How did I publish my first book in less than a year?

Excellent question!

There’s a short version and a long version to that questions, this is the short(ish) version  (we’ve all got things to do today!) 

In 2018 I decided to become the artist I always wanted to be, but couldn’t decide what area to focus on. Pottery was my main hobby for over ten years, so seemed the natural choice, although there were other options (quilting, painting, drawing, sewing, embroidery, crochet etc.) But I overlooked writing. I wrote stories and poems since childhood, loved ‘painting with words,’ crafting them into sentences that inspired or evoked emotions, and gave instructions or directions. Why not writing?? Doubt got in the way. “Who would want to read what I wrote?”

After participating in a few free “Artist Rise Up” masterclass challenges on Facebook and reading Matt Tommey’s books (Unlocking the Heart of the Artist, Creativity According to the Kingdom), I joined the Created to Thrive Mentorship program in 2021.  Matt teaches about working on our hearts, mindset, art, and business skills, plus provides regular Biz Chats, Community Chats, and Q&A sessions that build a supportive, creative community. I made progress, but something still wasn’t quite clicking. 

In 2022 Matt posted about a free online writing workshop that the Christian Book Academy was hosting. That piqued my interest, so I checked it out — and found my niche! After taking a couple of their free workshops,  I joined in March 2023 and self-published my first book in October 2023, only 7 months later! Unbelievable!! Okay, two years of heart-and-mind work, but only 7 months from writing to publication :)

God really does provide all the guidance we need; we just have to be open to it! I had focused on a mediocre talent,  while proverbially hiding a stronger talent in the ground. Do I still love all my other artistic pursuits? Absolutely! But writing will always be my favourite. 

So that’s the short story. If you are creative person and want to learn more, I highly recommend checking out the Created to Thrive Artist mentorship (they also have resources for authors). If you want to focus solely on writing, check out the Christian Book Academy. These are both amazing mentorship programs! They also have shorter workshop options, so take a look and find something that will work for you.  

I’ve included some links to Matt Tommey Mentoring, Created to Thrive Artist Mentoring, and Christian Book Academy below: (not an affiliate, just happy to share these amazing resources!) Reach out and let me know if you’ve checked them out!

Jackie Scott