A reminder for every overachiever with a big heart
One of my clients reached out last week to congratulate me on all my speaking engagements and public appearances and asked me what my secret was.
“The book! It’s because of my book! That’s why we’re writing yours, LOL!”
(G, I know you’re reading this right now and you know I love and respect you!)
I’m sharing this because we can sometimes lose sight of the goals that we’re chasing.
Even with all the great outcomes I’m experiencing with my own book, I’ve been feeling a bit “meh” about the whole experience. Stuck in comparison traps. Never able to satisfy my own overachieving inclinations.
What’s the point of selling all these books if it’s all just entertainment? What if no one experiences a life-changing aha moment through it? What if people can’t see themselves in this story? What if it fails at giving anyone hope or joy in this season?
What if it doesn’t change anything?
And then they started to trickle in. One after another, messages and DMs from readers, as if God himself was saying, “See? There is a point to all this.”
But an artist friend reminded me yesterday morning, that sometimes just creating IS the point of creating.
Sometimes, it’s more about how the work transforms you.
Sometimes we lose sight of our goals, but also sometimes, we’re chasing the wrong thing to begin with.
Cat xo
PS: As the saying goes, it’s hard to see the label from the inside. If you’re craving clarity on your book, business, or mission—I'm here for it.
Let’s explore how we can bring your story into focus and build something that’s both soul-aligned and wildly impactful.
👉 Click here to book your discovery call.
Don’t underestimate the element of surprise
I’m listening to the most delightful conversation between writer-director M. Night Shyamalan and music producer Rick Rubin for his podcast Tetragrammaton.
In it, M. Night begins by talking about systems, working outside the system, and what the system does to you when you succeed inside of it, from without. (You can insert “the matrix” here if that makes more sense to you.)
As an incorrigible non-conformist and contrarian myself, this kind of talk really speaks to my soul, validates my creative instincts and what can I say, gives me hope.
But it also speaks to the element of surprise, which is something us authors and writers should really pay more attention to.
Years ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Paul Zak, an expert on the neuroscience of good storytelling. He shared that audiences crave the familiar, but also—perhaps just as much—delight in the unusual.
Think about your favourite songs: You almost know how the song will go, and yet, each artist and band brings something different to it—at least the ones we love and rave about.
It’s the same with storytelling. We’re all looking for the patterns we know, but we also want it delivered in a new and exciting way.
That’s why journalists like me have a refined nose for the novel, the fresh, and the original—because we’re used to pumping out tons of content, but we also know it needs to stand out to be picked up, heard, seen and read.
There are all kinds of literary tricks and tools to achieve this—think callbacks, lanterns and plot twists. But what if you’re not writing fiction. What do you do then?
For you friend, the word I gift to you is “wonder”—and may that be your mantra as you build your outlines and begin writing out your first draft.
If things are going too smooth and easy, it may mean you’re too predictable. So where can you get a little uncomfortable, to make things new, fresh and thrilling for your reader?
Play with that.
If you want help building a book that’s memorable, emotional,and that surprises and delights—let’s talk.
Book a discovery call with me here and let’s explore how to bring your message, voice, and vision to life in a way that truly moves people.