A new year stretches out in front of us. Do you feel excited about a fresh year? Or do waves of anxiety wash over you as you think about your to-do list?

I admit to experiencing excitement tinged with a bit of freaking out, but that’s my Type A personality kicking in. 🙂

I hope your 2019 is off to a blissful start. My year has been busy so far, and I don’t see that stopping any time soon!

Did you set goals or resolutions? It’s okay if you didn’t.

Instead of goals this year, I have 3 intentions:

1. Creativity
Write more! I have several books planned this year. I’m nearly done with Book 4 in the Rogue Spark series. I can’t wait to share Ida’s next adventure with you. Look for that in February.

Check out this cool mug my husband gifted me:

2. Freedom
My consulting business has been busy! January and February are my peak times. Starting in March, I’ll be changing the way I operate with the goal of spending less time consulting and more time writing and launching my books.

I became a writer to try to fill my life with creativity and have more freedom to pursue the things I enjoy. I hope to bring a lot more freedom to my life in the coming years!

3. Collaboration
In November, I traveled with 7 other authors on a train from Chicago to New Orleans. I wrote a short story with another author, and we had a blast! The story will be published as part of The Authors on a Train anthology, and I’ll let you know when it’s available.

In fact, I loved co-writing so much that I plan to do more of it. I don’t have anything to announce yet officially, but I’m excited about the upcoming possibilities to work with other authors.

Here are a few pics from that trip.

On November 11th, eight authors boarded the train in Chicago, ready to begin a new adventure…

 

We slept in sleeper train compartments. When we woke, we were somewhere in Mississippi! The train’s beautiful observation car made daydreaming easy…

We arrived in New Orleans where we spent the week writing and touring the sites.

Anne Rice’s (former) house!…

 

This gallery painting captivated me. New Orleans is full of history, culture, and art.

In December, I spent time putting my house in order—literally. I organized my home from top to bottom, and I’m happy to report it’s 98% done!

Projects I’d wanted to do for years finally got done. Now, I feel refreshed, and the clutter in my life has been drastically reduced, leaving my head clear to focus on writing and dreaming up new worlds.

I’m so excited for the year stretching out in front of us. What are your goals for 2019? I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below!

00:11 What’s an indie author?

01:10 Why it’s important to create–even if you don’t have formal training.

1:30 Recent visit to the American Visionary Art Museum

02:50 Art from the museum that will blow you away!

Have you ever felt like an outcast? Like maybe you don’t belong or felt like a fraud?

Have you ever tried to accomplish something outside the traditional establishment?

You’re not alone. I’m Cameron Coral, and I’m a sci-fi author who is proudly independent.

I don’t have a traditional publisher who paid me an advance. Nor do I want one. I’m an indie author meaning I dream up, write, produce, and market my books solely on my own.

I don’t have a literary degree. I’m self-taught. I’ve invested a ton of my personal time and energy and money into training and learning from other successful fiction authors.

Maybe some people out there frown upon this. But I believe in supporting local small businesses, helping the underdog like my main character Ida Sarek in my sci-fi series.

And not just authors, what about the art world?

When you go to a museum, typically you’re seeing people who went through traditional training – they went to art school for many years, got degrees and worked under mentors.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with working your way up. But I didn’t know at a young age what I wanted to do. And neither do a lot of people.

So to be able to start pursuing your creative passion at a later stage in life is part of our journey as humans.

Recently, I visited the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and was blown away by amazing art from people outside the established art community.

Packed with indoor and outdoor exhibits, the American Visionary Art Museum is like no other museum I’ve ever been to. The artists are intuitive, self-taught artists.

Some of the creators are homeless, disabled or mentally ill. Most used everyday objects to create remarkable works of art.

So, what you’ll find in this video are some of my favorite art pieces and sculptures from my visit.

I hope this video and the art will inspire you to have the courage to create. Because no matter what your background and whether or not you’ve had formal training, you have a unique story to tell.

And maybe that story comes out in words or in images or maybe one day you decide to build a statue out of toothpicks and buttons.

It all makes sense. You are a creator.

I highly recommend putting the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD on your list of places to visit on the east coast.

What did you think about the video? Add a comment to this page and let me know!

P.S? Have you signed up for my monthly newsletter? It’s a good one, I promise. I share news about my experience as a writer and creative, updates about my sci-fi and fantasy books, and much more. You’ll get to see cosplay pics and other fun & weird adventures.  Don’t miss it! Sign up below….