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 15^th and 16^th, 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 sally@mindpotential.org.

By Kris Maze

I have never had a writing hiatus like my current one. This break started after the last legs of my latest book launch walked off into the sunset. It has since taken up residence in my writer mind. It has been several months since I have crafted a blog post, reflected in a journal entry, or written a story. 

Other than this post, of course. You, dear writing friends, get the pleasure and benefit today of learning from my experience and its impact on my writing.

The Unlikeliness of My Writing Vacay

You may relate to my experience, as most readers at WITS have found themselves questioning the validity of their writing obsession at some point. Writing is the exercise of the mind that I crave, different from going to the gym, which I dread. Writing was a daily habit I looked forward to, carving out minutes each busy day to devote to the craft. To be cliché, writing is the air I breathe, the food I eat, and the thoughts that maintain me each day. So, how does a writer stop writing? And what happens to them when they do?

For me, it started with getting on a plane after a relatively successful book launch. As I looked over what I would bring in my carry on, I noticed that half of my bed was covered in office supplies. Notebooks, sticky notes, cords, chargers, pens… so many pens. My computer alone weighs around three and a half pounds and standing at my bedside I started to mentally add up the total heaviness. Like leaving the equivalent of a bowling ball on the bed, I left it all behind.

Facing the Writing Break

Normally, I would have been anxious to feel the keys beneath my fingers, clacking away at a new story. Twitchy as I sought the feel of the silky pen gliding across the smooth paper, wicking up my thoughts. But I felt the opposite. 

Freedom. 

The lightness of my bag was refreshing.

The extra time spent interacting with the world around me was freeing.

It had been a long time since I walked outside of my writing persona. And it felt good.

Taking this break came at an opportune time for me, as I had finished one book, and have another ready for the publishing process. The pressure to produce, plan, and promote had been lifted for a moment. I had not mindfully put my writing aside in years, and I discovered it was a great way to refresh my work as a writer.

5  Ways to Jumpstart Your Writing Return

1. Pushing pause on your writing work can be beneficial and refreshing, but it also comes with a potential erosion of your writing habits. Remember which routines made you the most productive and use those patterns to ease you back into your writing.
2.  Focus on your family and friends. I recommend setting your break around events that you would normally like to focus on other things, like the holidays or a special family or friends’ event. Being present will enrich those experiences which will add to your ability to write meaningful stories when you start up again.
3. Sign up for a writing class, workshop, or conference. I am currently participating in the WIP (Women in Publishing) 2026 virtual conference and am energized by their knowledgeable contributors, writing friend connections, and timely content. There are also classes and workshops from our WITS contributors that can improve your writing career.
4. Join, or continue working with, a writing or critique group. Having a set schedule and audience for portions of your work adds accountability to your writing goals. This can bolster your writing productivity after a break.
5. Set aside writing time for yourself and put these ‘meetings’ in your calendar. Show up for yourself and rebuild your writing muscles as you set your mind back to work.

Enjoy your writing more

Writing is a lifelong adventure for most of us, and it comes with seasons, high and low points, and occasionally breaks. Starting up after a hiatus can come with its challenges, but the rewards for writing will have you clambering away again at your computer soon. 

Remember what first sparked your interest in writing when you return after a long break. Take time to revisit your writing goals and refresh your perspective on your accomplishments. These tips can help revitalize the quality of your words and the sense of contentment you feel as you flex your writing muscles once again. Happy Writing to you all!

Describe a time when you stopped writing. How did you get back into your writing groove?

About Kris

Kris Maze is a speculative fiction author who crafts suspenseful, heartfelt stories with twisty plots and a touch of the uncanny. Her work blends science fiction, mystery, and emotional depth, often exploring the big “what-if” questions of life and the universe. She also writes darker fiction under the pen name Krissy Knoxx. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely teaching, traveling, or wandering trails pondering the wisdom of Bob Ross. Follow her author events and join her newsletter found at KrisMaze.com.

Parallel Lives – The Paths Not Taken

Check out my new release! A speculative time travel with light romance elements!

Harriet Last doesn’t expect much to change in her careful, practical life. That is, until a tech demo lets her revisit the “paths not taken.” What she finds is a glimmer of the person she used to be… and a thread of unexpected connection she can’t quite explain.

As Harriet explores these softly shifting memories, she begins to see where she set her dreams aside and where she might pick them back up again.

A heart warming, hope-filled story about rediscovering yourself, welcoming possibility, and noticing the spark that’s been beside you all along.

Buy it today wherever you purchase your next favorite story!

By Rachel Warmath

Becoming an author is a wild ride, and that’s what I want to talk about in today’s blog post: the emotional journey of publishing your work and how it’s an initiation into a new phase of your life. 

There are a lot of emotional highs and lows that come with the process, and it helps to embrace them! When you step into more authority and visibility, you’re going to feel a bit uncomfortable at first. But that’s when your real courage as an author kicks in. And the more open-minded and open-hearted you can be, the more you’ll receive from the experience.

Here are 7 things I’ve learned from my own author journey (and as a witness and guide to hundreds of authors as a ghostwriter, editor, and coach).

1. Writing is a transformational journey of healing and identity. It goes beyond expanding your career or becoming a bestseller.

Selling copies is wonderful, but there’s so much more to embodying your author identity than what people can see on the surface. When you become an author, your confidence grows in powerful and sometimes unseen ways. You carry yourself differently. You show up differently.

Finishing a project can feel like wholeness. Peace. Pride. Newfound self-assurance. Trusting your voice. You may suddenly find you have the courage to pursue other challenging projects you’ve previously held off on because you now know you have the endurance. Things shift for you at a soul level. 

For many of us, becoming an author is a lifetime dream achieved. Notice how happy your inner child is when you hold your book in your hands for the first time. Of course it’s great if the book opens doors to speaking opportunities or more money in your bank account, but it’s also about who you’re becoming as a person.

2. In the beginning, writing can be very messy, which can feel scary especially if you have perfectionist or control-freak tendencies.

I’m smiling as I write this because I definitely fall into this category. What’s really cool is that every book I’ve worked on has helped me heal my perfectionism through seeing the early stages of creation as a phase of experimentation. I run experiments in my first drafts, instead of needing to get it “right.” I have fun and go wild and let sentences be rambly and all over the place. I don’t worry about organizing the ideas yet. This allows the rawness of the truth and my lived experience to come out on the page. 

If you can stay out of your own way during a first draft, you open up a beautiful world where you get to play and see what happens.

As the great writer and writing teacher Anne Lamott says, “Messes are the artist’s true friend. We need to make messes in order to find out who we are and why we are here.”

3. At some point you are likely to feel a gnarly sense of imposter syndrome and question whether your story is worth telling at all. 

You may even give up on your book momentarily. 

Please don't let this stop you. And please remember that this is actually quite normal. Wanting to throw your draft in the trash and walk away forever is often a sign of a breakthrough on its way.

It’s like we say in the recovery community, “Don’t quit before the miracle happens.” You’re on the edge of something great and if you can surrender to the unknown, you’ll find stable ground again soon.

Walking through the fire is part of becoming an author. Writing a book often forces you to confront the places where you still don’t fully believe yourself. That can be tough, but keep trusting yourself along the way.

4. Getting to know your inner critic can be incredibly revealing and rewarding.

You might see advice out there saying to just “quiet” or “banish” your inner critic—the harsh, judgmental inner voice. But from what I’ve experienced and seen, that can actually be counterproductive and even harmful. Instead, get to know this part of you and how they have helped you survive.

What if you sat with your inner critic and had lunch or went for a walk? Go on a coffee date with them. What drink do they order? What are they itching to talk to you about? What’s their body language like? 

Ask this part of you what they want you to know. What are they worried about or stressed over? What do they need?

When you soothe and befriend your inner critic, you grow. Learning where this part of you comes from and what they’re wanting to manage or protect you from can help you learn a lot about yourself. As Richard Schwartz, the creator of Internal Family Systems (IFS), says, “Parts are little inner beings who are trying their best to keep you safe.” And your inner critic part may just need some extra love and reassurance as you step into this new chapter of creating a meaningful book and sharing it with the world. 

5. Writing a book is probably going to take longer than you think it will, and that’s okay.

Every book is on its own unique timetable. What if instead of rushing or trying to cut corners, you believed that you were right on time?

Give yourself ample time to rest and process your emotions. This will serve you and your readers and will give a calmer energy to the stories when people read them.

Hurrying and trying to use shortcuts only leads you back to yourself.

6. Structuring a book is hard.

Don’t worry about getting the order of chapters and the organization of ideas right on the first draft. Things might feel out of place. This is where an editor comes in. They can help you with structure as this is their zone of genius. Find someone who you feel safe and comfortable around, and be really honest with them about what you’re most concerned about. Let them guide you in tackling structure head-on rather than avoiding talking about it.

Trust the process. Take the pressure off. If you can create freedom and fun within the revision process, some amazing ideas will bubble up to the surface.

7. Save some energy for marketing and launching your book (because that phase is a whole new project in and of itself). And check yourself on what limiting beliefs are holding you back when you launch.

Many authors struggle to enjoy promoting their work. This often comes down to limiting self-beliefs. If you have a negative, yucky inner monologue all the time, it’s time to flip the script!

Here are the most common limiting beliefs I see authors needing to reframe:

• “I suck at marketing.”
• “Others will be annoyed hearing about my book over and over.”
• “People will just find my book eventually, so I'll just wait instead of promoting it.”
• “What if no one reads my work or cares?”
• “I'm not good with the tech side of marketing.”

Here are five reframes for those beliefs:

• “I love sharing about my work because my book helps others.”
• “Others want to hear from me, and my voice is important.”
• “The best way for my audience to know about my book is if I tell them.”
• “The right people will find my book because I have the courage to talk about it.”
• “I'm empowered to learn a new skill and I can ask for help any time I need it.”

This is profound inner work and growth. If you can create a safe, encouraging, and upbeat inner monologue around launching your work, you will go far.

Becoming an author will ask a lot of you, but it will also give back to you in amazing ways. Whether you’re just starting to write, you’re in the messy middle, or you’ve launched your book, keep enjoying the experience of trusting yourself more and more.

Choosing to keep going is what makes you the author you are.

I’d love to hear which of these lessons resonates most with you and where you are in your author journey. What else have you learned that you weren’t expecting?

About Rachel

Rachel Warmath is a writer, ghostwriter, and book shaman based in Utah. She loves supporting authors. You can connect with her and learn more about her work at www.RachelWarmath.com.

Featured photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash.