We were lucky to catch up with Annette Lucksinger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Annette, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I have held regular jobs, and I am terrible at them! I love the flexibility of the creative life too much. It allows me the freedom to follow my ideas without being as constrained by time, to live my passions, set my own hours, mix things up, push myself, and follow the patterns of productivity that work best for me.

I first realized that I wasn’t meant for a regular job when working at the library at Colorado State University while studying out-of-state. I had felt so lucky that behind my particular cubicle was a floor-to-ceiling window that faced the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains. All day, I watched backpacked students change classes on the hour. They would trek past the pond at the Lory Student Center along worn dirt paths, pass the athletic fields, and continue on towards the mountains. All day, all I wanted was to be out there with them!

I will admit that there are some times when I become acutely aware of the myriad projects I have pieced together to form a career as a creative, and I catch myself dreaming of a 9-to-5 job somewhere outside of my home. Projects lie on my armchairs, on my desk, and on the kitchen table. I open my email and another wave of work washes over me. I step outside to find more creative projects awaiting. They surround me at every turn.

During moments like these, I wish for more separation of my work life from my home life, my weekdays from my weekends, my daylight hours from my nighttime. On such days, a regular job with regular hours and some company shines more brightly. I want to come home to hobbies that have not been turned into parts of a career. I think a regular paycheck might even be nice.

Then I remember the library job. And I recognize with new appreciation the freedom of being able to take my work anywhere. Inspiring work at that. Of my own choosing. I can pick the project that brings the most inspiration, and work on it as it fits into the day. I am not confined to a desk. I can connect in a way that brings meaning.

Then I line up my projects and set to work, grateful to be free to do what I love.

Annette, 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 your latest project?

Here are three behind-the-scene things to know about me as author of the guidebook Exploring Austin with Kids:

1) My favorite place to be is outside with children. Naturally attuned to see the wonder in life, they will quickly plug you in too.
2) I love finding the uniqueness of places and connecting others to it.
3) Local businesses that are run by people passionate about what they do, especially when they go about it creatively, inspire me.

The idea for the book started when my youngest decided he wanted to spend more time with Mom than at preschool. In preparation for the adventures we would have, I headed to my favorite bookstore to get a guide of kid-friendly places in Austin. I returned home empty-handed, having found little more than a few family-friendly pages in travel guides. After more digging, I discovered that such a book did not exist.

“Guess what, kid?” I remember telling my four-year-old. “We’ve got a project.”

What started as an idea for a book that I wanted to see on the shelves expanded into four years of research and writing. It led me to be outdoors with kids as my two children, my husband, and I explored hiking trails, parks, pools, and festivals. We met so many amazing shop owners who share their talents as toymakers, booksellers, museum curators, snow-cone scoopers, farmers, and instructors of theater, art, bouldering, and nature classes. As we boated the lakes in town, visited its museums, and attended outdoor events of all kinds, we found in Austin a robust and thriving kid scene.

During the research process, my goal became to simplify these findings for others and make it easy for families to get out and enjoy time together. I arranged the Tables of Contents to sort entries by location as well as by interest – from live music and dinosaurs to birthday parties and biking. The book highlights the best places to take babies, toddlers, kids, and pre-teens.

As my kids have grown and changed since the first edition launched in 2014, so has Austin. Over the years, some of our favorite places have shut their doors. Yet at the same time, new openings of restaurants, shops, and trails continue to spark fresh adventures.

Now, nearly ten years later, the fourth edition is hitting shelves! Filled with over 125 activities, annual events, and places to eat across town, this guidebook has become the carefully curated guide that I had been looking for years ago.

Exploring alongside my kids has filled this city with such irreplaceable memories. It is my hope this book will continue to do the same for others.

In your view, what can society do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

When communities see the value in the arts and those who create them, everyone’s life becomes enriched. Art feeds the soul. Such works add joy. They create space for change. They celebrate our being human.

A network of support can nourish such creative ecosystems. Communities that support their artists and creatives form some of the most vibrant, interesting, and inspiring places to be. So, listen to live music. Shop local. Attend book readings. Watch live theater and dance performances. Visit galleries and outdoor museums. Become a member of your favorite venues. Shop art fairs. Enroll your kids in classes for art, theater, music, dance, writing, film-making, martial arts, culinary arts, and photography. Pass on that love of the arts, and we will all be better for it.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

Recently, I was listening to an interview with Billy Porter, the award-winning actor known for his work in the television series Pose and his book Unprotected, among many other projects. He mentioned that the driving force behind his art is service, a desire to give back and make the world better. I would have to agree that many creatives, myself included, feel driven to add something meaningful to our communities.

I look for gaps – in knowledge, understanding, and vision. Then I follow my passions and instincts to try to fill them, with my words.

So many creatives feel like outsiders looking in. In some ways, this is our power. We pay attention to the details. We observe. We ponder. We connect ideas. Ultimately, we hope to enlighten, entertain, and empower through our work.

I would say another driving force behind my writing is the desire for connection. Writing can be a lonely endeavor. What keeps me going is the imagined audience that I bring along. Will this passage be helpful? Will readers find beauty through this description? Will some connect over this idea? Will this story bring joy? Will this tip make a reader feel less lonely? Will this thought inspire? Will my words make the world a better place in some form or fashion because of their having been read?

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ExploringAustinwithKids.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/exploringaustinwithkids
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ExploringAustinwithKids/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annette-lucksinger-b09b863a
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AustinwithKids

Image Credits
Ross Lucksinger