Well, it’s about that time again: time to sit down at an overloaded dinner table with friends and family and eat and drink and be merry until your groaning chair begs you to stop. It’s a time to celebrate friendship and staying warm in the frigid Minnesota winter and—let’s be honest—really good food. And it’s also a time to look past the stress and distractions of every day life and acknowledge that we have it pretty dang good.
Around this time of year, our team here at Wise Ink likes to take a moment for what we’re personally thankful for, so here goes:
Chief Publishing Officer Amy Quale: “Balance. Coffee. And my amazing team at Wise Ink–coming to the office every day and collaborating with you is one of my biggest joys.”
Chief Strategic Officer Dara Beevas: “I’m thankful for a year of wonderful book releases and witnessing up close the impact our authors are making in the world!”
Editorial Manager Laura Zats: “Can I choose three things? I’m thankful for Twinings tea, especially the gold label brand, brewed with just the right amount of milk; I’m also really thankful for Patrick Maloney for playing amazing music and generally keeping me amused; and I’m thankful for fellow book nerds because I never feel weird or alone.”
Associate Editor Patrick Maloney: “Which am I really more thankful for? Dara, or salads that have fruit in them? I mean, a good salad with like, apples, bleu cheese, and candied walnuts. But Dara, because she’s the most inspired woman/person I’ve ever met.”
Editorial Assistant Savannah Brooks: “New beginnings. Considering where I was a year ago today, I have a whole lot to be thankful for.”
Now that we’ve all gone on record with what we’re individually thankful for, we figured we’d make a list of things you, dear authors (and authors-to-be), have to be thankful for.
The ease with which something can be created: We live in a beautiful society that not only fosters and celebrates creativity but makes it extremely easy to create something. Look at all the tools at our disposal: social media sites, blogs, multiple publishing platforms, story sharing sites like Wattpad, etc. If you have an idea, you can turn it into something more, no matter your social or financial situation. It’s easy to look at the negative side of this—that with so much out there, it’s difficult to gain traction for your own work—but try to focus on the positive instead: that we live in a place where this artistic freedom is cherished, not repressed.
The ability to express yourself: We’re all guilty of forgetting this one from time to time. When you live in an age of what could arguably be titled “overexpression” (we’re all sick of reading every single person’s opinion on Facebook), it can be hard to remember just how wonderful this ability of expression is. We have the right to say what we believe and what we’re passionate about. We even have the right to turn that into a product representative of ourselves. This isn’t something that was always guaranteed, and it isn’t something guaranteed in other parts of the world. We are, truly, the lucky ones in this sense.
The ability to make an impact: If you don’t believe strong leading women star in novels enough these days, you can create a badass star that fights for her rights and the rights of every other girl out there. If you disagree with how your community is handling something, you can post a blog post to the world. If you believe in a cause and want to support it, you can start a campaign and evoke participation across the globe. You have the ability to make an impact, to be a role model, to create change. You can change a life, just like the works of your favorite authors changed yours. Think about it.
When you get down to it, your choice of career is self-expression. No depressing cubicle, no fluorescent lighting, no plummet into self-doubt concerning all of your life choices (hopefully); but a whole lot of putting yourself out and opening yourself up. It takes a good chunk of talent to get to that point, but it takes even more guts. So take a moment and cheers yourself with your choice of beverage, because above all, you should be thankful for your flawless, courageous self.
What else are you thankful for this season, readers? Share with us!
