We recently connected with Sheri Kelsey and have shared our conversation below.

Sheri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

Quitting a six-figure corporate job and taking a self-proclaimed ‘adult time-out’ for a year was the biggest risk and the biggest investment in myself I’ve ever made. I was proud of my corporate career, perhaps, too proud. I didn’t realize how much I was using it to prove my worth to others and to myself. My ego was pleased, but my soul had questions. It started to feel like I was running on a treadmill and was petrified to stop. Until, I could no longer shake the feeling I had been running in the wrong direction. I didn’t even know how burnt out I had become until I gave myself the space to feel, rest, and just be. Taking the time off provided me with clarity in my purpose, freedom to play with my creativity, time to heal some suppressed emotions and overcome a lot of fear. I also wrote my first book, Layers and Waves: Healing Transmissions.

So often, risks and investments are one in the same. Life is about living, so live, jump, leap, risk, invest, do all the things your body, gut or intuition tells you to do. Learning to quiet the noise and put more stock into the whisper inside of you will always provide positive dividends.

Sheri, 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?

I am a writer, speaker, and advocate for doing your inner work. Born into a family of addiction and chaos, I found myself in survival mode and striving to prove my worth at a young age. The first of my birth family to graduate high school. I became a sergeant in the United States Military, earned an MBA from Temple University and climbed the corporate ladder. It wasn’t until I started to notice my own patterns of energetic burnout and attracting toxic partnerships that made me take a step back, investigate and work to heal my inner wounds. Writing is my meditation cushion, creative outlet and sometimes, even my therapist.
My book, Layers and Waves: Healing Transmissions, which can be found on Amazon and select independent bookstores in Los Angeles.

True to the expression, healing comes in waves, Layers and Waves, is a collection of prose, poems and artistic writing along a healing journey. The compact, but powerful collection takes you on a journey through ten waves focused on layers of emotions and experiences surrounding disappointment, heartbreak, resilience, awareness, self-esteem, self-abandonment, shame, codependency, surrender, and freedom.

The intention of Layers and Waves is to evoke raw emotions, awaken inner-truths, and inspire you to spend time with your own heart.

I am so proud of this book and the feedback I received. When someone reaches out after reading the book or listening to a talk to thank me for being vulnerable, authentic or sharing my stories, I feel completely alive. At times, we all feel alone, so being able to connect with others, especially on topics or experiences that can be isolating, is one of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced.

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

My goal when writing, speaking and sharing is human connection. When I’m connecting with others, through authentic communication regarding our inner worlds, perspective shifts, and emotional wellness, I feel most alive and aligned with purpose. I am an advocate for feeling our feelings, all of them. The feelings or experiences we’d rather push down are often the things holding us back. I also believe learning to trust our own intuition is the most powerful tool on any market. Creativity is spiritual. Art is healing. If anything, I write or create reminds someone of their own power, makes someone feel seen, or touches their heart, mission complete.

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

I have a military and corporate background, so when it came time to let my creative flag fly and tap into my creative nature, I had to wrestle a lot with the concept of productivity. Productivity can be subjective, certainly. But I initially thought I could just set goals to write so many chapters a day and everything would easily flow out of me. I had to unlearn my previous understanding of what productivity looks or feels like to understand, learn and embrace the art of creative flow. Maybe some writers or creatives are different, but my creativity doesn’t care about my timelines or expectations. The more I push to ‘get something done’, the more nothing will get done. It’s like my creative flow goes on strike, then boycotts any inkling of Type A energy. I’ve had to learn how my creativity likes to be treated. She doesn’t take orders, which I respect. Instead, I have to approach softly and ask, how would this writing session be the most enjoyable?
This was the case while I was writing and putting together, Layers and Waves, and is proving to be the case as I write my forthcoming nonfiction/memoir. When I sit down to have a writing session there are usually candles lit, comfortable clothing, music playing, Swedish fish nearby, and something with bubbles in my cup.

The most interesting and amazing thing about creative flow is once I let go of expectations and enjoy being in my moment, it generally results in productivity.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @accentmark_required