First, I want to say congratulations on your new book, “Finding My Gift”. Please tell us a bit about the book. What led you to tell this story in particular?
I came up with the idea of “Finding My Gift” from my childhood. Even at a young age my parents supported everything that I put my mind to, not ever telling me that something was too hard to do or that it was impossible to attain. At one point, I wanted to be a Boxer, so my Dad made it a point to find the local boxing gym that would help me better develop. There was a time that I wanted to become a WNBA Basketball player because my goal was to be the first woman to ever dunk. My mom enrolled me into a basketball camp and daily we would go to the park and run drills together. There was another time that I wanted to model so my parents signed me up to compete for a local scholarship pageant in our city. No matter what I personally thought my gift was or what I just happen to not be so good at, my parents never discouraged me from trying to discover it.
However, my mom picked up on something. Throughout the years of wanting to discover my gift, I began spending hours writing. Her daily question to me was, “Did you write today?” It started out as something to past the moment. Over time, I began filling up notebook after notebook of poems, short stories and letters. This was something I truly enjoyed doing and didn’t realize that all of the time spent writing that I was actually refining my gift.
As parents, caregivers, teachers, or even just a person of influence, I think it is our responsibility to encourage our youth, help them to develop and also remind them that no matter their age, they have a purpose, a gift that is inside of them all. So this is what “Finding My Gift” is all about. Not only did Laney discover her gift because her mother gave her the push that she needed, but she discovered that it was something already inside of her and because she kept working to find it, it eventually became clear.
I saw you mentioned being a perfectionist when discussing the release of your new book. How has this impacting your writing and the release of your book?
Trying to obtain a level of perfection only hinders you from completing your goal. Your mind is wrapped around the idea of being so perfect that you begin to see even a small mistake as unworthiness and doubt. Me personally, once the doubt started to set in, it delayed the release of my book a bit because I began to compare my product with the final products of others. You have to shake that off! No, it may not be perfect or your initial level of greatness. Believe in yourself. I believe if God placed something inside of you to share, if it changes the heart of one person, you’ve done your job. With self-publishing, you have to just do it. You have to start somewhere in order to begin the process of getting to the level in which you are trying to achieve.
Do you have any advise for readers who may be interested in writing and self publishing?
I say go for it! Do not think twice about it. If writing is your passion, if you have a story to share with the world, you have to release it. Many don’t know where to begin. Start just by writing a few minutes a day. Once you begin dedicating your time to refining your gift, those minutes may turn into hours. You’ll be able to look back and see your progress and growth. Now is a better time than ever. We have access to so much more information now given the current climate in the pandemic. There is an abundance of resources online. Research is key.
Have you discovered your “gift” or are you still searching?
I do believe my gift is writing, which has now provided me with the platform to become an Author.
What are some methods that you’ve found helpful for a person who might be in self discovery mode and looking to uncover their gifts?
To me, having God in my life helped me to uncover the gift that He placed inside of me. If you want to uncover your gift, you have to keep from being idle. Try new things. Discover what your hearts desire is. While you’re in self discovery mode, you might find that your gift was inside of you all along. It may be the thing that you least expected because it was something that just came so easily.
Who is Krystle Macklin? Where are you from? What made you decide to become an author?
I was born and raised in California. I am a wife to an amazing husband and a mother to two beautiful daughters. I am also the Director of the Children’s Ministry at my local church. I decided to become an Author in order to encourage our children in a way that they could understand. What better way to help push them to greater heights in life by giving them something that they can relate to. Writing was always something that I loved to do and becoming and Author has been a dream of mine for many years.
Where can the readers find you? What are your socials?
You can find me at www.CrayonsandCallings.com. This is my blogging website where I write to share joy and encouragement. Especially in these time of uncertainty, a little encouragement goes a long way. You can also find me on Instagram under: CrayonsandCallings