Sheree L. Greer wants you to commit to the work "even when it hurts a little bit"
“You’ve just got to trust that something wonderful is going to happen on the page.”
My guest this week is writer, author, teacher, and arts administrator, Sheree L. Greer.
Sheree is the author of two novels, Let the Lover Be and A Return to Arms, a Pushcart Prize-nominated essayist, and a teacher for several literary arts centers, including The Porch in Nashville and Story Studio Chicago where she was voted instructor of the year in 2023.
She has also written two guides to writing including Stop Writing Wack Essays, which might be one of the best titles for books on writing that I've ever heard.
I loved spending this time with Sheree and getting an inside peek at how she’s walked the path from being someone who loves writing but works an IT job for financial security to fully embracing the both the creativity and entrepreneurial aspects of being a full-time writer—as well as what it means to her to be the first person in her family to pursue a passion as a career.
Listen to Sheree’s episodes:
Sheree L. Greer, practical matters: How to affirm to yourself that you are, in fact, an artist
Sheree L. Greer, inner stuff: Committing to the work, even when it hurts a little bit
Sheree L. Greer, what’s coming up: Making decisions based on what feels good
Or, listen to the full interview in one ad-free episode by becoming a paid subscriber and being the recipient of my undying gratitude (I absolutely love podcasting but it is a ton of work—and that’s even with paying someone to handle the tech stuff):
We Covered:
The book that inspired her to move writing from the “hobby” category to the “career” category
The magic that happens when you get together with other artists
Getting intentional about creating a “writer’s world”--a mental space where you feel affirmed as an artist
Why she has a telescope that she named Octavia
How she gets through the discomfort of sharing personal work, and the payoff that comes on the other side
Committing to telling the full story, even when you’re not the ‘hero’
The really cool and skillful way Sheree collaborates with her inner critic
Getting to that “raw space of feeling” so you can tell your story from the heart, and not the head (at least at first)
“If I'm starting to hear that voice of doubt, that voice of discouragement echoing in the back of my mind, it means I'm spending too much time in my head.”
Taking care of your body in a sedentary profession
Knowing when to follow standard writing advice, and when to let it go
Releasing the idea that any one thing will happen and then you will have “made it”
How she’s radically changed her idea of success as she’s gotten older
Being the first person in your family to be pursuing a passion as a career
The work of not getting too attached to specific outcomes and creating a “more positive relationship with the unknown”
Why she hopes her newborn daughter will have a favorite planet
Specific Things We Covered
Wrapped in Rainbows by Valerie Boyd (biography of Zora Neale Hurston)
A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky, by Linnell George (memoir/biography of Octavia Butler.)
The Mango Tree, by Annabelle Tomatich
The Heartbreak Years by Minda Honey
In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Mortado
Gathering Blossoms Under Fire by Valerie Boyd (collection of Alice Walker's journals)
This is the Year by Gloria Munoz
Exhibit by R.O. Kwan
“Lovely Day” by Bill Withers
“Every personal truth I try to uncover puts me in that vulnerable space. It's place of discomfort for a lot of the time. And then suddenly it's okay. And I don't know what makes it feel okay, but at some point it feels okay.”
How to Connect with Sheree:
Links to Past Episodes
Jinwoo Park, practical matters: Deciding to go for it with your writing, despite the naysayers
Jinwoo Park, inner stuff: Building your tolerance for sharing imperfect work
Jinwoo Park, whats coming up: Writing as a vehicle for becoming a better person
Shannon Watts, practical matters: Embracing your inner badass + the upsides of ADHD
Shannon Watts, inner stuff: Taking aim at mom guilt
Shannon Watts, what’s next Feeling your way through to your next phase
Denali Sai Nalamalapu, practical matters: Embracing the power of being stubborn
Denali Sai Nalamalapu, inner stuff: Fact-checking your inner critic
Denali, what’s coming up: Leveling up your writing skills