Julia Cameron, author of The Artist’s Way, said, “The best creative prayer is, ‘God, I’ll do my part; you do yours.’”
My interpretation: You might end up writing something truly noteworthy that makes you rich and famous and changes the world. But that’s God’s job. Your job is to get to the page with what you passionately want to say before your critic does. In other words: write first, edit later. Amen.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My latest book, A Crisis Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, the Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic. This book took all the writing I’ve done so far to a deeper (and scarier) level. I didn’t want to write the same thing as I’ve always written, so I really challenged myself, and revealed more of my soul than I’d ever done before. More than writing as a creative art form, my writing—especially in “Crisis” was the most healing thing I’d ever done for myself (and I’ve done a ton of therapy throughout my life). I’m even more inspired to support people to write their books and tell their stories.
You never know who your book is going to impact. I’ve received messages from people I’ve never met, thanking me for this book, telling me it really supported them in their dark hours. Then I was shocked when my book found its way in the hands of Shirley MacLaine! She gave it a great review in her newsletter. This book also found its way into receiving a few awards, like the New York Big Book Award, the Royal Dragonfly Book Award, and First for Women Magazine’s best non-fiction book of the week.
I offer writing workshops at https://www.kellysullivanwalden.com/get-er-done
As well as DreamWork Practitioner Training (https://www.kellysullivanwalden.com/dreamwork )
If you’d like to receive my JET SET Dream Interpretation and OGLE worksheets to transform the tragic into magic (for FREE), go to KellySullivanWalden.com.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
- Understanding the value of the wisdom of dreams
- A spiritual connection
- Trusting the universe is on my side
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
In spite of the many challenges I’ve faced in my life (for more about those challenges, read my book, A Crisis Is A Terrible Thing To Waste), I’ve also had a handful of people that have stuck their necks out for me, loved and believed in me. I’m so grateful for my best friend in junior high, Teresa Swanson, my mom, Julie Sullivan, my husband Dana Walden and my circle of best girlfriends from high school and from my goddess gathering that’s been meeting for the last 25 years. I also have incredible sisters. When I add up the people who love me and support me I realized that no matter what challenge I face, the support and love far outweighs it. I think this is true for all of us. When we look at the deficit it tends to grow larger. But as we look at where we are blessed, that also tends to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kellysullivanwalden.com/get-er-done
- Instagram: @KellySWalden
- Facebook: @kellysullivanwaldendoctordream
- Linkedin: @kellysullivanwalden
- Twitter: @KellySWalden
- Youtube: @KellySullivanWalden
- SoundCloud: #kelly sullivan walden
- TikTok: @kellysullivanwald
Image Credits
Carl Studna
