A big challenge that we face in our creative work is simply the fact that we work alone much of the time. Even if you work with a team on projects that include editors, graphic designers, beta readers, maybe co-authors or collaborators, or marketing people, you are still spending a large percentage of your time creating alone.
If you work from home, you can easily isolate yourself from other people who can give you emotional and creative nourishment. If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s that we need each other. You can have all the success in the world, but what is the point if you don’t have friends who will share the journey?
My guest today is the perfect person to help us think about how to make and grow our friendships as writers. His name is Jared Odle, and he is a missionary, copywriter, and business leader. He is working on a book and podcast related to loneliness and has done a lot of research and thinking about this topic.
Jared and I have also been friends for nearly 30 years. We went to college together, sang on a traveling music team together, and now we are both heavily engaged in writing as part of our businesses.
Jared is also part of our Daily Writer Community. A couple of months ago, he led a call on the topic of friendships, and I’m excited to share this recording with you on this episode. We discuss why it can be hard for creative people to make friends, as well as some practical tips for building and growing friendships.
I know that writers tend to gravitate toward topics like how to write a book or secrets of marketing, and those are important. But on this episode, we’re getting to the heart of what it means to have good relationships and why you need a support system of friends.
You can connect with Jared through the links below: