Are You Happy?

Please welcome author, playwright, and poet Karen Abbott-Trimuel to Writer Unboxed today! Karen spent over 30 years in administration working with executives of fortune 500 companies, while also writing, directing, and producing theatrical plays during her spare time. Her goal, according to her bio “is to make people laugh, think about life choices and make positive changes.” She has written, directed, and produced a host of stage plays, including Ladies Night Unmasked, which she has recently released as a novel. Karen’s motto is admirable indeed: “If I can positively touch one life, my life’s purpose will never be in vain.”

Learn more about Karen and Ladies Night Unmasked on her website, and by following her on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Are You Happy?

They call it writer’s block, but what do you do when blocked from your passion for writing? You go through various emotions engulfed with roadblocks, hills, valleys, and many unanswered questions. This is a story about how I revived my journey as a writer after having a question-and-answer session with myself.

How do you cram a 30-year journey into an article? It’s simple, you cut off the fat and get to the meat. I was born a storyteller, and I had great plans for myself. Little did I know a bad choice would spiral my life in a different direction. At seventeen, I became the mother of a beautiful baby girl. Instead of becoming a full-time storyteller, I became the story.

Before my daughter, becoming a writer was my goal. After her, it became my outlet. A stress reliever. I’m sure you, too, can relate to needing an outlet when times get tough. I wrote poetry at night while my children slept, and from there, I began to write scripts. One day, a friend read them and convinced me to produce one; I’m always up for a challenge. With no production experience, but through research, I produced my first play, “Hear Our Cries, Lord,” in a Chicago high school in the year 2000. I did everything from selling tickets, casting calls, and hiring a sound company. The play was a hit, and the excitement from it all felt good. But when it was over, the story went back on the shelf, and I went back to work. This would become my routine for the next thirty years.

Thus, the beginning of a dialog of questions and answers I would have with myself. Needless to say, the ones I’ve asked of late have put me on a trajectory of reconnecting with my first love. Please feel free to ask and answer these questions yourself as you read along.

Question #1 – What do you want? 

This question might as well have been foreign because at first I could not answer it. I could list all I didn’t want, but I did not know what I wanted. As the years went by, I grew tired of my role as an assistant and yearned for the opportunity to tell more stories. That is when I finally answered the question; I want to be a full-time writer.

 Question #2 – What do you need? 

Again, I didn’t have an answer. Then 2020 happened, and we worked from home. Stories danced through my head, and finally the answer: I need to be free! I decided to trust myself and do something different; I converted my script for Ladies Night Unmasked into a novel, and felt excited by my actions. Yet, I still struggled with the belief that the role of provider took precedence over my passion for writing.

I never once considered that my passion could become part of my provisions.

Question #3 – Are you happy?

This question is the one that would seal the deal: Are you happy? The answer would come from the depths of my soul. I’m happy with my family but no longer happy with my career choice. I felt miserable and restricted. I was most fulfilled and happiest when I created great stories. The answer to this question gave me the courage to permanently live my passion as a writer, make a plan to leave my employer, and become a full-time writer.

The final question…

Question #4 – Can you make it happen?

I wasn’t so foolish as to believe I could replace my income with writing alone. I’m not a well-known six-figure writer. This move would require a plan. It helped that we own an asphalt-paving business.  Yet, I still needed to consider our financials and find ways to use my expertise to generate income. Through research, I found ways to supplement income through coaching, T-shirt slogan designs, and paid writing projects. Sacrifices are sometimes required to make room for happiness.

I’m happily married with three children and three grandchildren. With my second book releasing soon I am over the moon happy!

My question to you: Are you happy? If you can’t make big changes in your life right now, can you make one small change to bring you closer to your dreams?