We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nancy Lansdowne. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nancy below.
Nancy , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think it takes to be successful?
As a self-published author of a memoir and three children’s books, I can say with certainty that the greatest success I’ve achieved through my writing has been learning to get out of my own way. Letting go of the idea that everything had to be perfect; that was the moment the magic truly began. Once I shifted my focus from perfection to connection, everything changed. I began writing from my heart instead of obsessing over every sentence. I started asking myself not, “Is this good enough?” but “What do I want my reader to feel?” That shift opened the door to creativity, honesty, and healing.
The journey began in the quiet days leading up to Christmas 2022. I was doing something I still believe in deeply sending handwritten holiday cards. As I opened my old address book, I noticed name after name crossed out. I was overcome with emotion, realizing that so many of those people were no longer here. Their names, still written in ink, served as tender reminders of lives once deeply intertwined with mine.
That wave of grief was the spark that lit my writing. What began as a simple journal entry turned into a cascade of memories. I started remembering other kinds of paper too—the kind that taught me lessons, preserved family traditions, and connected me to strangers in unexpected ways. My intention shifted: from soothing my own grief to capturing moments that shaped who I am.
This became the foundation of my memoir, Paper Cuts. It was written not with pen and paper, but on a laptop ironic for a book so rooted in tangible memories. Writing it awakened something in me I hadn’t felt since childhood, back when I eagerly wrote book reports and loved the feel of words taking shape. Before I knew it, I had written 309 pages raw, unedited, and deeply personal.
What followed were countless evenings spent with my husband and son, editing the manuscript after dinner. It became our nightly ritual: sitting in the living room, laughing at misplaced punctuation, correcting grammar, and revisiting stories from my past. My son, a language major, brought English rules I’d long forgotten to our makeshift editing sessions. We joked about “period after quote” and other common slip-ups, laughing until it hurt. In sharing old stories, we made new ones and slowly, a legacy began to take shape.
Perfection was never part of that process, and I’m glad it wasn’t. Those evenings were messy and emotional, but they were filled with love, laughter, and healing. With every typo we corrected and every page we reread, I found myself not only embracing my imperfections but also coming to terms with old wounds the ones that lingered from the “paper cuts” of life.
I’ve come to understand that our parents do the best they can with what they know. I’ve learned to appreciate the beauty in something as simple and profound as paper. Paper holds our stories, our emotions, our memories. Yes, it can cut. But it also transforms. And that transformation, however painful, is what makes the journey worthwhile.
To me, that’s what success is: being brave enough to tell your story, open enough to share your heart, and wise enough to know that healing often comes not despite the pain but because of it.
Nancy , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Though my professional journey has been rooted in the classroom for over 25 years, my creative side has always been just as much a part of me. After decades of teaching, I began exploring my passion for writing first with children’s books and later with my memoir. Writing has allowed me to not only reflect on my personal experiences but also to share stories that resonate with both adults and children alike.
The inspiration for my writing of Paper Cuts, my memoir is a deeply personal reflection on my life rooted in the lessons I’ve learned. Writing the book was a way for me to process my own memories, pain, and growth. It began from a journal entry reflecting on the names crossed out in my address book, reminders of loved ones who had passed. That raw emotion turned into a journey of healing through words, eventually leading to a memoir that’s about far more than just my story; it’s about the connections we make, the traditions we hold, and the resilience we cultivate through life’s challenges. Paper can unite us on so many ways.
My work as an author goes beyond just the memoir, though. Over the years, I’ve also published three children’s books. Writing for young audiences is a different kind of challenge, but it’s one I find incredibly rewarding. Through simple, relatable stories, I explore themes that are important to both children and parents like kindness, emotional intelligence, and self-acceptance. I want children to feel seen in my books and to have stories that mirror their own experiences or spark their imaginations in new ways. My author journey continues to evolve, but one thing remains the same: storytelling is at the heart of everything I do.
What I’m most proud of is how my writing has allowed me to share my voice with the world in a way that is both healing and impactful. Every page I write is an opportunity to connect, to inspire, and to reflect on life’s little moments. My books are more than just stories; they are reflections of the world I want to create; a world where kindness, empathy, and self-expression are celebrated.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an author is the ability to connect with others on a deeply emotional level. Writing allows me to share parts of myself whether it’s my personal history in Paper Cuts or the stories I create for children. There’s something incredibly fulfilling about knowing that my words can resonate with someone, spark an emotion, or even help them see their own experiences reflected on the page.
When I write, I don’t just want to tell a story my goal is to evoke feelings. Whether it’s nostalgia for shared memories, the joy of discovering something new, or the reflective thought that encourages growth, writing gives me the opportunity to guide readers through an emotional journey. It’s this connection that makes the process so meaningful. I’ve found that the more authentic and heartfelt my writing is, the more it touches others. That exchange, the moment a reader feels understood or moved, is the most rewarding part of being an author.
Ultimately, writing allows me to share not just stories, but pieces of my soul and knowing that those pieces can make a difference in someone else’s life is what keeps me inspired.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
What drives my mission and journey is a deep belief in the transformative power of connection, whether through words, education, or compassionate care. After spending over 25 years in the classroom and working with children, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial those early experiences are for shaping who we become. It’s what sparked my commitment to helping parents find the best childcare for their children, and it’s the same driving force behind my writing.
I’m driven by the idea that stories have the power to heal, to teach, and to create bridges between people. Writing is my way of contributing to the world, helping people reflect, grow, and feel understood. My journey is also fueled by my own growth my personal healing, the lessons I’ve learned from my family and my students, and the hope that by sharing these lessons, I can help others navigate their own lives with more compassion, self-awareness, and joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.insidersviewcc.com/services
- Instagram: instagram/nancy.author
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/people/nancy-lansdowne-author/61552919185423
- Other: tiktok.com/@nancy.author
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