ARTIST: Awakening the Spirit Within received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Jocelyn Jones.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
ARTIST: Awakening the Spirit Within. Published 2-22-22
What’s the book’s first line?
Quiet the mind and the soul will speak.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
ARTIST is about summoning inspiration at will. Whether you’re creating a work of art or engaged in the art of creating your own life – this book is filled with lessons and practices to help you develop a more profound connection to your higher self. ARTIST will take you on a journey from head to heart – from body to soul – and in so doing, you will attract more purpose, joy, and confidence to your day-to-day living.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I’ve been a teacher and a creative consultant for some 30 years. My mission in life has been to help. I feel like we’re at a precarious time in history. We’re exhausted by the pandemic, terrified by our political landscape, overwhelmed by global warming and despondent at man’s inhumanity to man. It’s no wonder we’re overwhelmed by the 24/7 deluge of epically bad news, delivered by a media hell bent on keeping us afraid. When people are scared, they are easily manipulated.
All this noise keeps us from remembering to practice basic human values. It’s as if we’ve forgotten the importance of courtesy, kindness, honesty, and doing the right thing.
I wanted to write a book that shared not only my own experiences and lessons, but a book that offered some simple techniques to help people slow down, still themselves, and get in touch with their higher consciousness. I want to help folks discover their purpose for being here, take better care of their lives, and experience the joy of living a life of their own creation by sharing the same tools and guidance I give artists to summon inspiration at will.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
This book is for anyone seeking to gain more control, joy, and purpose in their life by connecting to a higher source.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Having written and scrip doctored screenplays for years, I’ve always known I’d write a book. One day, about three years ago, I just began. The thing about writing a book is you never know how long it’s going to take. You just write and rewrite until something in you says enough, you’re done. Then you find an editor.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am currently finishing a film called “In Class with Jocelyn Jones.” It’s a 16-episode documentary series about an 8-week masterclass I taught just before the pandemic. It features 16 working actors, demonstrating the work we do in an advanced acting class. It will premiere in the Fall of 2022.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
It depends on the day. Sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is that you get to call all the shots. You get to publish exactly the book you want. The hardest part is – either way, you’ll need to persevere through what seems to be an endless amount of unfairness and inequity. But that’s the game—perseverance is mandatory in all growth.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Take time daily to connect with yourself through meditation, journaling, observing life without judgment, expressing gratitude, and admiring nature. Keep your level of enthusiasm high by doing the things you love to do – joy and creativity go hand in hand. Believe your book into existence by putting one foot in front of the other. If you take the thousands of steps necessary, I promise you, you will get there!
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I believe traditional publishing is broken. The idea of giving up all rights to your book for an advance (a loan really) and only after you pay that money back do you receive a tiny 10-20% royalty of each sale — that just seems like taking advantage of the artist to me. I believe, like many of our systems, traditional publishing needs reinvention.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I think that’s the calling of teachers – to help. I don’t see my role as telling students what to think or do. I see it as showing them how to discover it for themselves.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Usually, that honor falls to the author of the last book I’ve read. In this case, that would be Diana Beresford-Kroeger for her exquisite book, To Speak for The Trees.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
I don’t remember wishing I could have written someone else’s book, but sometimes I feel like “Wow! I wish I could write like that!” I felt that way about All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr – a stunning book!