Greetings and Welcome!
I'm Chelsea Jo. Those who have been with me through the many phases of this website know that I go by many names (and now you do as well). I've decided to simplify things and stick to this one for all things ESG. I still use the others - mostly - but that's neither here nor there.
The name you need to know is Chelsea Jo - the writer.
It's my given name, the one many in Pagan and Witch communities refer to as their mundane or (since Harry Potter) muggle name.
Yes I am a huge fan of Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling did some great things with her writing and created a rich world that birthed a richer community. For those who are curious I am a proud Slytherin.
I'm Chelsea Jo. Those who have been with me through the many phases of this website know that I go by many names (and now you do as well). I've decided to simplify things and stick to this one for all things ESG. I still use the others - mostly - but that's neither here nor there.
The name you need to know is Chelsea Jo - the writer.
It's my given name, the one many in Pagan and Witch communities refer to as their mundane or (since Harry Potter) muggle name.
Yes I am a huge fan of Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling did some great things with her writing and created a rich world that birthed a richer community. For those who are curious I am a proud Slytherin.
|
I was born in a small town in Iowa, yes that is a state and we grow corn not potatoes (that's Idaho). My second strongest memory of Kindergarten was watching all the kids around me writing in their little journals and I could only sit there and look at mine. I might have been able to write some of my letters but that was it. In my little 4-year-old brain I thought everyone around me was writing novels and stories and many amazing things. I wanted to be able to do that. Eventually I was able to write, and I wrote a lot. I can't tell you how many jokes there are in my family about how teachers would assign a 2 paragraph essay and I would turn in 2 pages--front and back.
Mom saved all of my school work: report cards, projects, essays, EVERYTHING! After 6 years in the Army, Mom gave me the box of everything to keep as a memento. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I kept it with me through 6 moves, across 4 states, over 9 years. When I finally cracked that thing open I went through it, year by year. I noticed how much I wrote. It wasn't even the quantity of writing, it was the quality. There were stories in there I don't even remember writing, and others I could never forget. I was dumbfounded and moved by this find. |
Mom saved all of my school work: report cards, projects, essays, EVERYTHING! After 6 years in the Army, Mom gave me the box of everything to keep as a memento. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I kept it with me through 6 moves, across 4 states, over 9 years. When I finally cracked that thing open I went through it, year by year. I noticed how much I wrote. It wasn't even the quantity of writing, it was the quality. There were stories in there I don't even remember writing, and others I could never forget. I was dumbfounded and moved by this find.
|
Before I had gone through this box my narrative had always been, "I've always wanted to be a nurse," that was the only career I remembered wanting. Apparently, I also wanted to be an Egyptologist; I wanted to travel the world and research peoples stories, their cultures, their histories. I wanted to be an explorer and go on adventures. Suddenly the narrative I had been telling for so long was no longer historically accurate. Add in COVID-19, everything that has happened in 2020, and to me being allergic to the state of Texas. As a pediatric home health nurse who could no longer work; because, let's face it, no sane parent of an immunocompromised child wants a coughing, sneezing nurse around during a pandemic. I had some decisions to make. But, I was still afraid to consider all the options that were calling to me. My self-doubt was real and it was crippling.
|
|
Two things happened that put big ol' cracks in that dam of self-doubt, and both of them were the doing of my mother. First, while she was visiting, she asked if I was going back to school and what was happening in that area of my life. I, of course, couldn't give a straight answer, so she said "Do you still want to be a nurse? If not, it's okay, we support you in whatever you do." I really don't think she meant to be that profound but, well, she changed my life in that moment. The next thing she did, several weeks later, was give me a birthday card. I'll give you the gist of what this baby says:
"Be good to yourself"
"Seek out your dreams"
"Listen to your heart"
"Let your voice be heard"
"Stay curious. Wonder"
"Hold on to what's important"
"You're loved, always"
I mean really, does it scream "Quit your job and become an author" or is it just me? Those are just the bold quotes, it says so much more! I have it hanging on my vision board because it is a true inspiration for me.
Now my challenge, is to write while working full-time. It's also an opportunity as I have the chance to observe so many different people at work. I guess that makes it both a challenge and an inspiration.
I talk more about this whole journey in my blog Stumbling Adventures where you can experience my journey right along with me - with far less stress I hope! See what I've learned and how I plan things out. Where I find inspiration and anything you might be curious about.
Or you can jump right into my stories through Eraser Dust. Let me know what you think and what your favorites are.
Now my challenge, is to write while working full-time. It's also an opportunity as I have the chance to observe so many different people at work. I guess that makes it both a challenge and an inspiration.
I talk more about this whole journey in my blog Stumbling Adventures where you can experience my journey right along with me - with far less stress I hope! See what I've learned and how I plan things out. Where I find inspiration and anything you might be curious about.
Or you can jump right into my stories through Eraser Dust. Let me know what you think and what your favorites are.
|
|