WITS Team Showcase: Sarah Sally Hamer
From Psychology to Dragons: How I Became a Builder of Creative Worlds of All Kinds
When the idea of doing these showcase posts came up, I felt that familiar mix of excitement and hesitation. I’ve spent decades helping other people tell their stories — in classrooms, workshops, seminars, and conversations in almost every situation I can imagine (including an uncomfortable ICU visit at the local hospital last week where I talked to several of my caregivers about how their life experiences would make an amazing story) — but turning that spotlight inward always feels a little like standing on a stage in my socks.
What do I really have to offer?
That whisper shows up for all of us, doesn’t it? The one that says, Stay small. Don’t make a fuss. Other people have more to say.
But I’ve spent my life telling writers that their stories matter, that their voice matters, that their lived experience is a treasure worth sharing. So I took a breath, squared my shoulders, and decided to tell mine.
This post may not be what anyone expected, but it is absolutely, wholeheartedly me,
Who I Am
I’m Sarah “Sally” Hamer — writer, educator, historian, and unapologetic believer in the magic of human beings.
Professionally, I’ve worn a lot of hats:
- Multi‑award‑winning author (including two RWA Golden Heart finals)
- B.S. in Psychology (which only makes me dangerous)
- Forty years of learning and teaching a Mind/Body/Soul philosophy
- Administrator and Financial Executive of several million-dollar companies, helping a couple of them from the ground up
- MLA in history and philosophy
- twenty‑plus years teaching creative writing and memoir through the Adult Education Department of LSUS
- instructor for three online academies
- blogger for two of the top 100 writing blogs in the world
- long‑time columnist for The Best of Times senior magazine
- speaker for groups across the country on multiple subjects
Personally, I’m someone who loves people, stories, lineage, and the quiet alchemy that happens when someone realizes their life is worth writing down.
I’m not usually the loudest person in the room. I try to be the one who listens, who notices, and who asks the question that opens a door. I’ve always been fascinated by why we do what we do — the psychology, the history, the myth beneath the moment.
And that fascination has shaped everything I teach.
The Long Road to Finding My Creative Center
I’ve been writing and teaching for a long time. Long enough to see trends come and go, long enough to watch students become authors, and long enough to know that creativity is not a straight line.
There were seasons when the words flowed like a river. And seasons when they didn’t.
There were years when I taught six classes in a college semester, wrote articles, spoke at events, and still found time to work on my own books. And there were years when the well felt dry, when life pressed in, when the spark dimmed.
But here’s the thing I’ve learned after decades of watching writers wrestle with their stories:
Creativity doesn’t disappear.
It curls up in a corner where it waits for notice. By anyone. And, it asks for gentleness, understanding, and safety to shine.
And sometimes, the way back to your own creativity is through helping others find theirs.
How Teaching Became My Lifeline
When my own writing felt heavy, I leaned into teaching. Not because I had all the answers, but because teaching has always been a conversation for me — a shared exploration of what it means to be human.
I have taught memoir to seniors who believed their stories didn’t matter. I taught fiction to beginners who were terrified of the blank page. I taught philosophy to people who didn’t think they were philosophers (spoiler: they were. We ALL are). I taught writing to students who had been told their whole lives that they weren’t creative.
And every time someone realized they could write — that they did have something to say — a little spark lit inside me, too.
Teaching reminds me why I fell in love with storytelling in the first place: because stories connect us. They reveal us. They heal us.
And that belief — that every human being is amazing and has a story worth telling — became the foundation of everything I do.
The Birth of a Teaching Style that, hopefully, encourages creativity
Somewhere along the way, my teaching evolved from “Here’s how to write a scene” to “Let’s build a world where your creativity feels safe.”
I started designing:
- persona‑based writing tools
- creative passports
- affirmation rituals
- mythic identity exercises
- story‑driven self‑care practices
- and full immersive seminars where writers step into a narrative world
My psychology background whispered, Play lowers defenses.
My history background whispered, Story gives us lineage.
My philosophy background whispered, Meaning is made, not found.
And my imagination whispered, What if we used dragons?
That whisper became Creating Creativity: Dragon Edition — a 10‑hour immersive seminar on May 15th and 16th with a group of amazingly creative instructors join to help writers bond with their inner dragon which represents their guarded trait, hidden fear, creative strength, and deepest treasure. For the upcoming seminar, we've chosen dragons as our thematic partners. We may use pirates, or unicorns, or even angels in the next ones.
We want it to be playful, mythic, and psychologically grounded.
And it’s one of the most joyful things I’ve ever built.
What My Creative Life Looks Like Today
These days, my work is a tapestry of everything I love:
- teaching writing and memoir
- designing emotionally resonant creative tools
- building mythic learning environments
- writing articles that help people feel seen
- speaking to groups about history, philosophy, and storytelling
- and helping writers rediscover their creative spark
I still write my own books. I still teach my classes. I still believe, fiercely, that creativity is a living system — one that needs nourishment, rest, curiosity, and play.
And I still believe that every writer, no matter their age or experience, carries a story worth telling.
A Gift for the WITS Community
Because WITS readers are some of the most generous, thoughtful, big‑hearted writers I know, I want to offer something special.
I’m opening three spots for a personal one‑hour Creative Identity Session (a $100 value) for three people who comment on this post — a conversation where we explore:
- what your creativity needs right now
- where your spark dimmed
- what story you’re longing to tell
- and how to build rituals and tools that support your writing life
To enter, comment below with:
“I want to awaken my creativity.”
I’ll choose three writers on Monday morning.
I will also choose two more writers for a golden ticket to my upcoming Creating Creativity seminar on May 15th and 16th, if you comment with, “I want a golden ticket!”
From Hesitant to Whole
That’s my journey — from psychology to history to dragons, from teaching to worldbuilding, from burnout to rekindling.
If you’re in a season where your creativity feels quiet, I hope my story reminds you of this:
You are not behind.
You are not too late.
You are not done.
You are simply in the part of the story where the hero gathers strength.
And when you’re ready, your creativity will open its eyes again and feel safe enough to venture out of that corner.
* * * * * *
About Sarah “Sally” Hamer
Sarah Sally Hamer has a B.S. in Psychology (which only makes her dangerous) and an MLA in history and philosophy. She is a multi‑award‑winning author who has taught creative and nonfiction writing at LSUS for over twenty years. She writes for two of the top one‑hundred writing blogs in the world, teaches online for three academies, and has been a long‑time columnist for The Best of Times senior magazine. She speaks nationally on writing, history, and philosophy, and believes wholeheartedly that every human being is an amazing story waiting to be told. She can be reached at sa***@***********al.org.
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Many CEOs believe creative people must be hired, because they can't be trained. They don't know that we're born creative, and that spark needs only to be reignited and encouraged.
I love this comment, Frank! Probably because I resemble this remark... 🙂
“I want to awaken my creativity.” I REALLY do and want to understand who I am as a writer beyond simply "my brand." “I want a golden ticket!” The help you provide sounds like what I might need to dig in and figure things out. I've been floundering with bits of this and that but like you said, my creativity is timidly curled up in a corner hoping to be noticed, not ridiculed.
Frank, I totally agree. In the upcoming seminar, we're going to discuss whether creativity is a gift or a skill but I think it very much is reigniting that spark and feeding the flame. We all have it. We just need to nuture it. And, quite bluntly, I also believe that a lot of the institutions in our culture think that creativity can be forced. I don't agree with that at all!
Thanks for the comment!
Lisa, we'll see if we can coax your creativity out. It can be done -- and the great teaching teach for the seminar can help.
Thanks for the comment!
I just read my reply and realized I didn't make much sense. Sorry! What I meant to say is that we have great, creative, interesting instructors for the seminar in May -- all of whom can help coax the creativity inside to come play.
My challenge is choosing among several projects, all fascinating, different genres, and desperate to come out. They each have good starts. In the past I could work on 4 or 5 projects at a time like a literary cookbook, an article for a glossy, a screenplay, a mainstream and a children's book all at the same time, some agented some not... when one is contracted. I drop others to focus hard. But when there is no agent or editor waiting for anything, I can't figure out which one to focus on... and unlike before, my life doesn't allow for 2 hours on each one each day. Hints anybody?
Hi, Karen! I resemble your remark -- a funny way of saying that I often find myself in the same place, overwhelmed, with lots of things to do.
So. How to "fix" it? There are as many answers as there are people looking for one. I really don't think there's "one size fits all," especially when we're talking about creativity.
My best suggestion? First, I try to put ideas into a priority list. If there is a deadline for a particular item, it may need to go first. But, if they all are important, it might be a good idea to pull one out of your hat. I've cut a big piece of paper into little pieces, with an item on each one, and picked from a hat. In so many words, I made a game of it, so that I took the guilt out of the equation. By doing so, the one I picked became the most important one. You could also number them all and throw the dice. Neither always work of course, but creating fun around the choice can make all the difference.
Bottom line: YOU are the chooser. YOU get to decide what to do. Your brain and creativity can only help you as much as you allow them to. So, stepping past the mind games of guilt and requirement can help us find a path that allows that creativity to come out of the corner.
Hope that helps!
Maybe noodle with each one a couple hours or a couple weeks, to see what each has to say. I suspect one will have a hand raised higher than the others, and it will be shouting, "Me! Me! Pick me next!"
Good point! I do find that works for me too!
Thanks, Sally
I want to awaken my creativity. and I want a golden ticket.
I'll put you on the list and will pick early next week. Thanks!
Hello, Sally. I would love a golden ticket, please.
I am an art historian by nature. I mystified my parents by becoming obsessed with archaeology when I was four (I still am). I earned a Fine Arts degree as a single parent – a mature student of 40 years while working as a graphic designer and art director at a local television station. For the last ten years I have written every day from 2 a.m. until 6a.m. and when it’s possible, from 2p.m. to 6p.m. plus an evening session for two or more hours when I’m in the zone.
Twenty-five years ago, I purchased a deserted church near Loch Ness and turned it into an art gallery by painting hundreds of renaissance illustrations on its ground floor, and lived in the famous Findhorn Community eco-village in the highlands.
I have written 17 self-published books of fiction in my senior years. I am seventy-six. Retirement is not an option. Writing is a passion that keeps me young.
Only recently, I felt my spark diminishing with the onset of being scammed daily by A.I. selling their literary wares. I delete them all. I wear my literary just fine heart without artificial help.
Genuine help, however, is a different kettle of clam chowder so, I welcome the opportunity to work with you. I love what you said about ‘the quiet alchemy that happens when someone realizes their life is worth writing down’. It is. Always.
I’m longing to tell mystical untold stories – the underlife of living paintings rather than the afterlife of deceased artists. I write books where a reader can meet the ghost of Leonardo da Vinci’s dog, the Mona Lisa’s double life as the master’s forgotten sister, the lost child from the Titanic, the history of Ancient Egypt told by a sentient stately home in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall, a Scottish water-horse with a bad reputation, and of two enchanted forests where the ghost of William Shakespeare (Edward de Vere) cavorts with the characters from AA. Milne’s House at Pooh Corner.
Thank you for the opportunity to join a true artist like yourself.
I live on Vancouver Island, Canada
Veronica, I'll put you in the hat. I pick early next week.
I wish I'd have known about your Loch Ness painted church two years ago when I was there. I love the idea that you tell mystical stories. I personally think every story has some mysticism in it, but I especially love the creativity of creating magic beyond the mundane physical world. I absolutely belief we need more magic! LOL! My writing passion keeps me young too.
Thanks for the comment! You've ignited my creativity! It's a wonderful place to be.
"the ghost of William Shakespeare (Edward de Vere) cavorts with the characters from AA. Milne’s House at Pooh Corner."
Marvelous!!!
I love it too! What a great creative mind she has!
Thanks for the post, Sally! I'm really enjoying this journey into "the rest of all our lives."
This is SO fun, Jenny! What a great idea!
Great post, Sally!
You certainly are one busy person!
Ellen, I am indeed busy and love it all. I do take a lot of time out to be part of my 2-year-old grandson's life. He's my joy.
Hi Sally
I want to awaken my creativity. I
I absolutely loved your post and specifically loved the following lines: "Creativity doesn’t disappear. It curls up in a corner where it waits for notice. By anyone. And, it asks for gentleness, understanding, and safety to shine." I am fascinated by the idea you shared of creating a sense of safety in order to create an environment where our creativity can flourish. Although I've taken a lot of mindset classes, I've never heard anyone express that thought that way. I'd love to learn more about ways to set my creativity at ease. Thank you for your post. It gave me a lot to think about.
Thank you, Diana! It almost sounds too simple but, truly, unless you feel safe, the creative side of your mind runs and hides. So, bottom line, what makes you feel safe? Once we can figure that out and create that piece, the rest is easy. 🙂
I'll pull names early next week. You're in the drawing!
Thanks for the comment.
I want to awaken my creativity -- in a big way. I want to let down my guard and run with my ideas to see where they will lead me. I want to have fun with my writing instead of constantly struggling to make the pieces fit together.
Gillian, the path to your creativity is really right in front of you. You just have to believe in yourself enough to take that first step.
A lot of people believe they don't have any ideas. I find that ideas are everywhere. We just don't allow ourselves the freedom to explore them, usually because we're afraid of something. What are you afraid of?
You're in the hat! I'll pull names tomorrow.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Sarah!
Writing coaches offer so many benefits to authors, but what you've got here is something I think other coaches sometimes miss. Nurturing the creativity is what supports the author no matter how the words are flowing at anytime in their career. Thank you for offering your services!
I want to awaken my creativity.
I want a golden ticket!
Thanks, Torri! I just think that nurturing creativity is the answer to almost everything. LOL!!
Thanks for the comment. You're in both drawings.
"Winners" of the Creativity Awakening:
Lisa Trovillion
Diana Georgelos
Gillian Andrews
"Winners" of the Golden Ticket seminar:
Veronica Knox
Torri Weldon
Please send me an email to Sa***@***********al.org and I'll get back to you!
Congrats!
Congratulations to all the winners!