We recently connected with Angela K. Durden and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela K., thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Divorcing my husband after 32 years of marriage and stepping out on my own was a huge risk. But having had time to think about how I would do that, good planning took some of the fear out. I chose to divorce because his negativity (among other things you can probably guess at) was never going to change. My creativity had to be hidden from him. I tell people, “I cheated on my husband…with Creativity.” I look at pictures of myself from that time and can see the smile pasted on under eyes that clearly showed stress.

The first night alone when I moved out produced a magnificent freedom. Nothing was weighing on me, not even fear of my future. After all, the bottom fell out of the economy right before this and several of my large customers were negatively impacted, some going out of business, and thus I was barely scraping by.

When he died in January of 2023, all remaining issues with him were now resolved with his death and I knew I no longer had to worry about him coming for me in any way. This was great.

About three months after the divorce was final, I bought my own place for cash: A fixer-upper condo in Decatur, Georgia. I painted it as I wanted and decorated it the same. Then a year passes by when all of a sudden, Music woke up in my head and would not shut up. Also, I began writing apace. Books and articles poured out, too. Time went on and my reputation grew as an editor and book designer and I founded Blue Room Books Publishers.

Money is still very tight. Technology has changed all businesses and marketing, and how people consume words in whatever form: books, publications, and music. These all bring challenges, but somehow I manage to cover the bills.

It has also fallen on me to be the sole helper with two childless elderly aunts until their deaths. I was hurt in an auto accident in June of 2020 and almost died in November 2022 from a lifelong health issue that decided to get worse. This, of course, impacts my strength and energy levels. I find working in the yard helps with the worry of all that and benefits my body in other ways.

I realize that to be true to where my Heavenly Father has put me, I need to stay calm and not get so worried I cannot be the Creative He wants me to be. I attempt to support other creatives either with “tips” in their jars, business advice at no charge, making introductions, and with sincere compliments of their craft.

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’ve always been a writer, but in the late 1980s began writing freelance articles for my local paper. That grew into pitching article ideas to national business magazines and writing a children’s book series to offering my writing services to small businesses. Around that time, home computers were available, and I purchased one to grow marketing databases for small companies and do graphic design. All of which I taught myself but made some very good money and all from home.

At the time, “Inc. Magazine” was a great publication for small businesses such as I had. I devoured each issue and learned how to keep my eyes open for clients’ problems they might not see, then bring them a solution at a price. Thus, I became a consultant in various industries. Unfortunately, “Inc. Magazine” changed their definition of “small business” to be anyone with over 1000 employees and its advice then became irrelevant to me and what I wanted my business to be.

I’ve worked for other companies as an employee but have since found out that is not where I work best. Bosses quickly love what I do, but when I question clearly outdated rules and methods, their love for what I do quickly fades. They do not understand that the reason I can do the job so well is because I’m finding a better way to do it. Therefore, when they come in and demand I change to an unproductive method, I get frustrated. Not a good situation to be sure.

Even in the music industry where you’d think creatives would be open to new music styles, I found that is not always the case. In publishing it is the same. Music, Publishing, and Film businesses are in horrible disarray creatively and on the business side. ChatGPT (or Artificial Intellegence, AI) makes it easier to produce works by stealing from what already exists. Songwriters, filmmakers, and authors are all being pushed to use this. The lazy ones are using it. I rail against it all the time as that infringes on intellectual property (IP) rights and my ability to monetize my content.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I am not alone in not employing NFTs. The entire world is quickly being pushed to digital monetary systems that can easily strip users of their assets. One of the groups all dictators attack first are the Creatives because these people usually speak their minds. Many communist countries banned Jazz since it was the purest form of creative output in music and the powers that be did not want that mindset to spread. But writers, songwriters, singers, actors, artists, and more creative types often find themselves dead, imprisoned, or in slave labor camps in order to shut them up. NFTs and other digital payment methods could easily be used to stop money from flowing to Creatives when they become a problem for governments.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes. It is to tell stories that entertain and/or uplift and are true to human nature. I also want Truth to be told. I will not make up a story or song that pushes political agendas. I only want to deal with human nature. Politics and social justice causes come and go.

Though many want us to believe that human nature can be legislated into a form they want, that is an exercise in futility because human nature does not, and cannot, change. Everything is in our DNA and no laws can change DNA.

So, yeah. Telling truth.     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blueroombooks.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angela.durden1/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlueRoomBooks
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHWXpPsYdCHT9xDyMUw5EYg
• Other: https://angeladurden-books.com/

Image Credits
Tom Hill Sally A. Walker Angela K. Durden