“I spent his recovery writing my first novel, telling myself it was a one-and-done. The part of me I’d shoved away for so many years, spoke up and said, “I’m not going away now. This is who you are. Embrace it.” – Joann Keder
That quote came from today’s Your Shining Self Podcast guest, author Joann Keder.
Joann’s story starts as a young girl. A writer since the age of 10, she wrote her first novel at 12 but convinced herself she wasn’t good enough, smart enough, etc. And says that for most of her life she had a lack of a “core” or sense of self and believes part of that confusion was due to being an adoptee who didn’t fit in with her family or the small town where she grew up. Because of this, Joann went through several bouts of depression on both a large and small scale.
Fast forward many years later when she and her husband left the midwest and moved 2,000 miles to start their next adventure. It was during this time when her husband had a massive heart attack out hiking and Joann says:
While I was sitting in his room, listening to the machine’s pump and whir, I had a revelation: I’ve been pushing the notion that I’m a writer out of my head all of my life, waiting for the perfect moment. When would that be, exactly? Looking at my husband, I realized we have no guarantees and if that’s who I truly was, the time to write was now.
She shares more about that part of her story in our interview and we wrap things up by talking about how she was able to find a therapist and get on medication to help keep her out of the dark space. And she’s finally found peace and her identity: an author!
About Joann:
An award-winning novelist with eight published books, five short stories, and an upcoming Christmas anthology.
Find her books over on Amazon!
Connect with Joann:
- Joannkeder.com
- Social Media
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