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Celebrity Spotlight: Bonnie Marson
In one serendipitous, unforeseeable moment, visual artist Bonnie Marson took her first small step on a writer's path. It was a leap of faith led to the publication of her debut novel, Sleeping With Schubert, by Random House, June, 2004. The book is about a woman who gets inhabited by the spirit of Franz Schubert, composer of the "Unfinished Symphony." It takes off on a common fantasy – if only I could sing like that person or dance like the other one – and both the fictional tale and the author's story have encouraged countless people to explore their untapped talents.
 Bonnie's many book events have evolved from the usual author presentations and signings into celebrations of possibility for everyone. She uses her experience to inspire others, inviting them to visualize doing something new or different. Many people report back later that they've started writing their books, taking dance lessons, going back to school, joining a choir. One 75-year-old man, who had a long and successful business career, finally bought himself the tuba he always wanted.
Learn more about Bonnie's unusual journey at www.bonniemarson.com – and be sure to click on Innocent Optimism for an encouraging boost: The Power of Innocent Optimism – How I wrote a novel, sold it, and got a movie deal because I didn't know I couldn't.
 1. Tell us about a time when you were in fear about your creative career journey and you didn't think it would go anywhere...
I've made art all my life except for one little detour...
Divorced and needing a steady income, I took a job as PR director for a school district. This meant plenty of security, vacation time, and money, so I stayed nearly seven years. In other words, I'd been bought.
I wound up giving so much time and energy to work that there was nothing left for art. It all became clear to me during, of all things, a school board meeting. Deeply bored, I started thinking about art and realized I hadn't painted or drawn anything in months. Okay, years. Then I calculated that I'd spent more than 200 nights at school board meetings. I quit the next day.
Did I have a survival plan? Vague notions at best. But, hey, attending 200 school-board meetings in one lifetime is more than anyone should endure. More important, I had let my art slide for far too long. If I hadn't turned things around at that moment, I could still be lost in well-paid hell. I've never looked back.
2. Tell us about a time when you were feeling confident about your creative career journey and you absolutely knew you were going to be okay....
The transition from visual artist to author was never in my plans. Looking back, I can pinpoint exactly when the shift began. It was in a quiet moment when I forgot to be afraid.
About 11 years ago, I wrote a short story – my first fiction ever – and got honorable mention in a regional contest. I started a second story and set it aside for several years until a friend suggested I "just write ‘til it's finished." So I did.
I'm grateful for my friend's encouragement and her fortuitous choice of words. Honestly, if she had said "write a book," I would have laughed out loud. Me, write a book? But she put it in the non-scary, achievable words. Lucky me.
Because I was new to writing, there were no expectations, no fear of failure. I could allow the story to flow rather than pushing or struggling with it. I now see writing as another step on the creative continuum for me. After all, every artist is a storyteller at heart, whether it's in paint or words or music. And all the journey's a joy.
3. How did you discover your passion?
Which passion? I remember a grade-school teacher asking the class to list the qualities we value, in order of importance. I put creativity at the top, and it's always stayed there. Visual arts, writing, music – I'm open to it all.
Read other Celebrity Spotlights:
Steven Lane Taylor
Mark Albion
Shawna Carol
Raphael Cushnir
Bonnie Marson
Oriah Mountain Dreamer
Various Celebrity Wisdom
Jan Phillips
Scott Cluthe
Tim McCarthy
Rhonda Britten
 Back to Celebrity Spotlights
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