The Author: Kristine Carlson

I woke up inspired at 3 o’clock in the morning to that familiar voice—that voice that’s calling me to start writing. I hear the words loud and clear—and that voice won’t shut up until I wake up and attend to what is present.

This new blog is exciting to me—and that’s always my ignition switch to bringing ideas to life.

These past twenty years or so, I’ve been writing about all things related to living life—heartbreak, happiness, resiliency, mindfulness, brain research, returning to joy from grief. All amazing topics to be called to give voice to via words, but to be honest, this topic—writing about writing—and what it means to be an author-entrepreneur is what’s made me rise this morning.

This is exciting stuff.

I think of inspiration as something I have access to through my excitement. Passion opens the portal and I become the tuning fork, like the tallest tree is to lightning. Picture this: I’m sleeping snuggled in my bed, and my mind begins to awaken—and spirit finds me open, rested, and quiet. Rather than go into my dream state, my creative brain starts firing. My mind begins to churn; there’s a voice that begins to speak in the silence as if the paragraph is already written.

Like the crackling of a well-lit fire that is fed by air that voice grows from a whisper to a roar.

But then, there’s that time thing. If it’s before 4:00 am, I may say, “Hey, is it possible to wait a few hours to allow me a little more sleep?” Sometimes I turn over and the voice is silenced into submission, giving me a bit more shut-eye. Other times, I absolutely cannot help myself and I jump to attention–an obedient instrument to inspiration. I grab a notepad or my computer and allow those words to come through in an effortless flow. Naturally. In some kind of transcendent rhythm of language that is uniquely my writer’s voice.

Some people call this “channeling” or “having a download.” And, yes, there are times when I have felt I was channeling the divine as well as my late husband, Richard Carlson. But I would say that when we as writers can attune to inspiration and allow ourselves to always be ready for spirit to come—where our voice is right there and words become like butter atop toast, and writing feels like art—that’s absolutely one of the most blissful feelings in the universe.

And so, here we are.

What I want you to know is that I never dreamed of becoming an author. In my own mind, that would have been too big a dream. Other people wrote books, after all.

It was a big enough surprise to me that I was married to a man who had a big calling to write. That was Richard’s thing, and I was one hundred percent behind him—supportive in that cheerleading way that said, “Honey, you go write those books; I’m happy being your muse.”

And, it is still a surprise to me still that I have authored six best-selling books and a What Now? Course with workbook and continue to publish more online courses and other offerings. I may even write yet another book.

“Wow!”

That’s what I say as I have learned to love the full expression of what it means to use my words to serve.

“I am an Author.”