We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joy Outlaw a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy , thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I promote intentional peace, and self-awareness, self-care, and joy as a revolutionary act because our very lives depend on it.

Many of us who went to college developed friendships there that have lasted a lifetime. I’m fortunate to have several sister and brother friends like that from my days at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. However, a few years ago, one of those friends passed away in 2021, just short of turning 40, from a heart condition and related problems. These problems could have largely been prevented if our dear friend had been able to better care for herself by reigning in stress and setting boundaries with people in her life who drained her inner resources.

Joy , 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’m an author and speaker who uses my questions, problems, screw-ups, and victories to spark conversation and fuel self-discovery. I’m a determined seeker trading my lessons and not-so-humble opinions with yours. Words are my stock and trade, and I like using them like colors in an artist’s palette, whether I’m writing an adventurous novel or an article for an online magazine.

I’m a natural creative with a background in design and construction. I can be a fiendish crafter, cook, and gardener, too, when I can fit them in my schedule. I still sometimes get requests for a downloadable gardening fact sheet that I created to accompany a fun article of mine in Naturally You Magazine. (https://www.naturallyyoumag.com/tiny-garden)

Right now, I’m working a day job in construction administration, but writing is the core passion behind the publishing company I own, OmniMind Media. It’s the reason I call myself the Nightshift Novelist. I’ve been writing for over 20 years and self-published for eight. Ultimately, I’d like to write full-time, but as a mom of two teens, I understand that now is the time for adulting and getting these bills paid.

Writing started as a form of therapy for me, and it is to this day. I came from a very loving family, but I grew up in the crack era with loved ones who were still finding their way. I learned then that writing can provide the perspective a person needs to understand the bigger picture and the details on the path of life.

I’ve produced two of my own novels. More books are to come. I’m also the creator of Inanna Joy’s Bibliotique, a pop-up shop featuring accessories for the Bookish & Bougie. My most notable creations there are my luxury, handcrafted bookmarks. They’re called BookGems, and they feature gemstones, freshwater pearls, and some pretty good mojo.

As a former Fulbright-Hays scholar with a vibrant curiosity and passion for travel, I draw inspiration from the people I meet and the stories I encounter through love, spirituality, culture, food, nature, and more. To me, the ability to curate joy from every medium of life is a superpower that imparts strength, inner balance, and overwhelming gratitude.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I can give you two: I had to unlearn 1. Hustle Culture and 2. the desire to control too many things.

As I type the responses to your interview questions, I’m currently recovering from knee and back injuries that I sustained “tryna be fast”, as my mom would have put it. I’m not talking promiscuity or running the streets. My mom used to say that about me whenever I let my impatience get the best of me as a kid. This time, I was trying to go too hard in the gym after a few months of falling off, and instead of gradually building up to my previous activity level, I did too much.

That’s been a recurring theme for me in fitness, relationships, work, and overall life—doing too much.

I’m a fire sign, and I’ve had to learn to keep the flames of ambition flowing slowly like lava instead of letting them rage like a forest fire. As human beings, everything is not in our control. Life has taught me that it’s imperative to release my Kung Fu grip on the hope of certain outcomes and take things a lot easier.

My writing career has been a slow burn, and I’m learning so much along the way. I’ve been forced to take things slowly, as this can be a late-blooming career. But then, by nature, I’m also a late bloomer.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

In Spring 2021, I left a job in construction administration to work as a full-time copywriter and copy editor. This was my first time making a living solely in the realm of writing, and it allowed me to be more present for my two teens during the COVID crisis. I did that for two years.

I later saw the need to pivot when inflation began to soar and the managers at the ad agency I was writing for started training us in Chat GPT, signaling that A.I. would soon upend our niche.

Sometimes the hardest and best business decision you can make is to lay low and temporarily close your doors until conditions are favorable for you to work your craft full-time.

In the meantime, I’m planning for a future where my independent creative work fully sustains me and my household. I’m still learning how to pivot daily, even hourly, between motherhood, outside work, feeding my passion, and just being me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inanna-joy.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/joyinanna
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/inanna.joy.1?mibextid=ZbWKwL
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@inannajoy6132
• Other: Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/joyoutlaw Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/inannajoybibliotique Linktree: https://linktr.ee/inannajoy

Image Credits
I own all images.