When I first started my writing career, my main focus was mental health. I was so passionate about mental health issues because I believed that they deserve our attention. My first book, “Dear Anxiety: Letters From A Girl who Cares,” came out in 2016. With almost 75 copies sold, my book has helped so many and has made people feel less alone and more understood. I will always have a soft spot for mental health, and I will always cover it when I feel it needs to be highlighted.

However, I have grown as a writer since I wrote my first book, and I want to show that growth by releasing future books on more diverse topics. Some books may be huge hits while others may be flops, but at least I took a chance and spread my wings. Growth, both as a writer and as a person, is so important.

I am so much more than someone who can successfully write about one thing and one thing only. If I stuck to releasing mental health books throughout my whole writing career just because people expect me to, I would not grow professionally and creatively. Exploring new topics can help stimulate my current readers and attract new ones. Offering the same topics continually can get mundane for my personal growth and my readers.

I think that those who make creative art in any form should expand their horizons and try different methods. You may end up discovering a new passion or talent. You shouldn’t put yourself in a box and conform to what people expect of you because if you do, you won’t release your creative flow and grow. 

Trust your gut. Allow yourself to try new things despite what others expect of you. Don’t let yourself slide backwards. Instead, move ahead and use your original creative form as a fallback if your new vision doesn’t work. If you don’t show how you are stepping into your own creatively, you aren’t doing yourself or anyone else any favors.