We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jodie Anders a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jodie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Every project I work on holds personal meaning due to its connection to my life and its potential to resonate with others—helping them feel seen, understood, or inspired to think differently. But my most recent book, Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice, and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens, is the first project I wrote focused entirely on its audience. It was created to offer support and encouragement, especially during these times of strife. For this book, we interviewed queer teens across the U.S. about their lived experiences, blending their powerful quotes with affirmations and advice designed to uplift, inspire, and provide guidance for navigating challenges while empowering them to step out and shine with confidence. The result was a beautiful book that helped empower teens and even encouraged and inspired adults who were thrilled to see such a book, one they often said they could have used as a teen. It has been incredible being a part of and helping others in any way.
Jodie, 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?
I have had my hands in several creative fields for many years. Throughout my youth I wrote stories and poems and acted in a few musicals. I earned an MFA in film and an associate degree in graphic arts, after which I fell into editing and sound design. Years later, I missed writing and returned to my passion at the encouragement of a mentor. I have now written several TV pilots, and my non-fiction book, Queer Cheer: Activities, Advice and Affirmations for LGBTQ+ Teens published in May. I also produce a podcast for teens called “Let’s Talk about Leadership, Service and Sisterhood” and offer graphic arts services, for which I have produced several book covers and merch designs.
What I’m most proud of in my work is my ability to come up with fresh and exciting out-of-the-box ideas. I thrive on creativity and bringing new perspectives to projects, which helps make my work stand out and resonate in unique ways. I also take great pride in my reliability and dedication. Whether meeting deadlines, exceeding expectations, or collaborating closely to ensure someone’s vision is fully realized, I’m committed to delivering work that not only meets but exceeds the standards set. I aim to ensure those I work with feel valued and excited about my work.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
If I were to write a series of books about resources I wish I had known earlier in my creative journey, I could easily fill up a few volumes! The first book would be entitled “Most Folks Are Just Winging It, So Be Brave and Go for Your Dreams!” I wish I had known that the journey to a creative career varies greatly for many. It took me a long time to realize that most advice comes from people sharing their own reality—not mine. And while their advice may be a great thing to try, if it didn’t work for me, that didn’t necessarily mean it wasn’t meant to be. I spent so much time believing that others had it all figured out and that if I wasn’t recognized for my talent or success, I wasn’t doing it right. But what I learned later is that many people, even those who seemed to have it all together, were simply trying their best, failing, and trying again until something clicked. That often success was personal and often about the connections you make with both the work and people around you. I wish I had embraced that idea sooner, as I could have pursued my creative dreams without fearing failure. I abandoned many dreams in my youth because I didn’t feel I had the talent or let the judgement of other’s color the entire worth of my creativity. I got caught up in the fear of not succeeding and focused too much on pursuing a “steady job,” only to realize a decade later abandoning them was eating a hole in my soul. Looking back, I wish I had trusted my passion and gone full-throttle into learning and exploring my creativity rather than worrying about fitting into a prescribed mold. While I know that financial stability is important, I now see that there are so many creative paths to making a living—paths that may not fit the “traditional” route, but can work just as well, if not better.
The second book would be titled “Here’s What ADHD Really Is and How It Affects Creatives.” In the last few years, I have come to understand that ADHD is so much more than simply struggling to focus. If I had known what I know now, I think I could have approached my work and creative processes much differently. ADHD affects how I approach tasks, how I organize my thoughts, and how I manage projects. With the proper tools and a deeper understanding, I feel I could have been much more successful in following through on my creative ideas, learning effectively, and staying on track. It’s frustrating to think about how the world and its structures—schools, workplaces, and even creative industries—are set up for those who fit into the so-called “normal” mold. Without alternatives that work for those of us who don’t fit that mold, it can be difficult to thrive. I often think how much further I might be now if I had access to ADHD tools, a different type of school environment, and the mental health and health resources that I now know can make a major difference. But on the flip side, I’m thankful that I’m learning all this now, and I can use my experience to empathize with others, especially youth, who might be facing similar challenges.
Other books in this series would delve into growth development and the benefit of community. Titles like “Learn through Failure,” “Don’t Fear Asking For Help,” and “Other Places to Learn” would highlight how we learn from more than school. Whether by working through mistakes, online classes, books, YouTube tutorials, Discord groups, asking fellow writers, or networking with mentors, there are many avenues to learn and grow creatively. I spent too long thinking that I had to follow a specific path to be successful, but now I see that there are endless possibilities. The power of community, mentorship, and collaboration cannot be understated.
In the end, while I sometimes regret the time I spent not fully embracing my creative journey and bemoan the resources I lacked, I am incredibly grateful for the lessons I’ve learned along the way. I’m excited about the future and the ongoing growth I’ll continue to experience.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
For a long time, I struggled with feeling like I didn’t have the same ambitions or goals that were often celebrated in my industry. Many wanted to be at the top of the top, such as a director or showrunner of a major studio production, while I simply loved the idea of being in any TV room collaborating on a story with like-minded folks. While achieving something as prestigious as an Oscar or an Emmy would certainly be amazing, I realized that pursuing these accolades wasn’t what truly drove me. I also grappled with the idea of fame. While I enjoy exploring new ideas and spending time with people, I’m also a private person who values downtime to recharge. For years, I pushed through these conflicting feelings by focusing on the simple fact that I love creating without fully understanding why.
I often made bucket lists of things I thought would be amazing to achieve—winning a Nobel Peace Prize, meeting and collaborating with creatives I admire, and so on—but they felt a bit contrived. Then, one day, a mentor of mine led me through an exercise about finding the word that defined me. At the time, he didn’t know me well, but he told me my word was “connect.” It struck me in a way I hadn’t anticipated, and as I reflected on it, I realized how profoundly this idea tied into my work and life.
When I began to analyze the themes that tied my creative projects together, “connection” was indeed the central thread that wove through everything I did. I often told people I created to help others feel seen or bring differences to light. While that’s true, I realized that the deeper, more driving theme in my work is connection itself. I am fascinated with how differences and similarities connect, how we connect with ourselves and with others, and how we can bridge distances between people. Whether I’m writing, creating, acting, or engaging in any other creative process, my mission is always to explore and deepen the connections within humanity.
The desire to find and foster connections is the heartbeat of my creativity. I create not just to express myself but to help others connect with their own experiences, with others, and with the shared stories that unite us all. This realization has been incredibly empowering for me and has been the driving force in my creative journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.JodieAnders.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jodieleaanders/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodieanders/
- Other: https://www.QueerCheerBook.com
Image Credits