Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Armstead Fisher. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Armstead, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

Most importantly I had to start writing. When I first started people would ask me “how can I get published?” My question back to them was, have you written anything yet? And ninety percent of the time their answer was, no. And then I would say to them then why do you want to know how to get published if you haven’t written anything. Write something first, then think about publishing. So, my answer to how did I first start was that I wrote something first. Therefore, the first thing for a future author to do, is to just write, just start writing. The next thing to do is to imagine what you want your business or company to not only be, how do you want your company to look. Love what you are doing, have a passion for what you are doing. So much so, that if your company doesn’t make a single dollar for revenue, you would do it for free. Some people may say “free” then how would I survive. If you have a service company then learn to apply for grants. Maybe you would be best served starting a nonprofit?

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.

Twenty-four years ago I stopped using heroin, crack – cocaine, and alcohol. Those days of homelessness, weighing one hundred and nineteen pounds, and sleeping on the streets of north Philadelphia had brought me to some of my lowest points in life. October 7th was the day I started sobriety. During my early recovery in rehab I remembered my writing and began to write poetry, and journal. After completing a ten-month continuous stint at various rehabilitation centers, MICA units, and domiciliary programs I continued to voluntarily help mentally challenged and drug addicted veterans to gain successful sobriety and achieve self-sufficiency. Helping those disabled veterans helped me to become a better writer and poet and taught me self-awareness. While in recovery I was giving a job to help outgoing patients find community resources when they were released from the domiciliary program and returned to their permanent residence. Thinking back, I realize that servicing at risk and impoverished people helped me to become not only a better poet and storyteller it also helped me to be a better counselor and social worker as well as a better person in all facets of my life.

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

My mission is to have my writings reach people in all nations at all the ends of the earth for the Glory of God. And while doing so, I would like to help those downtrodden people be uplifted by providing them help and wisdom through writings, poems and storytelling. In other words, I strive to help people the old-fashion way. The way is to have a person study, pray, and meditate on the meaning of a poem until he or she achieve a revelation, epiphany, or have an “ah ha” moment. What is not driving my creative journey is the pursuit of money. Money is only the means that could possibly help me carry this message to more people. I retired as a social worker/counselor five years ago from the Veterans’ Administration. I now have enough financial resources to provide me a comfortable living. My goal now is to find ways to promote and publish my books as well as volunteer to help the needy obtain a better life.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Whatever lesson there were, it was unlearned or learned during my twenty-four years maintaining successful sobriety. Let me tell you some examples. I learned that if a person doesn’t stay clean they are not going to reach any goals. They are eventually going to pick up a consequence that’s going to look something like this: a jail, a rehab center, or a sickness such as Hep C, HIV, or death. I learned that rarely is a person granted spontaneous recovery. And by the way that terminology “spontaneous recovery” is mine. During my entire recovery journey, I have only heard about or seen it granted once. For the rest of us included me I have learned that the first year of sobriety is probably the most important. That first year is the time that you rediscover your talents and passions, resist temptations the most, remember your dreams, reside in and practice your faith as much as you need to, and practice to keep your once lying, cheating, conniving character habits in check. While at the same time develop new habits such as these: honesty, truthfulness, giving, servicing, helping, and praying.

Contact Info:

• Website: holyfishpublishingcompany.com
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Proverbably-Speaking-Armstead-Kennedy-Fisher/dp/0615621333