Meet Polly Campbell
I first met Polly about 15 years ago in a class. She's one of those people you never forget--a bright, curious, fun, yet driven, hard-working, always-trying-to-become-better writer. She was freelancing at the time and has since gone on to write for a bunch of national publications, is a blogger for
Psychology Today, she teaches at the
Daily Om and writes a beautiful, inspiring blog
imperfectspirituality.
Polly's first
book Imperfect Spirituality:Extradordinary Enlightenment for Ordinary People is coming out tomorrow and she's heading out on a book tour. For a chance to meet her, check her schedule
here. Portlanders, she's going to be at
Annie Bloom's Books on November 1. I've read the book and it's a winner. Full of wisdom, heart, and simple (as in elegant) ways to live a spiritual, thoughtful, and less-stressed life. And as a writer, I especially appreciated that the voice was pitch perfect and the advice so practical and doable. There are some people who really deserve the success that comes their way. Polly is one of them.
Q: Can you talk about the process of turning your passion/interest into a how-to book?
A: For me writing has always been an exploration. As a magazine writer, I’ve intentionally picked topics that I personally want to know more about. I am passionate about spirituality and personal development because I think the better we understand our brains and our bodies and our spirits, the greater we can do in this life experience. The more fun we can have, the deeper love we’ll experience and when we are living in those states, we are able and willing to uplift those around us. As I began to find new ways of doing this myself, I wanted to explore it further, really figure out how to make it practical and share that with my family and my friends and the others I love. The book came out of my desire to really understand this stuff and share it with others.
One of the challenges of turning this material into an accessible book for others was that I had to find a way to make many intangible things, like faith and compassion and self-acceptance, real. This stuff all creates concrete and tangible results in our lives, but they aren’t visible and often, until we practice, they can even be tough to imagine. I wanted to convey the power of these practices, but writing about faith is almost as tricky as living with it.
Q: How do you research when you're writing a nonfiction book? Your favorite sources?A: Spirituality and personal development can seem so woo-woo and out there, that I really felt like I need to make this tangible and practical for people. That's also how I live with it in my life. It is practical, it is about helping you with the upset when some crazy driver cuts you off, or your husband forgets to call. I wanted to let people know that this isn't some book from a Guru's only perspective. So, I felt it was essential to include research from some of the world's top psychologists and thought leaders. Science people.To do that I did lots of web research, reviewed studies from universities and scientific journals, did scores of phone interviews with the experts. I also pulled from personal experience – practices that work for me -- and I talked to real people who are actively using this stuff every day to live more inspired lives. Their stories are amazing. Many of the sources came from other sources. I'd find one individual and ask who else could talk to me about a particular topic. Friends of friends turned me toward some fabulous stories and ultimately all these disparate pieces came together.
Q: Any advice for writers on balancing parenthood and writing?
A: Both require commitment, patience, flexibility, good humor – and in my case the occasional martini. But, I really don’t think there is any such thing as ‘balance.’ I think you can feel grounded and that means the sense that you are stable and engaged and connected to the earth and the experience of living on it and in it no matter what comes. That’s what I’m going for. As far as balance, I don’t have much. My hours and energy and time swing back and forth. Sometimes my daughter needs more of what I have and I’ll have days where it’s all about helping her get over a cold, or making sure the homework gets done, or planning the class party, or making soup and planning movie night. Other times, everybody is kind of doing their own thing and my energy shifts to more of the writing work. While writing the book, I worked long hours, every day for nearly three months. My husband pitched in, my daughter was awesome and it felt great to throw myself into my writing like that. But, I wasn’t balanced. Then the book was completed and I swung back toward my family and the household demands. The only thing I know is that every day I will both write and parent and I’m grateful for both.
Q: How did you manage the consistency and authenticity of the voice in Imperfect Spirituality?
A: I stayed really aware of my audience and even picked out an individual who fit in my ideal demographic -- smart women who are raising or have grown children who want to live a more meaningful, less stressed life. Each time, I felt myself straying from my authentic voice, I imagined sitting down and talking about this stuff with her over coffee. Or, better yet, margaritas. That helped me return to my voice. I was very conscious of it. I think the voice in this book was essential to making the material accessible, down-to-earth, doable.
Q: How do you take risks with your writing?
A: First I don’t think about taking risks, I simply consider where I want the story, information, insight to lead. The ideas I'm trying to convey are always the most important aspect to me. I want them to be understood and often that leads to the structure and anecdotes and details and research I'll need to use to make that happen.
In the beginning it's very organic, not a sit-down-at-your-desk kind of thing, but a process of feeling my way into it. But, then I do sit down and begin sometimes with a loose outline, sometimes just by jumping into the writing.
Then, I follow that beginning by freaking out a little bit, because it's almost always clear that to convey the Big Idea, I've got to share an aspect of myself and my experience, or come up with a different form or a new thought. This is risky and scary. But, I don't know another way to do it just yet.
Then, I just get busy. I trust the idea will unravel as it needs and when it feels risky or different, I feel like I'm in a place of creation and expansion. Instead of producing anxiety at this stage then, I feel excited.
Q: Your number one advice to writers in 12 words or less?
A: Stop making excuses. Do the work, be okay with wherever it leads.
Q:Pasta or sushi?
A: I’m a pasta girl. Carbs anyone?
Q: What books are on your nightstand?
A: Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn
Q: What's next for you?
A: I'm headed out on a West Coast Book Tour for Imperfect Spirituality and hope to meet real, live people. After months alone in a room with a desk and computer, it will be fun to hear what people think about the book and to hear stories of others. I'll continue working on my blog imperfectspirituality and doing my magazine pieces and speaking to groups on how to feel better about the lives we are living. And, I hope to write another book...mulling some ideas now in the backroom of my brain.
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