Meet Kimberly McAfee

We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly McAfee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, 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.
This is a subject I am very passionate about! The first thing I do when I have writer’s block is to take a break. It doesn’t have to be a long one. Sometimes, just being away from a project for a bit allows the answers to pop into my mind! A warm shower, or a good night’s sleep can be just the medicine needed to “cure” any writer’s block.

While I have tried many different techniques, but two of my favorites are listening to music and going out into nature. For the first, I enjoy listening to instrumental and classical music mostly. I allow my imagination to flow freely while concentrating on the sounds. Depending on the style of the song, different scenes emerge.

Secondly, nature is always helpful. Of course, there are well-known benefits to being outdoors. However, what I like to do is find something that interests me – e.g., vibrantly-colored wildflowers, singing songbirds, trees swaying in the wind – and develop stories around them. Also, it’s just plain beautiful!

Finally, I’m the Spiritual Columnist for The Aerial Perspective Journal by Quillkeepers Press; I discuss using spiritual tools – such as Tarot cards, Astrology, etc. – to assist with writing. If you ever have a creative block and are looking for some inspiration, definitely check out my column, as well as the articles by the other columnists and writers. There is so much great information available in The Aerial Perspective, I am sure you’ll find something to help!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a Writer and a Poet. I have been writing for years; I have authored/co-authored works in a variety of formats, such as websites, e-magazines, anthologies, and even a peer-reviewed scholarly journal. But it was during the Pandemic when I decided to create a poetry account on Instagram that everything really changed for me. I have found “my tribe” and have been able to create and share works that show who I am as a person.

So much has come from the seemingly small decision to join Instagram. I have published a chapbook, ‘AmerAsian: My Journey to Becoming Whole as a Mixed Korean-American,’ and a poetry collection, ‘The Savior and the Shadow Queen: A Fantastical Tale Told Through Sequential Poems,’ with Quillkeepers Press. Both books are available online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. ‘AmerAsian’ is also available online at Walmart. Additionally, I have self-published three chapbooks, which are all available on Amazon.

This year I will be publishing, ‘The Savior/Shadow Principle: A Self-Help Technique and Philosophy Using Archetypes,’ with Quillkeepers Press. I created this after several difficult and disappointing years in my life. It was inspired by my spiritual journey, which has had some unique twists and turns. This technique and philosophy allowed me to tap into self-honesty and acceptance, at greater levels than I had in the past. As this worked for me, I believe it could be helpful to others.

I am so excited to be sharing this, as I consider it to be my magnum opus. The poetry collection I previously mentioned – ‘The Savior and the Shadow Queen’ – is a companion work to this text. If you’re interested, be sure to follow me on Instagram for updates! I also regularly share poetry, writing prompts, book reviews, etc., so there’s something for everyone!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three qualities that have been most impactful on my journey are:

Self-Honesty: I previously mentioned this and the next, and had to delve more into them. This sounds simple, but actually can be very difficult. By looking at myself objectively, I was able to tap into deep honesty about my likes/dislikes, my talents, who I truly wanted to be, etc. There were definitely some painful truths, but to get to happiness, we must first be honest with ourselves.

Acceptance: Playing upon the first, this quality has also been incredibly helpful to me. When we accept the reality of a situation, we can then create a plan of actionable steps to better it. Also, accepting that failure is unavoidable and to keep trying until you succeed.

Openness: Allowing my creativity to flourish, trying new things (writing various genres, submitting my materials to different publishers, etc.), and generally just being willing to partake in new opportunities has helped me tremendously. It’s important to get out of your comfort zone!

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I would have to say, ‘The Hero with a Thousand Faces,’ by Joseph Campbell; he is also my favorite author. This book discusses the ideas of the Hero’s Journey, how there are many similarities in world mythologies/religions, how the archetypes from these mythologies and religions can be models of behavior, just to name a few. This work is also famous among writers, and has helped me not only as a person, but with my craft as well. If this sounds intriguing to you, I highly recommend it!

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Image Credits
Quillkeepers Press Quillkeepers Press Kimberly McAfee Kimberly McAfee

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