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On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Lindsey Pope writes about her life, her struggles with mental health, and how writing helped her heal.
Written by Lindsey Pope
https://www.facebook.com/LindseyPWrites
For as long as I can remember, I’ve had story ideas coming to my mind. They’d talk to me so quickly that I’d find myself transcribing them as quickly as possible, and then the idea would seem to fade just as quickly as it arrived. While I didn’t realize it at the time, writing was a healthy outlet for my mind to express creativity and write comforting messages to myself.
Inspiration
Inspiration seemed to flow when I could get outside somewhere quiet and by myself. Alternatively, sometimes I’d find it strike late at night – too late to go out – so I’d have to run to a quiet room in the house and write alone. Even though I had the dream of publishing a book, the thought of anyone reading what I wrote made me extremely uncomfortable. I worried about being judged and criticized, and as someone who was already highly sensitive, that worry was pretty intense.
As I got older, my creativity never died but it did seem to come in waves. I’d go through periods where ideas came in frequently to utter silence for months. I found the writer’s block periods to be frustrating as I didn’t understand what caused them, and I felt like I was missing a huge part of myself.
Mental Health
In my early 30s, I went through my hardest personal time with my mental health. My anxiety became so powerful that, ultimately, I felt the need to seek help at a mental health facility. Walking through that door was the scariest thing I’ve ever done; I faced my greatest fear. Surprisingly, getting through the door gave me a sense of courage I had never previously felt.
Fortunately, I was able to begin healing through a combination of spiritual work, therapy, and medication. With the encouragement of my Spiritual Director, I also used writing as a kay part of my healing process. My creativity was active during this period, and I had several ideas flowing to my brain. One day, I wrote down a little poem about a crab. I really loved the poem and thought “This could be a children’s book.”
Writing A Children’s Book
I was so excited for the possibility of having a book that I took a deep dive into the world of being a children’s book author. I not only joined a professional organization for writers but I volunteered to help at events. I signed up for critiques and received a lot of feedback from industry professionals. I asked friends and family for feedback as well.
While I received a lot of great feedback that helped strengthen my writing, I also received feedback that really wasn’t true to me. Since my tendency was to doubt myself, I’d typically try to force the feedback into the story even though it didn’t feel right. I edited the story so many times that, eventually, I seemed to lose it. Frustrated and overwhelmed, I let it sit in the back of my mind for a few years.
The Impact Of The Pandemic
Fortunately, my connection with my little crab is so strong that he never fully let me go. On and off during those years, I’d think about the story but would feel stuck. Then in 2019, I became a mother for the first time only to have the COVID pandemic hit just four months later. I sent that whole first year of my daughter’s life consumed with anxiety and feeling trapped. It seemed because my stress levels were so high, there was no room left for creativity.
As the initial panic of the pandemic started to settle along with my anxiety, I started thinking about my story again. It would still take me some time – in fact it was a solo trip I took myself on in June 2022 – to finally bring my book to life. I’m not sure I can even explain it, but something in me just realized I had to produce this book. Not only for me, but how can I want my daughter to follow her future dreams if I’m not willing to follow mine? Thinking of that helped me finally move forward.
Sheldon’s Time
As I finalized the manuscript for what is now Sheldon’s Time, it finally dawned on me why I really wrote this story. What I originally thought was just a cute little poem about a crab had developed into a story of advocating for oneself and helping your loved ones to understand your unique needs. This was something I always struggled with, as I tended to fall into the “people pleaser” role of catering to the needs of others first. Developing Sheldon’s character helped me strengthen my inner child more than I could have ever imagined.
Since launching Sheldon’s Time in August 2022, I’ve been delighted by the positive feedback revolving around the topic and my main character. It is my true intention that Sheldon will help children of all ages to better understand and advocate for their own unique needs. I’m also hopeful that in seeing his relationship with his friends in the book, children can develop a healthy sense of how you can support a friend, even when you may not fully agree with what they’re doing.
Writing To Heal
Writing has been so healing for me that I have combined it with my professional background in training and development to facilitate a course called “Writing to Heal.” Every time I facilitate that course it’s pure magic, and I leave the room with new friends. I’m really looking forward to what else may come from this journey.
If I could give just one piece of advice, it would be that if you have a dream, please give yourself a chance to follow it. Take that first step. It may be over night, or if you’re like me, the journey might take several years. You’re worth the time. If I can do it, you can do it. If you need encouragement, you can message me anytime.
Find more from Lindsey Pope now:
Book: On Amazon or if you’d like a personalized version, please message me on Facebook!
Here’s the Amazon link: https://smile.amazon.com/Sheldons-Time-Lindsey-Pope/dp/B0B8RP66DQ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LCS21YSOY6Z6&keywords=sheldon%27s+time&qid=1662089367&sprefix=%2Caps%2C288&sr=8-1
and my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LindseyPWrites
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