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

Holly, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

If only the answer was as straightforward as the question! I thoughtfully pursued my passion later in life. A portion of me leans towards saying sooner, absolutely. But the reflective (and thus more sincere) side of me tips the scales by saying it was right on time. As a writer, so much of my style and subject matter is shaped by the experiences in my life and the rich characters who do not even have to cross my path, they just have to come into the periphery. To be sure, talent comes in all generations, but time has given me a perspective in my work that I do not think would have been adequately captured in my youth.

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.

Absolutely. My name is Holly Bills and I am the Writer & Founder of Southern Holly, an inspirational blog. The focus of my professional career has been in nonprofit executive roles, specifically within the housing and homeless services sector. A little over a year ago, I decided to transition from that industry and had the opportunity to refocus myself and start a new venture. Becoming a writer and the founding of Southern Holly was the result of that reflection. Since establishing my blog, my professional career has pivoted into philanthropy, but writing remains a pursuit I am dedicated to.

Looking back, the spark has been and always will be a book. An early love of reading morphed into a passion for writing. But adulthood came calling as it inevitably does. Writing was put on the back burner as a career, marriage, and children took center stage.

But this interlude allowed me to pick up my passion, which by that point was not just on the back burner; it was coated in inches of choking dust. Not really, but you get the point. I gathered my version of a pen and paper (a laptop) and wrote a couple stories. Immediately following the draft of those initial stories, my blog Southern Holly was born.

My vision was simple: an inspirational blog that combines original, breathtaking photography with a geographic focus on the Southeast. I wanted my site to differ from others on several key points.

One, let’s start with the content. The content may be reflections, short stories, or poetry. But it will all be able to be read in the span of less than five minutes, and it will grab you emotionally. What I mean by emotionally is that it may make you laugh, it may make you reflect deeply, or it may even spring tears. The lens is real-life, and we go to the peaks and to the valleys. It avoids being preachy or overly aspirational and is a place where everyone from any walk of life can enjoy a story, connect with it, and walk away better for it.

Second, let’s talk photography. There are no stock photos, period. All photography is original (taken either by myself or my son) and of places within the Southeast. Every post has a picture that is thoughtfully considered before being included, adding a visual component, and transporting you into the story itself or its theme.

As to what I am most proud of, there are a few things. Seeing my work published in other outlets proved to me that I had the talent (and not just the passion); that was external validation. Going after my dream has shown my children that they should not discount themselves or their talent, even if it happens on a timeline out of step with their assumptions; being able to show them that first-hand was pride on a much higher level.

Purpose evolves over the course of our lives and we should not fear or ignore it. We should cultivate it. The promise of tomorrow depends on it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Hands down, it is getting feedback from my readers. In a world where work and personal lives are merging and going at a pace that is anything but leisurely, receiving an email, comment, or letter is immensely moving. The vast majority of my content is inspirational–getting to the root of who we are, seeing life from a different vantage point, finding joy and purpose in the everyday. My purpose is to reach, to inspire, to let you know that you matter.

When someone shares with me the impact of an article or story on them, it allows me to see ripples spreading far and wide. We are all connected and when we work together for the greater good, whether that is ourselves, our immediate circle, or beyond—lives alter in the most positive and unforeseeable ways.

Getting honest and what can only be described as deeply personal responses gives me a front row seat to how we can all inspire and effect change. I am not ashamed to say that I have been brought to tears (happy ones!).

When someone gives you their time, they give you something they can never get back. And in the end, that is the most precious gift.

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

Yes! Writers do not write to become rich and famous. We write because there is no alternative. We write to record, to inspire, to educate, and to dream. We write because to do anything else would rob us of the very air we need to breathe.

Every genre has the possibility to reach beyond the constraints of time. Whether we use the pads of our fingertips or a pen held within our palm, the tools are not of importance. The story can take a day, a month, a year, or an entire lifetime. What is important is that it gets written. Even when it’s hard. Because the gift of the storyteller chose us as its vessel.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.southernholly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/southernhollyblog/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernhollyblog
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-holly/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvwQOY6NP4dOLh4MWbKmMBA

Image Credits
Holly Bills Jared Bills