We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laurie Ann Thompson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laurie Ann below.
Laurie Ann , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What do you think it takes to be successful?
One thing I think is necessary for success is courage. We only discover what we’re capable of when we push ourselves outside of our comfort zones. That is a scary thing to do! Once we’ve done it, however, we are transformed, whether we succeeded in our quest or not. In either case, we learn something: about our industry, our customers, or even ourselves. And that knowledge can help us succeed later.
That much is true for everyone, but as creatives, courage is even more important for success. Creatives have to be willing to trust the process and muddle our way through, even when the path isn’t always clear. We have to dedicate hours, months, years to projects that we don’t know will ever be finished, be published, be appreciated. We have to be willing to share ourselves, be vulnerable and exposed, and risk criticism. All of this takes courage, every single day.
I never thought of myself as a very courageous person, yet here I am: living a creative life, and expanding my comfort zone little by little every day. It’s a wonderful way to live.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I write books for children of all ages, from birth through young adulthood. Most of my work is nonfiction, but lately, I’ve been experimenting more and more with fiction, as well. I have always loved reading; writing for young people allows me to pay that forward. As for topics or interests, I am all over the map! Children often ask me where I get my ideas, and I have two main sources: things that make me ask a question or things that make me feel a strong emotion. This means I’ve written biographies of interesting, inspiring individuals (EMMANUEL’S DREAM and ELIZABETH WARREN’S BIG, BOLD PLANS), an ode to the family dog (MY DOG IS THE BEST), a handbook for saving the world (BE A CHANGEMAKER), a wild and wacky series about information literacy (Two Truths and a Lie), a series of books about common backyard animals (Meet Your World), and a poetic nod to self-care (LET THE LIGHT IN). In all of these projects, my goal is to help young readers better understand themselves, others, and our shared world so they can take better care of what matters. Learn more at https://lauriethompson.com/
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I was young, I prided myself on being a good student. I loved getting the correct answer, of knowing how to solve a problem, of knowing I had done it “right.” In fact, I studied mathematics in college because it was the one subject where I felt you could always get the right answer–and you could prove it! I became a software engineer for the same reason: the code either worked or it didn’t.
When I turned to writing as a second career, I approached it in a similar fashion: if I could just figure out how to do it “right,” then I would be successful. Of course, the creative process is messy. There is no formula, no definitive approach, no surefire path to “the end”. It looks and feels different for each of us, and it’s different for every project! I’ve also been reminded time and time again that creativity is subjective. What I think of as “right” doesn’t always appeal to others, and vice versa. There is no “right” answer in a creative endeavor. Sure, I may get an agent or an editor to love my work, but that doesn’t mean critics–or young readers–will!
Instead of being distressed by the fact that there is no “right” way to write, I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty of that ambiguity. I’ve grown comfortable with not necessarily knowing what the next step will be, with trial and error, with trusting that inspiration will strike–eventually. I’ve learned that it’s okay if not everyone loves my work. And these are all good lessons, because life–like art–is messy! We muddle through, not really knowing where we’re going, doing the best we can at the moment, and hoping someone out there likes us. There’s no right way to do any of it, and that’s what makes it wonderful.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I want to give young readers the knowledge they need to become happy, fulfilled adults who are inspired and empowered to help make the world a better place, whether that’s fighting for human rights, protecting the environment, harnessing the power of science and technology to do good, or providing care for people or animals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lauriethompson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurieannthompson/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauriethompsonauthor/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauriethompson/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LaurieThompson
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBE31i9yOhrdeTU7psmZ3pA
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/lauriethompson.bsky.social