Local Spotlight! Kathleen Parisien Wants to Take You on an Adventure!

Books & Nooks believes in strong community ties and supporting local business, entrepreneurs, artists and writers. Local Spotlight! is a series we run on our MishMash blog. Please message me if you would like to be featured. 

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Kathleen Parisien, she is a local writer and adventurer who has written, Citizen of the World a Guide to Adventure and Self Discovery, a beautiful and vulnerable story of self-discovery through the world of travel. Citizen of the World

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Q: How long did it take you to write Citizen of the World?

It took me three years to write Citizen of the World: A Guide to Adventure and Self-Discovery. The process of writing the book was complex. I am writing about my own personal experiences in multiple countries and it took me awhile to see the overall vision of the book. Initially, I thought I’d write a political book focusing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, it was in 2019 that I finally realized that I just need to write my story. I had to forget about the politics, history and all the facts, and just focus on my experiences. Within a few months, and lots of editing, Citizen of the World was born November 4^th 2019.

Q: What inspired you to write this book?

I was inspired to write this book to help other people fulfill their dreams. I followed my dreams by quitting my 9-5 job, volunteering in Brazil and backpacking throughout South America. I then took off to Israel where I obtained my Master’s degree in Conflict Resolution and Mediation. I went against social norms by doing my own thing, and fulfilling my purpose. How many of us are working jobs they despise? Life is too short to wait until retirement to travel. There’s so much to discover on this earth, and so many cultures to learn about. Only growth and prosperity comes from stepping outside our comfort zones.

Q: Can you tell me about the book?

My book, Citizen of the World A Guide to Self-Discovery and Adventure is a travel diary, combined with self-discovery exercises. Through following my journey backpacking South America, then immersing myself into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I show that nothing is impossible. The challenges we go through, only make us stronger. Explore, learn new things, visit new places, make new friends. Share the love and look at the world from a different perspective. Get inspired by Kathleen Parisien Citizen of the World and change your perception of the world! Make it yours today!

Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It’s difficult to pin point exactly when I realized I wanted to be a writer. My acceptance of becoming a writer was gradual. I’ve always enjoyed writing but didn’t accept the “writer” identity until 2019. From being a young girl in elementary school, I always loved writing in my journal. Then, when I went to University, I loved writing long informative essays. Still, after graduation I didn’t think of myself as a writer. Like most people, we typically seek out careers that are high paying and thus stray away from jobs that unleash our creativity. I always had a negative stereotype of writers as unemployed, and/or broke. Finally, in 2019, I put those stereotypes aside and accepted my writer identity. Thanks to Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, I learned that my ability to write is a gift from God. In turn, my writing was a gift back to God. In The Artists’s Way, I discovered that through writing, I could heal myself as well as others. When we write, it’s a creative flow that flows through us. Thanks to the Artist’s Way, I’ve learned to embrace the creative flow and my identity as a writer.

Q: What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Now that I make writing a priority. I write daily, usually first thing when I wake up in the morning. Writing first thing in the morning helps turn on my creative writing instincts. Aside from my morning pages, I schedule in weekly time frames for me to write my blog posts and podcasts. I keep a balance between writing and my full time job. 

Q: How did you get your book published?

I got my book published by myself with the help of Amazon. Amazon’s self-publishing platform makes it easy for just anyone to publish a book. Amazon publishes and prints the paperback version of Citizen of the World. Since publishing the paperback version, I’ve also created eBooks using Amazon.

Q: What did you learn when writing the book?

Wow, I learned a lot. I learned that writing is therapeutic, and everyone should do it. But when it comes to writing a book, I learned that it’s much simpler than I thought. In my mind, writing this book seemed like an impossible task. Like climbing Mount Everest. But, by planning out sections, and tackling each section at a time, the task is no longer impossible. Nothing is impossible, if we just take it one day at a time. So, I was over complicating the writing process. The best advice I’d have for someone who wants to write a book, is just to write it. Through actually writing, so much realization and conscious comes to your mind that it’s truly a remarkable journey.

Q: Tell me about the podcast you started?

I’m so excited about the Citizen of the World podcast. It’s a platform for thought provoking discussions about lifestyle, spirituality and travel. I have lots of inspiring guests booked for the upcoming weeks, and have a podcast releasing every week. Receive weekly podcast notifications by subscribing at https://citizenofd.world/

Q: What advice would you give to anyone wanting to write their first book?

Just start writing! Don’t focus on the end product so much, just write. It’s much easier to edit, than it is to write.