Soul-searching, finding yourself and self-empowerment are often facets of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, but Tellwell author Kristin Pierce wanted to spark the journey of self-discovery earlier on.
As a mother of two, she sought out to find picture books with empowering messages to share with her children. But the nature of the subject matter left her with few options. Drawing from her personal journey of self-discovery, Pierce transformed some strong, thought-provoking life lessons into a beautifully illustrated children’s book titled Your Inner Compass That Could.
“As a mother, I thought that if I was craving books with deeper learning messages for my kids, maybe there were other parents out there wanting that too,” she explains. Her goal in creating the story was to use the book to bring empowering messages to the world in an inspirational, understandable and relatable way.
The messages conveyed are concepts that Pierce began unraveling when faced with ovarian cancer at age 21. Self-reflection and inner confidence were pivotal throughout her experience, and are topics that she felt when described appropriately, could resonate just as strongly with children.
“What I uncovered along the way is that we all have this inner wisdom that we can use to help us navigate life from a place of alignment and truth. I realized that this was something I had been ignoring in myself for so long that I felt very disconnected from my truth and who I really was. In the process of getting to know myself better, I knew I was not the only one who felt disconnected or lost along the way,” she says.
To adapt these seemingly abstract concepts into a children-friendly story, Pierce knew the illustrations would carry a significant amount of the messaging.
“I had to dig deep into my creative depths to bring my illustration vision to the surface for Your Inner Compass That Could,” she explains. “The illustrations are infused with symbolism and meaning, and that process required a lot of reflecting, but it was so worth it in the end!”
Pierce chose to complement these illustrations with rhyming verse to encourage and engage children of all ages. She’s also created resources and exercises to reinforce inner reflection, provoke questions, begin conversations, and spark inspiration.
“Through writing, teaching, and speaking, I hope to share a message that opens minds to the incredible potential that lives within each of us,” she shares.
Her sound approach to make the book tangible for her target readers has drawn the interest of many within the community. Since publishing the book in January, Pierce has appeared on CTV Saskatoon Morning News and CTV Saskatoon News at Noon all in one week.
“It was a very exciting moment, and definitely came with a thrill to be able to share my book on the news,” she says.
Since then, there have been many more notable heart-warming moments, including having a packed crowd attending her book launch at McNally Robinson, having a classroom of children line up for her to autograph their sticky notes and making a sale of 50 hardcovers to a customer – completely depleting her stock.
“There have been so many thrilling moments in the last month that this authoring adventure has completely surpassed my expectations!” she exclaims.
Pierce has done a lot of research to find events that directly appeal to her target market. She’s even managed to get involved in some trade shows.
“When people know you, they’ll often be interested in what you are doing. If your message resonates, then they’ll have no trouble supporting you. The process for lining up opportunities for tradeshows was simple once I knew where to target and invest my time,” she explains.
A substantial amount of time has also been devoted to social media, the author says. “Sharing the buzz by posting about new store availability, upcoming events, and reader reviews has been monumental in creating more buzz, piquing people’s interest, and generating momentum.”
Pierce had also already begun to publish her second book. While the book is different in theme and characters, the core message on self-empowerment and self-confidence remains the same.
In Mayva O’Meere, Creationeer Mayva is a little girl that has creativity pulsing through her veins – it’s just in her to create. But, when her imagination gets her in trouble, she has to discover who she really is to help clean up the mess she finds herself in, Pierce shares.
Now that she’s overcome the steep learning curve self-publishing presents, Pierce is focusing on letting everything mentally and emotionally percolate. She’s hoping to have the second book published by fall 2018.
While the momentum has certainly kept her busy, it’s been a labour of love for Pierce, one that has given her the opportunity to experience a whole new journey of self-discovery.
“Write about what lights you up and share a message that you believe in with every fibre of your being. Then follow through by being bold and brave to bring your message to the world.”
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Kristin is enthusiastic in teaching and encouraging people to access and trust their Inner Compass, awaken to their inner power, discover their mind-blowing potential, and understand the immense influence of subconscious beliefs. She owns and operates Inner Compass Academy where she teaches workshops across Canada, facilitates Online Programs for Awakened Awareness, and runs a holistic practice in which she works with adults and children around the world.
She lives in north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada with her husband, two children, and their dog.
To learn more, visit www.InnerCompassBooks.com
