First Year as a Full-Time Creative

This week marks my one-year anniversary of being a full-time creative.

Making a living off my creative work has always been my goal, but it was also something I was trying to meticulously plan. Life decided, once again, to remind me that it doesn’t give a shit about my plans.

So, with that, I pivoted.

More specifically, Reese and I pivoted together.

In the spirit of transparency and honesty, this year had several bumps and we wouldn’t be where we are without the help and support of family and friends. That support looked different from everyone, but to everyone that leaned in and offered a hand, THANK YOU.

This pivot wouldn’t have been possible without being somewhat prepared prior to leaving my previous job. I’ve been writing since I was a kid, got my Master’s in creative writing, and had a fully finished book ready to go. Additionally, Reese and I started Sound Ceramics in 2021 and have been slowly but steadily building our business over the last 5 years. So, when I learned I would no longer have my corporate gig, I crashed out for a few hours, then looked around at what I had in the works, and decided to bet on myself, my creative skills, and my partnership.

Since last year, I’ve had a few big creative milestones:

1. I released my debut novel, On The Way To Chicago, on June 16, 2026!
2. I’m the Director of Marketing at Tulipwood Books
3. I get paid to play in the mud! (I’m a full-time potter at Sound Ceramics)

And there’s more yet to come:

1. I’ll be at AWP selling my book in Chicago March 2027 (alongside Tulipwood Books)
2. I’ll start querying my second novel in 2027
3. I’ll be at other author events (Fingers crossed. Still waiting to hear back on decisions)

I’m so excited for what’s ahead. It’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s work worth doing. While I worked hard to get where I was at in my corporate job, and I honestly still think they made the wrong decision, their shitty decision making freed me up to do exactly what I would rather be doing, what I was meant to be doing.

So, thank you Microsoft. But also, fuck you.