You want to make a difference in young people’s lives.

AND YOUR OWN.

You want to make a difference in young people’s lives.

AND YOUR OWN.

Maybe as a writer, you’re excited to write books that positively impact young people, but you’re nervous about putting yourself out there. You’ve fallen prey to what I call the “compare/despair” syndrome, where the creative journey is just a series of hurdles in a never-ending race.

Maybe as an educator, you long to use diverse stories to discuss tough topics with your students, but you’re not sure how, especially if you’re a white educator.

As a writer and former educator, and author of numerous children’s books, I’ve felt and faced it all in my twenty years of pursing my dream, and then my career, as a published writer and speaker. I feel doubt and insecurity often, but I’ve taught myself, over and over again to stop stopping when afraid.

How?

By getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
By believing my books into being. By realizing creativity is not a competition.

I don’t let fear or obstacles stop me. And neither should you.

What I learned after surviving 9/11 and during the 12 years it took for Grandfather Gandhi to be published was to keep being creative, believe in your vision, be resilient, and believe in the power of story to heal.

MY STORY

The October after 9/11, I went to hear Arun Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, speak. I hoped the talk would heal some of the effects of working at 1 World Financial Center on that fateful day. I listened to Gandhi’s story about being beaten in South Africa by whites for being too dark, and by Zulus for being too light.

During the talk, I leaned over to a friend and said, “These stories should be a children’s picture book.” Even though I wasn’t a published author, didn’t have an agent, and had been raised to be prejudiced against people from Southeast Asia, the idea wouldn’t leave me.

Although many people told me not to, I asked Gandhi to co-write a picture book about his life—and he said yes.

During the 12 years it took for the book to go from idea to publication, I confronted my fears of being unworthy to tell his story, my family’s racism, as well as multiple rejections, rewrites, and obstacles.

The result was my writing a book that has impacted hundreds of thousands of children, meeting my husband (who is from India), having my son, opening the Writing Barn, and healing wounds from my past.

Your yes is next.

No matter the obstacles you’re facing as an educator or writer, don’t give up on your dream.

You can transform your discomfort and disappointment into courage and connection.

Know that your yes is next. And when it arrives, you’ll realize that everything that came before it prepared you for your yes.

4 PRINCIPLES FOR LIVING
AS IF YOUR YES IS NEXT

BE creative

You are creative. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You have stories to tell that need to be heard whether they are your own, or your take on someone else’s life story.

BElieve in your vision for a better world

People will advise you to make your vision smaller, or to change it so that it becomes unrecognizable. Stay loyal to your ideas.

BE resilient

You will be told no. You will face rejection. Embrace challenges and learn from them. Be kind to yourself and seek support during hard times.

BElieve in the power of story to heal

Writing, teaching, and sharing stories about unlikely heroes and people who turn pain into action is a transformative act. Fight for the opportunity to do this work.

BE creative

You are creative. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You have stories to tell that need to be heard whether they are your own, or your take on someone else’s life story.

BElieve in your vision for a better world

People will advise you to make your vision smaller, or to change it so that it becomes unrecognizable. Stay loyal to your ideas.

BE resilient

You will be told no. You will face rejection. Embrace challenges and learn from them. Be kind to yourself and seek support during hard times.

BElieve in the power of story to heal

Writing, teaching, and sharing stories about unlikely heroes and people who turn pain into action is a transformative act. Fight for the opportunity to do this work.

MY OFFICIAL BIO

Bethany Hegedus’ children’s picture books include the award-winning Grandfather Gandhi and Be the Change: A Grandfather Gandhi Story, both co-written with Arun Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma Gandhi), as well Alabama Spitfire: The Story of Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird, Rise!: From Caged Bird to Poet of the People: Dr. Maya Angelou, Hard Work But It’s Worth It: The Life of Jimmy Carter and this August Huddle Up! Cuddle Up!–an ode to family, football and bedtime. Her books have been included in numerous “best of” lists such as A Mighty Girl’s Best Books of 2018 and Kirkus’ Best Books of the Year. A former educator, Bethany is an in-demand keynote speaker, workshop leader, and mentor who speaks and teaches across the country about writing, creativity, resilience, and privilege. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA, is the Founder and Creative Director of The Writing Barn, a writing retreat and workshop space in Austin, Texas and is host of the popular Courage to Create podcast.