We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly McAfee recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kimberly, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
While I have always been an artistic person, I didn’t start my creative journey until my mid 30s. Prior to that, I was working in accounting. It is a great field to be in, but it wasn’t the best fit for me.
From time to time, I do wonder what it would’ve been like if I started writing earlier. But in the end, I’m happy everything has worked out the way it has. I feel I have come into my own, and my writing is stronger because of it. Life experiences have even inspired some of my favorite projects! I definitely needed those situations, along with the growth and wisdom that followed, to create those works. I can’t be anything but thankful for my journey to have gone this way.
Kimberly, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
After several disappointing years, I did some soul-searching and realized I wanted to write professionally. I wanted to have a career that made me excited to get to work in the morning, not dread the days ahead. That’s no way to live! We have this one precious life, and I believe it is important to follow your dreams.
I began writing and submitting my work to be published. I participated in contests and explored various genres. Then one day, I saw an advertisement for an upcoming poetry book; I don’t remember the author. I found myself becoming jealous. I was surprised! While it’s an emotion we don’t like to talk about, it can be a powerful indicator of what you truly want. I sat with the feeling for a while: Was I jealous because this person is published? Or the level of success they achieved? After a time, I realized what it was trying to tell me: I wanted to write poetry. I wrote poems when I was a child, but stopped as I grew older.
I began writing poetry again and even self-published three chapbooks on Amazon. But it wasn’t until the Pandemic that I gained the courage to post my work on Instagram. That’s when everything changed for me.
Through Instagram, I’ve traditionally published a chapbook, a full-length poetry collection, as well as an upcoming self-help book through Quillkeepers Press. I’ve also had many opportunities to showcase my work. Most importantly, I’ve made many beautiful friendships with other creatives around the globe.
What I believe sets my work apart from others is that I share a lot of myself, as in my unique perspective. That is our greatest strength! There is no one, and never will be, anyone who thinks exactly like you do. Sharing that is what makes one’s work special!
Also, I feel that my work delves into emotion – the good, the bad, and the ugly – while still being hopeful. I want to share works that show the wholeness of humanity. Emotions are an important part of life, even the difficult ones we don’t like to acknowledge. In the case of my jealousy, they can even be super helpful!
I want to entertain others as well. I have a strong imagination, and love the Fantasy, Horror, and Science Fiction genres. I believe fun is important, too! I have future projects in the works that move more into these areas.
I am very proud of the books I have published/will publish with Quillkeepers Press. I believe they show my willingness to share my heart with others, as well as dive into emotions. They are: ‘AmerAsian: My Journey to Becoming Whole as a Mixed Korean-American,’ ‘The Savior and the Shadow Queen: A Fantastical Tale Told Through Sequential Poems,” and the upcoming book, ‘The Savior/Shadow Principle: A Self-Help Technique and Philosophy Using Archetypes.’ The latter two are companion works. Again, I am so proud of these projects, and I can’t wait to share more of my writings with everyone!
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
I want to create beautiful things that have a positive impact on others. I hope my body of work entertains people, inspires them to be their unique selves, to accept themselves in totality, just to name a few. I want to do my part in making the world a little brighter.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I knew how great Instagram was! I have benefitted so much from sharing my work there. As I mentioned before, it opened me up to so many opportunities and allowed me to develop great friendships with like-minded people. Prior to sharing my work on the platform, I was intimidated. But my experience has been a good one, and I encourage anyone considering sharing their work on Instagram to give it a go!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/writerpoetkim?utm_source
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writerpoetkim?igsh=Mm4wNXh3cXM5cDBt
- Other: https://www.quillkeeperspress.com/the-aerial-perspective-literary-journal
Image Credits
Quillkeepers Press
Kimberly McAfee