Returning to My Why: Inanna, Creativity, and the Indie Author Journey

This week’s blog post was originally going to highlight Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, sex, and power, as she appears in My Kind of Love. And it still will, but not in the way I originally intended.

Last week was a difficult one for me as an indie author. When I began this journey, I attended a webinar where we discussed the many challenges indie authors face, whether creative, financial, and emotional. Some of those very challenges came knocking at my door recently, and I found myself questioning whether self-publishing was the right path for me.

So this week, I took a moment to return to my why.

In October 2024, I was reflecting on everything I’ve accomplished in my life. And I remembered a dream I had as a child: to be a fiction writer. I’ve always loved reading romance, especially Black woman/white man pairings, plus size female main characters, and more recently why-choose stories. While I considered writing stories of my own it was never something that I committed to. Around that time, I was chatting with a friend about the books I was reading and the stories I longed to see in the world. She encouraged me to sign up for a writing challenge in November, and that’s how My Kind of Love was conceived.

This book became more than a story. It helped me process the grief around my infertility and mourn the life I once dreamed of but will never have. It also gave me the space to imagine a world where someone like me is loved the way I’ve always dreamed of being loved.

One of the most meaningful spaces in the book is Club Inanna, a Lifestyle club and sanctuary owned by a Black woman and open to all who enter. I wanted the name of the club to connect to a goddess of love, and through my research, I discovered Inanna. I was immediately drawn to her. Her associations with sex, power, and the sacredness of queer identity resonated deeply with me. Through learning about Inanna, I’ve learned more about myself. I’ve realized that I’ve always been a creative writer, but I’ve spent much of my life hiding that part of myself.

While reflecting on last week’s struggles, I found a passage in The Way of Inanna that brought me back to center:

“She does not harbor resentment for what she loses or for the challenge she goes through. Instead, she finds a way to turn her experience into a strength that supports the All.”

That quote stopped me in my tracks. It reminded me that every part of this journey; every setback, every doubt is part of the becoming.

As a gesture of solidarity and community, I’ve committed to reading and promoting a different indie author each month. I’ll share their work on my social media as a way to support others walking this brave path of self-publishing. This is just one way that I will turn my experience into strength.

Thank you for being here with me. I’m learning so much; not just about writing, but about the writer I’ve always been, quietly living in my heart.

With love and gratitude,

Skyline