Creativity Over Coffee: Elizabeth Rago

Happy Almost Friday! Between the rain and endless home projects this week seems to be lasting FOREVER. I’m so glad you’re here because I have another installment of Creativity Over Coffee! I LOVE this series so much and hope you do, too. I enjoy chatting with my creative friends over coffee and learning more about their journey. Today I’m chatting with my good friend, and writer, Elizabeth Rago. So, I’ve never met Elizabeth in real life but we chat on the phone and online all the time. I became friends with her, through twitter, I think probably 5 years ago. We were joking the other day that if she lived closer, we’d probably be neighbors. I can picture myself knocking on her door for an egg or sugar. Elizabeth is so funny and I love her writing. Early on she gave me encouragement in my own writing. I’m so excited because she has a short story coming out next month. So grab your coffee (or tea) and read on!!!!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and your creative journey?

Elizabeth: I’m a mother of 3 children (ages 10, 8, and 5), a wife, and a freelance writer specializing in women’s lifestyle content. We live in a western suburb of Chicago that’s really beautiful, surrounded by big trees and sweet small cities on a river that winds through each of the towns. I mostly work from home, but freelancing calls for a lot of trips to client’s businesses and research. My husband calls me a Sherpa. What I love about working from home and the “flexibility” of freelance, I also wrestle with on a daily basis.

Writing professionally means having to write no matter what, and that means I have a constant sense of urgency to create. Even when I’m not feeling particularly inspired.

Creating abounds in my family. My mother is a very creative being and was always encouraging us to make and get dirty with paint or in the garden, whatever she could get her hands on. She was also never too busy to listen to our ideas or see our creations. That is invaluable support for a young person! I remember feeling very satisfied when I wrote a book in fourth grade about penguins. Since then, I was hell-bent on being published.

My early career was not writing-focused, but my ability to write was often recognized by my superiors. In each position I held I did a bit of writing, which was great for my resume. Fast forward into my late 20s and I really longed to write about “fun” topics. I’ve always been smitten with domestic topics like décor and lifestyle writing, so I decided to start pitching magazines with my amazing ideas. There was only one problem – I didn’t have a decent writing resume and I had no connections. I was rejected a lot and realized while I was being rejected I should keep writing – about anything and everything.

I had our first child in my late 20s and searching for a home-based job, I chatted with my college roommate about my goals. She mentioned her business needed someone to write press releases and I immediately said YES.

There were a lot of years of writing for free, writing for “exposure”, writing for a pittance – but I pressed on because, when you have the desire to create in your heart, you must do it to survive – like breathing. I knew the day would come when I would be able to get a decent wage for my words, but I had to build my portfolio. Our family called for two incomes, so I’ve held many part-time jobs to make ends meet while I built my connections and resume.

Presently, I spend most of my hours creating content for a lovely kitchen designer, an upscale home boutique, and a dance studio. I also manage several social accounts for clients. I write for a local quarterly magazine about the arts, and various sporadic projects that may last for one article or years of work!

“My writing” (meaning, I am not being the voice of a business, but have my own byline) is in the form of a column with my local newspaper called “The Modern Domestic Woman” and my own blog. And then there is my fiction writing, which I do in my spare time.

I think many people have dreams of being a writer. Can you give us an idea of what your day is like?

Elizabeth: It’s NOT 9 – 5 with weekends off, I’ll tell you that. But who really has a job with those hours anymore, right? I’m usually up at 5 AM to work before everyone in the house starts waking up, then I get the kids off to school and write again. When you are a full-time writer, at least for me, days are packed with research and a lot of reading, brainstorming for future articles, writing crappy first drafts, banging my head on a wall because I have a brain cramp…

There is a subtle sick feeling when it comes to being a writer, especially when you have multiple pressing deadlines, to perform – no matter what. I work while the kids are in school and once they get out, the mayhem of after school activities and homework, dinner and bedtime rituals, makes it impossible to write. That’s okay, though, as I do appreciate the flexibility of being able to be with them. When everyone is tucked in and snoring, depending on how tired I am, I try to work for a bit. Writing on empty when you brain is tired is difficult though and after 11 years, I know when to call it quits for the day.

I write on the weekends, on holidays, while I am waiting in the doctor’s office for an appointment…but I love it.

I know you’ve recently completed a Novella. Can you share more about this project?

Elizabeth: Yes! I am so proud of this project and spent about 8 years fine-tuning it before I was ready to send it out to literary agents. For the last two years I have been rejected many times (like more than 20), but received positive feedback. The reason for rejection? Novellas are tough to represent and market. You see, novellas are the red-headed step child of literature in that they are supposedly too long for “short story” status and don’t quite fit the word count to be a full out novel. My story is about the length of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens or “Animal Farm” by Orwell.

I was having a pity-party six months ago and started to write another women’s fiction story during NaNoWriMo. Divine intervention happened and I reasoned if other writers were publishing their short stories for digital download, I could do that too! I’m launching my story, On Tenterhooks, in May, which is coincidently “Short Story Month.” For the record, Writer’s Digest says it’s still considered a “short story,” so I will go with their definition:

“Short stories range anywhere from 1,500 to 30,000 words; Novellas run from 30,000 to 50,000; Novels range from 55,000 to 300,000 words, but I wouldn’t recommend aiming for the high end, as books the length of War & Peace aren’t exactly the easiest to sell.”

When do you feel most creative or happy?

Elizabeth: When my bills are paid! LOL! Kidding, though there is a lot of pressure to perform when you are writing for a living. I feel creative and happy when I am out in nature. No matter what the season, I thrive on fresh air and beautiful scenery. I’m happy when the house is quiet, yet equally delighted when there are sounds of laughter and singing from my kids.

Is there one project that you really love and you’re really proud of that you’ve done?  

Elizabeth: My entire writing career has been one giant project and I am super proud of everything I have written.

Who or What inspires you?

Elizabeth: My children really inspire me. Their innocence and eagerness to learn and discover is something I want to get back into doing – exploring and being wowed by the everyday. Nature is a big inspiration. In fact, right at this moment, I have been writing a wee bit before five AM and I am starting to hear the spring birds wake up. The sounds of their different songs are amazing to me. I’m a Jesus girl, so I believe in a higher power who created everything and He wows me as the ultimate creative.

Do you ever get in a funk?  If so, how do you get out of it?

Elizabeth: Good gracious, do I EVER. I’m just coming out of a funk, in fact, and find fresh air and walking helps me shake a brain cramp. You know, the whole endorphins thing. If I am struggling to write, I check my feet, my bowels, and my underwear. You heard me – if my feet are cold, I have to go to the bathroom, or I’m wearing uncomfortable under things, I can’t write! LOL! (PS – writing does bring out the eccentric in you, so be prepared for that…)

What is your favorite color?  Is there any color you don’t LOVE?

Elizabeth: Ooooooh, I love all colors, but really gravitate towards cobalt blues, cranberry reds, and lavenders.

How do you balance it all? I know you have children and I think you can give a great perspective on raising children and being an entrepreneur. Balance is hard for us all.

Elizabeth: Honestly, sometimes I don’t. I crash and burn. In order to have this career and kids, you have to be willing to be flexible. This isn’t always easy and is often messy. Having a supportive spouse helps considerably. Breathing is key, taking time to shut everything off and just let your brain rest is crucial.

Saying no is really hard for me and can be a detriment to your sanity if you take on too many projects and try to balance your personal life. Again, A LOT of trial and error.

What advice would you give to someone who is interested becoming more creative or following in your footsteps?

Elizabeth: 

#1 – Write every day, even if it’s for 15 minutes. That’s how I started. I assigned myself a time (even if it was 4:30 in the morning (hello, COFFEE!)) and took time to write. And that’s when I had an infant…

#2 – Don’t conform. I started out thinking a “parenting” writer was the way to break into writing because everyone was doing it and I had the material, but quickly tired of the topic. Not because I didn’t love it, but parenting for me is private and the older the kids got, the more I realized I wanted them to grow up without someone documenting their successes and failures. I was in a copywriting workshop at the time and the teacher stressed the importance of specializing in something. I took this advice to heart and realized women’s lifestyle content was just my cup of tea. From that moment on, my writing career took off like a snail out of a starting line. (Slow but steady wins the race…)

#3 – Be willing to talk to other people and start relationships. This word has soooo many meanings and some might call it “networking” but that’s too stuffy for me. As much as I’m an introvert, I enjoy talking to people and recognizing great work, so I spend time “meeting” people I admire. We’ve got access to an abundance of people via this thing called technology and I’ve found more amazing modern day “pen pals” by simply taking a chance to reach out to them.

#4 – Get ready for criticism. Buckle up, buttercup! People are going to have their opinions about your writing. Take note, cry for 5 minutes to let it out, eat some Nutella, suck it up, and move on.

#5 – Be prepared to write. ALL THE TIME. While this sounds like a magical profession to be in, it’s often an interesting juggle of life. I will give some examples:

Example #1 – The sick child. You wake up with enthusiasm, so excited to work and meet those 3 deadlines due today and get a leg up on the 10 that are looming. You pour your coffee, take a shower, get completely dressed (as today you also have a conference with a client), and then your 5-year-old stumbles into the bathroom with a fever and proceeds to vomit on the floor. What’s fantastic is that you have the “flexible” job. The one that allows you to stay home, care for the kids, and work. What’s frustrating is, this convenient “flexibility” often derails your productivity, and makes you completely rethink and reschedule your day.

Example #2 – The brain cramp. You’re writing for an ad agency! Hooray! And you are on your twentieth article about how to keep your skin dry moisturized from the cold, winter weather. Each article has to be original content, no copying and pasting your past work. How do you pull another article out of your brain when you’ve exhausted all your angles??

Growing up I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO.  At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions:

1. What is your favorite word? Lovely
2. What is your least favorite word? Panties
3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? A good hug. Learning about history. A walk in nature.
4. What turns you off? When my feet are cold. Judgmental people.
5. What is your favorite curse word? Rats-ass
6. What sound or noise do you love? The sound of a red-winged black bird.
7. What sound or noise do you hate? A bathroom fan. Knuckles cracking.
8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Oh my, so many things! A bed and breakfast owner, a crossing guard for school children (silly, but it looks like so much fun greeting kids every morning!), an indie bookstore owner, a newscaster, a filmmaker, an artisan, a radio host, a missionary…
9. What profession would you not like to do? Be a police officer. They are amazing individuals, but that would be a difficult job for me to do. 
10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Everyone you love is here and you can eat whatever you want.

Isn’t Elizabeth amazing and so witty?!? Be sure to follow along on social media and I’ll share with you all when her book is published!

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If you enjoyed this interview, be sure to check out the whole series of Creativity Over Coffee.

* All images in this post courtesy of Elizabeth Rago.