Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vanessa Stricker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Vanessa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I desire to see a world with more love and grace. That might sound a bit flowery and idealistic, but love and grace take grit. They require humility, vulnerability, and a willingness to dive deep into our own stories, sifting through the brokenness and the beauty in a way that leads to wholeness. I write with this in mind.

I started writing as a way to share reflections on what it means to live on the side of grace in a world of polarizing opposites and unrealistic expectations. In the midst of growing divisions within our country and world, I longed for a space to humanize the issues that were being debated in public discourse. As mic drops and echo chambers have become the status quo, I’ve felt this tension inside to hold onto my convictions without alienating and demeaning those who disagree. Along the way, I’ve realized that my ability to show grace to others is absolutely intertwined with my ability to show grace to myself. As I wrestle through both peacemaking and self-grace, I love to bring others along on the journey.

My hope is that as people engage with my writing, they will not only consume more content, but they’ll be invited to reflect on what it means to live on the side of grace and the barriers that stand in the way. What that looks like is going to be different for each person, but if we each do our part to bring more love and grace into the world, we can leave the world a little better than we found 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 started a blog called On the Side of Grace about 5 years ago. I had just left a job I loved working for a non-profit organization called Solidarity, which equips Latino, immigrant families in under-resourced neighborhoods for community transformation. In the decade of working with this organization and building relationships in a community much different from the one I was raised in, my perspectives had shifted as I learned more about the barriers that my neighbors were facing. I began to see that the political issues that we hear about in the news have real human faces and stories behind them and that the solutions we seek are often more complex than we imagine. I started my blog with the intent to share my reflections as I wrestled through the current events of our day, my own experiences and relationships, and my personal journey of spiritual and emotional growth.

Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to write for other blogs and online magazines such as Patheos, Red Letter Christians, and Better Samaritan. I’ve also been featured on a few podcasts such as Hard Questions, No Answers and Craft & Character.

Recently, I released an Advent devotional called Advent Reflections for families and individuals and was able to successfully market and sell my writing for the first time. I’m currently working on something for Lent that will be available in February.

I currently work as Pastor of Peacemaking & Justice at One Life City Church in Fullerton, CA, and my writing has both overlapped with that role and been its own side gig. I’m still figuring out what it looks like to pursue writing in a greater capacity, but it has been an unexpected gift in my life for the past 5 years, and I know I want more of it.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of writing is when someone shares that they’ve connected with my work. I’ve had people tell me that something I wrote put into words what they were feeling in a way they couldn’t do themselves. It gave them language for the unspoken thoughts and emotions inside them. When my writing helps people feel seen or understood or helps them to look at something from a different perspective, that’s exciting to me.

Recently, someone who had purchased Advent Reflections shared that the devotional had opened up space for rich conversation for their family. Her young son had opened up and articulated some deep truth that was very uncharacteristic for him. The fact that my work helped to create space for that family to reflect and connect in powerful ways was so encouraging.

It means a lot to know that there is value in what I’m creating, not just for myself but for others as well. In the times when I’m feeling discouraged, that is what keeps me going.

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

I think that 2020 was a big lesson in pivoting for everyone. As plans were canceled, schooling went online, and jobs became remote, more intense, or nonexistent, we all had to shift. As a creative and a mom, I had to rethink what it looked like for me to have time to write while my kids were home with me 24/7. It wasn’t enough to just have an hour to sit down and write. I needed some space to breathe and think on my own before I could even formulate words on a page. I had to think through what I needed for my overall well being in order to be able to be in the right headspace to create. It was interesting to learn how much it’s all connected.

Everything was intensified in 2020, but I think that each new season of life brings with it a need and opportunity to pivot. When I started a new job, when my kids get out of school for the summer, when a new school year begins, I have to re-evaluate what it looks like for me to be healthy and balanced and how I’ll make space to write amidst the other responsibilities of life. It’s an ongoing and important process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.onthesideofgrace.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/onthesideofgrace
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/onthesideofgrace
• Other: www.onthesideofgrace.etsy.com

Image Credits
Tom Choe Photography (headshot) Robert Frechette (Advent Reflections)