Elysian Storytelling Is Live On Squarespace
We loved working with Emily of Elysian Storytelling on her new website!! Her website is our very first Restyle of our vault template Olivia May. Emily is a lover of words who helps fellow creatives tell their stories in a unique way. She envisioned a modern, clean design with a cozy and inviting vibe for her site. Olivia May turned out to be the perfect Template to bring that vision to life!
It was really fun incorporating Emily’s gorgeous images and soft color palette with this template design- it all came together so beautifully. She was such a joy to work with and we couldn’t more excited that her website is out into the world!
Check out our Q&A with Emily!
She chats with us about her passion for telling stories
GO LIVE: WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR THE INDUSTRY OR CRAFT START?
Emily: I joke with my family that I was born with a book in my hand. If I was missing as a child, my parents usually found me in a corner with a book, magazine, or even riffling through a dictionary. I was also the "nerd" that got frustrated only reading one chapter of Harry Potter a night at bedtime, so I abandoned our family ritual and started reading it on my own. It wasn't until I studied English in high school that I became interested in the process "behind the book." I started to think of writing as a true art form, and I became completely entranced by the creative process.
GO LIVE: DID YOUR EDUCATION HELP PREPARE YOU FOR THE INDUSTRY OR FOR STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS? OR ARE YOU SELF-TAUGHT?
Emily: It did! I have a B.A. in English, a minor in Business Administration, and an M.A. in Publishing and Writing. My degree in English enhanced my passion for all things literary, but it was my master's program that lay the groundwork for me to develop my business. I loved learning about the behind the scenes process, and I took classes that covered publicity, marketing, developmental editing, web design, book/magazine production, and publishing.
GO LIVE: WHAT’S THE HARDEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED IN YOUR BUSINESS?
Emily: Patience. This industry is focused on a result-first, process later approach, and that formula just isn't sustainable. There are some days that you will only be able to write a sentence, and there will also be other days where you might write 10 pages. You just can't force creativity. I think that the more that we lean into and trust the creative process, the better the result will be. The more you trust, the more freedom you have to grow, expand, move, learn, and improve.
GO LIVE: WHAT DO YOU WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU WHEN YOU STARTED OUT?
Emily: Focus on creativity not perfection. I grew up thinking that you needed to plan out every single part of your writing before you started. Organization ABSOLUTELY has a place in the creative process, but it becomes a problem when your outline is all that you think about when you sit down to write. Everyone is different, but for me, I felt that I was often put in a creative box that wasn't really mine. My creative thought process used to be SO rigid, and my whole world opened up when I let go of my fear of being wrong/perfect. I wish someone gave me permission to write outside the lines and bend the rules every once in a while. Sometimes you will have a vision before you write and sometimes you won't, and both situations are more than OK. You won't get it right in the first draft. I've learned that there is beauty and freedom in taking pressure off of yourself knowing that your first pass at it will be as bad as it will ever be. So.......just start!
GO LIVE: WHAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU HAD WHEN YOU SAID, “I SHOULD DO THIS” OR WHAT MADE YOU TAKE THE JUMP INTO WORKING FOR YOURSELF?
Emily: One of my friends was telling me stories from one of her travel excursions, and when I mentioned/begged her to write about them, she said that she wouldn't. "My stories don't matter," she said. "I bet someone already told them better than me, and I really have nothing new to add to the literary community." I will never forget that moment. I was stunned. I couldn't understand how someone with the stories that she had could think that they didn't matter, or that they weren't worth telling. Not on my watch. That moment inspired the creation of Elysian Storytelling. My purpose is to reflect your soul's message back to you so you can be the inspired author of your own story.
GO LIVE: WHAT THINGS HAVE YOU GAINED / DO YOU HOPE TO GAIN IN YOUR LIFE FROM FOLLOWING THIS DREAM?
Emily: Being able to encourage people to tell their own unique story is the greatest gift that I could ever ask for. Watching their eyes light up as they stand in their own unique creative power is truly priceless. Everyone has an ember glowing inside of them, and it is my job to stoke it and set it on fire. I want to continue to empower budding and seasoned writers, creatives, and entrepreneurs to tell the authentic story that they WANT to tell instead of the one they think they SHOULD tell.
GO LIVE: WHY DID YOU ULTIMATELY DECIDE TO WORK WITH US FOR YOUR RESTYLE OR CUSTOM DESIGN?
Emily: The minute I found you on Instagram, I knew we had to work together. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted my site to look like, and I just knew that you would be the ones who could bring it to life!
GO LIVE: ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW OR WANT TO GET OFF YOUR CHEST?
Emily: I just want to reiterate that the world needs our stories now more than ever. It needs our real, vulnerable, truthful, messy, marvelous, and authentic stories. It's time to reconnect with our inner sparks, put pen to paper, make our mark, and leave it all on the page.
“Being able to encourage people to tell their own unique story is the greatest gift that I could ever ask for. Watching their eyes light up as they stand in their own unique creative power is truly priceless.”
Launched Squarespace Website
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