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

Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I have found that sometimes, not knowing what you’re doing helps you be brave enough to go for it. 

In 2017, I was loving my life writing songs in Nashville, TN, and had for six years. Sometimes there was a bit of success and other times no success though it was always fun. 

At the same time, I was writing short and funny pieces about life, love, and being human which I’d been doing for many years.

“I wasn’t born in this universe. I was blown off a star on a blustery day and buffered my landing by stuffing clouds into my clothes before plopping into a vat of freshly puffed marshmallows ten miles east of Kathmandu. Those marshmallows were undeniably springy, and I bounced back up 1,700 miles before sliding down a rainbow into Lake Michigan. I stripped the color off a rainbow that day, and you can still see the violet, green, yellow, and red stripes on the bottoms of my feet.” 
-Rachel Hutcheson
 
Once in a while, I posted one of my pieces on Facebook, and I would always get a surprisingly good response. At the time I could see people seemed to like what I was writing, but I didn’t think about doing anything with it. It was a creative sideline. 

Then one day, I showed a new piece I’d written to one of my co-writers in a songwriting session. He told me I should put my short writings out into the world. 

“Really,” I said.

“Yes, people will like it,” he said.

Putting a book out was a new thought to me, but because I was interested in getting my words out into the world, and because I’d been working to do so with less success than I desired, all I needed were those few words of encouragement to decide to write a book.

I went from not thinking of writing a book to deciding to write a book in about 4 seconds. This was even though I had no idea how to publish a book, let alone how to write one or put a book together. I just knew I wanted to write what I thought would be fun to read. And I wanted it to make people laugh and feel that life is beautiful.

First, I came up with my title, The Almost True Tales, Thoughts, and Observations of a Lifelong Black Sheep Rebel Girl, and started building a mailing list. Then, for the next year, I sent out a funny or moving blog and told people I had a book coming out. All the while I was writing pieces for it.

I have to tell you that it was a total blast to write Black Sheep Rebel Girl. When you are writing things to make people laugh and feel good about life it is not a depressing experience. When you are writing about love, wonder, talking clouds, drunk pixies, and traveling to the end of the universe it is a joyful experience.

Writing this book convinced me that I was on a path that was true for me and my goal of bringing more love and laughter to the world which is the whole reason I became an artist in the first place.

I didn’t know if people would like the book, but I did.

Through much hard work, as well as by hook and crook I eventually released it. This is when I realized that I don’t write in one category and that my writing doesn’t fit in one box.

Is my book poetry? Short stories? Essays? Inspiration? Fiction? Non-Fiction? Flash fiction? Interactive? Probably all of it and more, so I just hoped people thought it was entertaining and as reviews came in, I found out they did. 

As I said, I had no idea what I was doing when I started, and I am still finding my way. Looking back now though, I am so glad I didn’t know what I was “supposed” to do to “write my book” or “how to write it.” I wrote Black Sheep Rebel Girl as I see the world and in the end, that’s all you have as a writer, your own voice, reality, and imagination. 

It’s easy to get pushed into making something you think you need to, to fit in, but it is so much more fun to create your own space.

I even wrote a second book, The Black Sheep Rebel Girl Rises Again: Whimsical Tales and Truthful Lies which was a #1 New Release on Amazon. 

This risk led me to create a whole business for my writing and the freedom to bring the things I want to write to life. I love it.

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.

I write funny, whimsical, irreverent books, guided keepsake journals, and cards.

I began as an actor and improviser. I am also a songwriter and have lived, written, and performed in NYC, Los Angeles, Nashville, TN, Chicago, and my hometown of Kalamazoo, MI, where my artist life began.

Readers have said my writing reminds them of Anthony Bourdain, Ogden Nash, Diablo Cody, Patty Smith, Richard Brautigan, and Jerry Seinfeld.

This is a snippet from a story in my first book:

“People said I was some kind of crazy, thinking I could hang on to a dream I’d had since I was a little kid. But I knew I couldn’t expect somebody who has never rode a comet across the sky to understand something as astral as a dream.

They can’t see that far, that’s all, they just don’t have the vision.

But it’s not glasses they need, it’s soul. The kind of soul that keeps your heart beating when everything you ever loved is lost. Soul that makes you see the devastating beauty in tragedy and shallow tragedy in beauty…” -Rachel Hutcheson, “The Almost True Tales, Thoughts, and Observations of a Lifelong Black Sheep Rebel Girl”

I write to find the beauty and wonder of being alive and to ignite fire in the heart. My work is generally uplifting and I think the world needs to be uplifted.

When I am out selling my books and cards in person people will read my work and laugh or get teary, or tell me a story about their life. I love it when this happens. Writing is a solitary art, and it’s a true pleasure when people communicate back to me.

I also like to help people write and have written a “Tell Us About Your Life” prompted keepsake journal series to help people record their life and thoughts for their family and future generations.

“My Life as a Kid, So Far” is a new guided journal, I just released. It’s a fun keepsake book that gives kids the opportunity to write their thoughts and memories, as well as draw them.

I created this book because I think it would be cool as a kid to fill it out and to have it to look back on and remember how you used to think, and be way back when.

I love to make life fun and happy for people because I believe life is fun and happiness is something you can create. All my books carry this message.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Continuing to do your art, whether it’s seen or not seen, accepted or rejected, praised or scorned, is resilience to me. My dream was to be an artist, and I have been one since I was about 14, through thick and thin.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Buy books, and give books and art as gifts. Go to the movies, concerts, museums, live theatre, and dance. Tell your friends about the artists you like and write reviews for their creations on Amazon, Goodreads, and Google. Word of mouth goes a long way, so anything a person posts to support the arts is valuable. Most people look for some kind of entertainment when they come home from work. That entertainment is the WORK of the people who do the entertaining, and ensuring that artists get paid for their work helps keep art alive. Without art, the world would be an unbearable desert of commercials and finger-pointing. With art, the world has beauty and hope. Support the arts and make the world better.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rachelhutchesonwriter.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blacksheeprebelgirl/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhutchesonwriter/