22. Closing a Business and Opening to Writing with Sonia Ruyts
What happens when you achieve a dream, then want to change your life? Writer Sonia Ruyts answered this question—and waded through liminal space—when she decided to close her brick-and-mortar yarn shop to pursue writing. On today’s episode she shares fresh ideas for establishing consistency in your writing practice, how she navigates self-doubt, the exercise she always starts her writing day with, and the intersection between slow fashion and creativity.
“I love the idea that we have an opportunity to be the designers of our own lives”
Highlights
How to navigate a cocktail of grief and shame
The foolproof way Sonia starts almost every writing session
Why studying English in college intimidated her (and the major she chose instead)
The moment Sonia realized she wanted to close her yarn shop by the time she turned 40, and how she navigated the transition that followed
Avoiding and procrastinating vs. needing true rest
Getting dressed in the morning helps get her butt in the chair to write
Guest Bio
Sonia Ruyts holds a BA in Theatre from the College of Idaho. She is a former pastry chef and yarn shop owner who has returned to her first love: writing. Sonia explores themes of identity, loss, and transformation in her nonfiction writing and is currently at work on her first collection of essays. Sonia lives with her wife and two children—and their ever-expanding collection of pets—in the Pacific Northwest.
Links + Resources
Business coach extraordinaire, Megan Flatt
Love and Trouble: A Midlife Reckoning by Claire Dederer
Ethical fashion brand Elizabeth Suzann
“The List of Words” exercise from Sarah Selecky
Eat This Poem: A Literary Feast of Recipes Inspired by Poetry
Wild Words: Rituals, Routines, and Rhythms for Braving the Writer’s Path
