The Write Palette: A Writer’s Dream Unshelved

The Write Palette: A Writer’s Dream Unshelved

by Rachel Richardson, Guest Blogger. If you are reading this, odds are you are a writer. If you are a writer, you have most likely experienced some self-doubt and loads of “helpful” advice about how you should be practical and pursue job security instead of your passion. At least, this was the case for me. And from firsthand experience, I can say that no amount of perceived security is worth the miserable existence that comes from denying your passion and your purpose. For this reason, I have worked with Adam to develop and launch my own writing business: The Write Palette LLC.

Since before high school I knew I was meant to work with words and story, but I wondered what exactly that would entail. I developed a yearning to write about people’s life stories, sharing their joys and struggles, and the perseverance that made their story inspiring and hope-filled. In college at Seattle Pacific University, in Seattle, Washington, I attended a reading from a writer of creative nonfiction, and was immediately captivated by the genre. While I pursued my studies in English and writing, people kept advising me to get the steady, nine to five job with good benefits and job security, but I lacked passion or enthusiasm for any career they suggested.

I pummeled my way through college, while enrolled in the honors program, and managed to graduate in three years—totally burnt out. Exhausted from extensive writing and reading in college, I quit both altogether. I shelved my dream, and felt miserable.

After another year and a half, I couldn’t stand it anymore. I reached out to my brother, who introduced me to Adam. At this point, though I hadn’t written anything other than grocery lists for over a year, I knew this: I needed to use my writing and editing skills in a meaningful, and possibly even transformational, way. To do anything less was to live unfulfilled.

In our meeting that February, Adam presented a new way of achieving these dreams that I had not considered before: to launch my own writing business. During the course of our conversation, his encouraging words and description of his own entrepreneurial journey inspired me. The mirage of my dream had finally condensed into the crystal clarity of a photograph.

Through the platform development training with Adam, which commenced last fall, I assessed my vision and selected the main services I would offer. Each step lifted my spirits. The eight months of my mentorship with Adam were sown with seeds of victory: establishing my business name, assessing my brand, finalizing my vision and mission statements, receiving the Articles of Organization for the LLC from the Arizona Corporation Commission, marking each step of the design for my logo, signing up for a P.O. Box, and more! Each came with a new thrill.

Compiling my main services also proved to be a delight. Among the services I am excited to offer is writing coaching—a means by which I can encourage others in the same way pivotal figures in my life have encouraged me. The writer’s journey is often fraught with self-doubt and insecurity. I would not be at this place today without the support of those insisting I could make my dreams a reality when the only reality I could see screamed otherwise. Through this new business, I can now meaningfully engage writers one-on-one, joyfully sharing tips and tricks to hone their skills based on each individual’s needs, encouraging them in their craft and their dreams.

Also while forming my services, I happily learned that one of my main goals—telling stories other people don’t have the writing skills to tell—is an established service called “ghostwriting.” Shadowing Adam in his ghostwriting endeavors confirmed my eagerness for the craft. I have long desired to help people tell stories that might otherwise be forgotten. Ghostwriting makes that possible. I’m elated to pursue projects like these—ones in which I can use my writer’s palette to create works of purpose.

The most exciting part of launching The Write Palette is having the platform through which I can invest in people, using my talents to make a positive difference in this world. Sure, it’s daunting. I’ve never done this before, so this certainly takes me out of my comfort zone. But I rest in the knowledge that it is my vocation, my purpose. I have lived too long in the discouragement of denying my calling, too long in a life unfulfilled. So as nerve-wracking as the unknown may be, I can confidently walk into the future, living in the peace of a passion pursued.

I want to hear from you!
What writing dreams will you now pursue?