We were lucky to catch up with A.M. McPherson recently and have shared our conversation below.

A.M. , appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I loved taking art classes in high school, specifically ceramics and photography (I promise there’s a point to this story, stick with me here). The freedom to express myself, to get lost in an art endeavor, was therapeutic and meditative. I would take home my projects and work into the night on them, not noticing the sun lowering in the sky and the stars beginning to sparkle. One day my ceramics teacher approached and encouraged me to pursue ceramics in college because of my skill. Now, this should be the part where I tell you I took his advice and led a wonderful artistic career, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the way my tale goes. I had zero self-esteem and told him there was no way I could make a livable wage, nor did I have the talent to achieve anything in college (art wise that is). I still remember the way his face dropped after I said this, how sad he looked for me, and he tried to change my mind, but soon realized he couldn’t. And that was that. I let my passion for ceramics dissolve into the dust soon after graduating.

It would be easy to look back and say that was the moment I should’ve pursued my creative path sooner, even though at that time it wasn’t writing, but simply put, I didn’t have the life skills or confidence to do so at that time, and wishing that I did is fruitless. I did the best I could with what I knew and tried to hold my chin up high every step of the way. College ended up being quite the mess with me jumping from one major to another, but eventually, I got my AA. Eventually, I became a graphic designer at a previous job, and it scratched that creative itch for a while. It wasn’t until after the birth of my son and hitting rock bottom with postpartum depression that I found the courage to really express myself creatively again, but this time it was with writing. Writing has become a huge part of my life and has become a form of therapy for me. I couldn’t imagine my life without it now. To look back and wish I had done something different doesn’t seem relevant. There’s power in accepting your past, learning from it, and moving forward, and not dwelling on wishing something was different. It’s taken me quite some time to reach this point in my life and be content with where I am, but it’s much more enjoyable than beating yourself up over something that’s already happened.

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’m A.M. McPherson ~ an author, graphic designer, mommy to the bestest little dude in the world, and an enjoyer of anime, superheroes, Gilmore Girls, books, good tea, and all things spooky.

My book series, The Stalwarth Chronicles, takes you to a world full of superhuman abilities where secrets run as rampant as villains in the streets, and follows the journey of Ember and Aiden, two people destined to be together, but have to continue fighting for what they love. Book one, The Guardians’ Daughter, was released in September 2021, and book two, The Guardians’ Secret, will be released this April! I’ve always enjoyed superhero stories and with this series, I wanted to craft my own with a focus on healthy relationships and mental health, while still having some fun with the genres I love. My series doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of mental health such as depression, grief, anxiety, and panic attacks. I hope to show others who face similar struggles that they aren’t alone, that it can be hard and scary, and that it’s okay to cry. I’d also like to inspire people that it’s possible to get better, even though the road can be long, confusing, and hard at times, but to learn to trust their inner voice about what’s best for them.

I got into writing when I was a new mom, and my hubby and I were exhausted. We didn’t have much support to help us with our newborn, and I found myself quickly spiraling. After a few months, I had to return to work and I also got the brilliant idea of trying to finish my college degree during this time. Between all of that and the severe sleep deprivation, I quickly found myself in a battle with postpartum depression. I felt lost, but at the same time, I was overjoyed with my beautiful baby boy. I was also burnt out, tired of breastfeeding, and cranky. All I wanted was to lock myself in the bathroom and cry (while munching on some dark chocolate). To put it simply, it was a difficult time – a hard time many parents find themselves in. One day when I managed to get a few hours of rare sleep, I had a dream (I know, I know – cliche, right?). It involved a superhero-like school, this guy with lightning abilities, and this girl with fire abilities (watching a lot of My Hero Academia definitely influenced this dream). I found myself daydreaming a lot about these characters and wanting to learn more about them. There was a part of me, that always wanted to write, but I always felt like I shouldn’t. That I wasn’t smart enough, nor did I have the skill, but somewhere between hitting rock bottom with my anxiety attacks and depression, I decided the heck with it. I bought a cheap laptop, stuffed a sock in the mouth of my self-critic, and let myself write. I wrote for hours (I actually injured my wrist with how much I was typing), and escaped into this world I was creating. That’s when I knew I unlocked a part of me that I always kept hidden, and it felt amazing. I realized not only was I writing for me, but I was also writing for any woman (mom or not) who has felt the need to hide her inner voice and who she desires to be. If my personal story can do anything, I hope it can reach a woman out there who is struggling, and after learning about my struggles and how I morphed that energy into something positive, she can also do that for her, and find the strength to love herself a little bit more.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think people who don’t create, be it art, books, music, etc, struggle with understanding the deep need for those of us who do. How there is an internal drive to put our magic out into the world, and that if we don’t allow ourselves to give in to those passions, it can make us miserable. My need to write may be another person’s desire to fish, learn more about makeup, or play soccer. At the end of the day, I believe we all have hobbies that we enjoy, and one isn’t more important than the other – it all depends on the person. If I don’t continue to write, to get my story out into the world, that would be something I would truly regret and that longing in my heart would never be satisfied. It might not make sense to others, but it doesn’t have to. As long as one is happy and isn’t hurting anyone else, let people create and be merry.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have the normal goal of hoping to sustain my family financially one day with my writings, and I want my son to see my books when he is older and be proud of his momma for all her hard work. But my mission is to help people not feel as alone as I did for so long with my mental health struggles. It’s important to me to represent the reality of how hard and isolating it can be. For too long I was scared to ask for help because I felt I had failed. My inner dialogue kept berating me for not doing good enough, that I should be able to handle it all and do more. That inner critic kept me quiet for a very long time until finally my husband encouraged me and told me it was okay. That I wasn’t less of a human being for needing that help, and I was still brave and worthy. I weaved these themes into my stories to possibly help reach others out there going through a similar experience. I will always strive to have that representation and to share my personal story to maybe give hope to someone else out there.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ammcpherson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/am_mcpherson/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amcwriter
• Other: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21612185.A_M_McPherson