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

Jean, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was only eleven when my cautious and careful mother died, leaving my loving dad to step up in ways he never dreamed in order to raise two daughters on his own. My mom always made running a household while doing banking and bookkeeping for my dad’s small business seem effortless, but none of us were prepared to do any of it. Fortunately, my dad’s humor got us through all the burned meals and bleached laundry failures and big, heavy sadness. I learned from him that being willing to try new things – and being willing to laugh if it all went sideways – was a lot more fun than my mom’s way of moving safely toward death.

You could say this “give it a whirl” attitude has empowered me throughout life to follow dreams that many would call “crazy risks”. Dreams like leaving my West Virginia country home for a New York corporate career, where mastering Belt Parkway lane changes taught me I really could do anything. That spirit of adventure, along with a love of ancient ways, has inspired me to study acupuncture, rehab old homes, and collect vintage typewriters. In fact, I’m writing the first draft of my third Atlantis novel on a 1959 Olivetti Lettera 22.

Has every risk paid off? Well, some have yielded surprising outcomes. Bet you don’t know anyone else who’s set a countertop on fire while doing an epoxy finish! (Yes, I learned first-hand how metallic decorative flakes are flammable, so be careful with a propane torch when creating bubble-free finishes lol!) But you know what? I didn’t quit. And the end result featured a more vibrant, colorful pattern that exceeded my expectations in every way.

Personally, I’ve often found that taking a risk leads to a bolder, better outcome than if I’d continued to color within the lines. And that’s why I keep “Audentes Fortuna Iuvat” as framed encouragement in my foyer, because I believe to my core that fortune really does favor the bold. Seeing that little plaque every time I enter or leave my home inspires me to keep remembering that something amazing can happen at any moment – and I do my best to share that enthusiasm with anyone who crosses my path.

Jean, we love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Empowering people and uplifting the planet light me up. So whether I’m doing a life-coaching session, performing an acupuncture treatment, repurposing an old RV, or writing a scene in my latest Atlantis book, I enjoy consciously creating my best life and inspiring others to do the same. Can you tell I have a love of ancient ways? Anything from a different time and place piques my curiosity.

I’m also a natural Pollyanna, so one of my great joys is helping people see that the glass really IS half full. I find that sometimes someone just needs a smile or a sincere listener to feel encouraged to see life’s circumstances more positively. I can be that cheerleader, through sessions or the words I write, so if you’re needing some encouragement, please know that I’m here for you!

And to be able to expand the ways I can help people, I’ve become an RV park/campground owner. Currently, I’m bringing creative awareness to this peaceful 34 acres in western New York, which is for me an ideal way to live close to nature while helping campers relax and rejuvenate.

Bearing many structures needing TLC, Plum Good Campground is an artists’ retreat in the making. Once I’ve shored up a vintage Skyline trailer’s ceilings and rehabbed an adorable shed into a writer’s cabin, I envision hosting holistic getaways and creative workshops here. I love sharing natural healing tips and techniques not only in my nonfiction books, but woven into every chapter of my metaphysical romantasy series – so I’m excited to help artists hear their own inner muses more clearly while immersed in nature’s serenity.

Truly, I believe that intentional, loving creation has always been crucial to balanced living, and it’s perhaps more important now than ever before. If you could use more joy, love, and harmony in your life, I’m here to help … naturally!

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

I believe writing is more than putting pretty words on paper. I believe it’s an opportunity to share uplifting messages that empower and inspire. Have you ever noticed how loving kindness is contagious? Well, my life’s mission is to spread pure positivity and watch the whole world come down with a serious case of laughter and lightheartedness. Won’t that be something to see?

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When I first became an acupuncturist, I thought it was my job to “heal” people. I’d learned so many tips and techniques that were effective at curbing pain or calming anxiety or quelling a common cold, and I was certain I could make a difference in patients’ lives by sharing all I’d learned in school. After all, if acupuncture and Chinese Medicine weren’t really helpful, they would have stopped being practiced centuries ago, right? Yet even as I watched countless patients leave my office feeling wonderful, I’d feel perplexed and dismayed when they’d return a week or two later with the same symptoms. How could that be? And why couldn’t they maintain the sense of wellness and vitality they felt right after treatments?

It took me a long time to understand that I wasn’t anyone’s healer, but I was everyone’s mirror. And once I truly accepted that healing can only come from embracing wholeness within – and that my role was simply to reflect vitality from a clear and centered place – I watched my practice grow practically overnight. People stopped coming to me who wanted someone to “fix” them. And I started attracting patients who were truly ready to make positive life changes with just a little help.

What’s really interesting is I didn’t say anything to anyone or turn anybody away. I simply shifted my perspective from someone who thought she needed to heal people to someone who knew she couldn’t.

And that clarity? It’s really proven to be the key to helping others. Not by fixing – but by focusing on the fact that nothing needs to be fixed. That it’s actually all good, all the time, if we can learn to let go of the “how” it needs to happen and simply affirm that it’s all working out in ways that will delight and surprise us.

Isn’t that a fun way to think as you move about your day? That miracles are normal? And something amazing is happening right now?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jeanbrannon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbrannonwrites/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeanbrannon.author/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jean-brannon-b679456a/
• Twitter: https://x.com/jbrannonwrites