Amy Lewis on Changing & Evolving as a Writer @AmyLewisAuthor #AmWriting #AmReading #Memoir

Where do you get your inspiration from?

The answer to this question changes and evolves. Lately, I am inspired to use writing as a creative, spiritual healing act - an inner revolution of sorts.  I do the same thing with dance. The idea is to allow what is present to come forward and reveal itself. The intention is not to create something that looks pretty or commercial but to allow what is to be expressed, loved, healed and celebrated.

What is hardest – getting published, writing or marketing?

Embarking on the publicity for my first published book right now, I would definitely say marketing is the hardest (and also the least fun for me). I think it’s an age-old dilemma for all artists – the challenge of putting on a different hat to get out and sell your work. I understand from the writer friends I know that are good at marketing, they get that it’s just about letting people get to know you and it’s not at all about “selling” anything.

Do you find it hard to share your work?

I’ve never found it hard to share my work. I love sharing my work. But somehow selling my work is a different story. Perhaps I’ve got some unresolved money issues. I’m sure I do.

Do you plan to publish more books?

Yes. Both non-fiction and fiction.  Right now, I’m working on a novel but it’s too new to talk about.

What else do you do to make money, other than write? It is rare today for writers to be full time…

I have a full-time job as a training manager for a software company. I actually very much like my job and I have a great deal of autonomy and work from home but it can be very stressful and busy at times. Finding time to write is a huge challenge. I know many artist friends who refuse to get a “real” job and work small jobs to get by so they can focus on their craft. I’ve always split the fence between secure, mainstream work and being an artist. I always wanted to have money coming in from somewhere else, so I could feel free to do whatever I wanted in my creative life regardless of the commercial viability. The trade off is that I have a lot less time to do what I love.

If you could study any subject at university what would you pick?

Astrophysics. I’m not a math/science kind of girl but if could pick my talents that would be it. The discoveries they are making these days are mind-blowing and profound. It feels like spiritually and science are finally converging.

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Right now, I’m living exactly where I want to be – New Orleans. But if I was insanely wealthy and could have three houses, I’d have one in New Orleans, one somewhere in France and one in Topanga, California.

How do you write – lap top, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk?

I write on a Macbook and also on pen and paper. I actually get a lot of ideas from my dreams, so I keep paper and pen by my bed at night. I don’t even bother to turn on the light; I just scribble in the dark and hope that the next morning I can make it out. Sometimes it’s shocking to read what I write in the dark; it doesn’t even sound like me.

Where do you get support from? Do you have friends in the industry?

I have tons of creative artist friends of all types – actors, writers, painters, dancers, musicians, composers. To me, it’s all the same life. You want to make your living by creating art in a world where everyone else wants to do the same thing. The intersection of art and business and how each person traverses that territory is a subject that fascinates me. Do we have to struggle? Do we have to starve to be good artists? If we create something just to pay the bills are we still artists?

Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?

It means having a body of work that I’m proud of. And it means finding an audience for my work. It does not necessarily mean commercial success although I would certainly not say no to that.

Diagnosed with Borderline Personality disorder, Amy struggled with depression and an addiction to sharp objects. Even hospitalization didn't help to heal her destructive tendencies. It took a tumultuous relationship with a man named Truth to bring her back from the depths of her own self-made hell.Amy's marriage to dark, intriguing Truth was both passionate and stormy. She was a fair-skinned southern girl from New Orleans. 

He was a charming black man with tribal tattoos, piercings, and a mysterious past. They made an unlikely pair, but something clicked. During their early marriage, they pulled themselves out of abject poverty into wealth and financial security practically overnight. Then things began to fall apart.

 Passionate and protective, Truth also proved violent and abusive. Amy’s own self-destructive tendencies created a powerful symmetry. His sudden death left Amy with an intense and warring set of emotions: grief for the loss of the man she loved, relief she was no longer a target for his aggression.

Conflicted and grieving, Amy found herself at a spiritual and emotional crossroads, only to receive help from an unlikely source: Truth himself. Feeling his otherworldly presence in her dreams, Amy seeks help from a famous medium.

Her spiritual encounters change Amy forever. Through Truth, she learns her soul is eternal and indestructible, a knowledge that gives Amy the courage to pursue her own dreams and transform herself both physically and emotionally. Her supernatural encounters help Amy resolve the internal anger and self-destructive tendencies standing between her and happiness, culminating in a sense of spiritual fulfillment she never dreamed possible.

An amazing true story, What Freedom Smells Like is told with courage, honesty, and a devilishly dark sense of humor.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Memoir

Rating – PG-13

More details about the author

Connect with Amy Lewis through Twitter

Website www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com