For those who were totally uncool in high school, not to worry. Neither was Felicia Day, actress (Supernatural, The Magicians), producer and bestselling writer.
“I wasted a lot of time early in my career trying to conform to what I thought Hollywood would approve of,” says Day, who has five million social media fans. “It wasn’t until I abandoned that mindset and started creating things based on my unique point of view, that I finally found success. The things that make us different are our creative superpowers. I truly believe that.”
In her latest book Embrace Your Weird: Face Your Fears and Unleash Creativity, Day shows how to tap into our inner weirdness. The book functions as a journal, a guide and a workbook that not only helps with personal growth but also in overcoming the anxiety, uncertainty and fear many of us experience. Day, who loves self-help books sees it as a hands-on follow up to her memoir, You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost): A Memoir.
“I heard a lot of feedback after I wrote my memoir, that my story inspired people to start creating, and/or get help around anxiety and depression,” says Day. “Hearing that motivated me to write a book where the focus is more on the reader and not myself. I wanted to make the process of self-improvement funny, interactive, and just a touch geeky.”
Her book is full of advice and techniques she’s cobbled together over the years as she worked towards getting to the core of who she is as a creator. The process of refining those techniques was a long one though and she constantly asked herself if the reader would be discovering something new about themselves when reading this section or doing this exercise? If it didn’t pass that sniff test, Day threw it out and started all over again.
When asked if she had any advice for readers in how to begin the process of getting weird, Day recommended everyone put down their phones when they can and instead carry a little notebook to for writing down their thoughts, dreams and observations.
“You’d be amazed at all the creative ideas we let pass us by just because we don’t give ourselves the mental space to come up with them in the first place,” she says. “I am just excited for people to dive in and learn how to start incorporating more creativity in their lives in a fun and funny way. Being able to show the world who you truly are through your creativity is, in my opinion, the ultimate freedom.”
Visit Felicia at @feliciaday on Twitter and Instagram, or at FeliciaDayBook.com.
Ifyougo:
What: Felicia Day presentation.
When: October 5 at 4pm
Where: Sponsored by Anderson’s Bookshop but the event is being held at the Community Christian Church, 1635 Emerson Lane, Naperville, IL.
Cost: Ticket for one person is $20.00 ($21.99 w/service fee) admits one person and includes one copy of the new book, pre-signed; ticket package for two is $30.00 ($32.49 w/service fee) admits two people and includes one copy of the new book. Each ticket holder gets a photo with the author.
FYI: For more information or to buy a ticket, visit feliciaday2andersons.brownpapertickets.com/ or call (630) 355-2665.
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