I enjoy traveling and discovering new places. Even if I am unable to travel far, I usually find great local spots to enjoy. Also, the simple things in life really inspire me. Long walks on the greenway, making jewelry and shea butter, curling up with a good book (is this one a given?), and spending time with family. Not sure how far these hobbies will go, but currently trying pickle ball and corn hole.

I use the term “career” loosely because I am committed to shaping this area of life by my own terms. I have no desire to be squeezed inside of a single box. I've always been drawn to various interests and I wanted to make sure my professional endeavors included multiple areas of interest. After all, adults spend between 20–45 years working. It's important that these years are spent fueling the soul and not draining it. In my own life, there has been an interesting course of twists and turns that has lead me to past and present professional work. Although I’ve always had a deep passion for the written word, I majored in education because I had witnessed the power and effects of great teaching. Wanting to put that energy back into the community, I became an educator. However, I soon realized that traditional classroom teaching was not ideal for pursuing creative writing and editing. Practically, I also desired a career that could be taken anywhere because I knew that moving around a bit and traveling would be a part of my story. Teaching, both traditionally and nontraditionally, did provide a great foundation for freelancing. I was able to use skills and professional relationships cultivated as an English teacher for editing and writing. Having the flexibility to search for meaning is vital to my existence. Life always presents varying roads to take. Am I certain there’s longevity on this path? Not sure, and to me, that is totally OK. For now, I am enjoying this chapter.

Most of the assignments that I take on are passion projects (I love them all!). Nonetheless, if I had to narrow it down to just two, I’d say that being a traveling set teacher and working on the TDA child labor/child trafficking reports rank very high.

Although there are benefits to remote self-employment (flexibility and increased productivity just to name a few), there are certainly challenges as well. The quest for balance is ongoing, but I am learning to roll with the punches. Also, I am constantly reinventing myself to meet financial and professional goals. Chameleon life! I’ve discovered great resources and am actively pursuing additional research that supports finding ways to enhance all aspects of freelance work. Challenges are only a small part of the process.

In one word: chaos. Editorial work, creative writing, and planning usually happen during odd hours or nap time. Weekends are pretty much golden, too. I get lots done working on the days when everyone else is off. There are some days when nothing gets done and I’ve learned to be okay with this.

The list is quite extensive, but here are just a few: Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Zora Neale Hurston, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche, J.K. Rowling, Alice Walker, Nikki Giovanni, Amos Tutuola, Z.Z. Packer, Zadie Smith, Tayari Jones, Nnedi Okorafor, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, Mildred Taylor, Sandra Cisneros, Isabelle Allende, Jesmyn Ward, Zora Neale Hurston, Nicola Yoon, Roxane Gay, Audre Lorde, Rachel Kaadzi Gansah, Maya Angelou, N.K. Jemisin, Nafessa Thompson-Spires, Rita Dove, Sonia Sanchez, Chinua Achebe, Toni Cade Bambara, Virginia Hamilton, Andrea Pinkney Davis, Vanessa Brantley, Jason Reynolds, Sarah Lemmon, Laurie Halse-Anderson, Elizabeth Acevedo, Angie Thomas, Carole Boston Weatherford, Jacqueline Woodson, Nic Stone (probably should have categorized, huh?)

Of course, I’m not giving specifics (no writing and telling over here), but I am currently accepting editorial freelance assignments in addition to working on several writing projects: kidlit, ghostwriting, essays and articles for local and national publications.