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Unleash Your Muse: Spark Creativity through Imagination and Method with Kyle Ann Robertson | 005
Episode 527th February 2024 • The Launch Button • Hugh Zaretsky
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We are joined by an inspiring guest, Kyle Ann Robertson. Kyle is an author and writing method developer who has a passion for helping others unleash their creativity and tell their unique stories. She shares her journey of transitioning from a college resource teacher to becoming an author and developing her own writing method.

Listen as Hugh and Kyle discuss the importance of imagination, learning styles, and triggers in the writing process, emphasizing the need to let go of self-imposed limitations and embrace one's individuality. Covering topics ranging from the creative writing mindset to the joy of golfing, throughout the discussion, they touch on the power of mindset, the significance of daily habits, and the value of quiet contemplation in fostering creativity. 

Key Highlights:

  • The development of Kyle’s unique writing method based on learning styles, envisioning, and understanding how the brain works.
  • Overcoming writer's block and imposter syndrome
  • The importance of pushing past fear and self-imposed limitations
  • The uniqueness of each individual's imagination and learning how to trigger it for effective writing
  • Dispelling writer's myths and breaking down self-imposed barriers.
  • The impact of mindset on creative processes.
  • Finding inspiration from daily experiences.

About the Guest: 

Kyle Ann Robertson is the author of WHITE PICKET FENCES and writes contemporary women’s fiction that sinks its teeth into families’ miscommunications, misperceptions, and the chaos they cause, even in the name of love. After over twenty-five years as a Physical Therapy Assistant and fitness studio owner, Kyle’s writing dream of being a “Taylor Jenkins Reid version of Joan Didion” is well on its way as she has received her certificate of Creative Writing from Emory University, and is the founder of Embrace Your Muse Creative Writing Workshops.

https://www.kyleannrobertson.com/


About the Host: 

Hugh Zaretsky, was an IT executive until his wake-up call came on 9/11. Realizing how short life can be, Hugh transitioned his career to become a real estate investor, international speaker, best-selling author, philanthropist, and advocate for empowering individuals. Hugh started investing in the precursor to Short-Term Rentals back in 2005. His expertise in cash-flowing properties (STR, SFH, and multi-family) has allowed him to successfully train over 12,500 real estate investors and entrepreneurs to complete profitable real estate transactions, launch businesses, or take them to the next level.

Hugh has been a certified real estate continuing education instructor in 4 different states. His latest book "The Launch Button" was an Amazon best seller in 4 categories including all of real estate. He recently spoke at the Humanity Summit in Portugal on the global issue of "Sustainable tourism (including STRs) and how to work with local communities". His dedication to mentoring and coaching aspiring entrepreneurs makes Hugh a highly sought-after speaker. Get ready to be inspired and gain invaluable insights from Hugh's wealth of experience. 

http://www.HughZaretsky.com

http://www.thelaunchbuttonpodcast.com - Subscribe and get updates, Swag, etc.  

Purchase Hugh’s book, The Launch Button here: http://bit.ly/launchbuttonbook

Private Community: http://www.eframily.com - Want to work, train, or get coached by Hugh?

IG - @hughzwealth

FB - @hughzWealth 


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Transcripts

Hugh Zaretsky:

All right, everybody. Welcome here to another episode of the Launch button podcast where we bring you business owners, entrepreneurs, real estate investors that have fire their boss and found their passion. And we've got another amazing episode here with you. My name is Hugh Zaretsky, I'm your host for this half hour as we go through and learning from armies and entrepreneurs that have been where you are whether you felt we were stuck at your job, stuffy light, and all of a sudden, you want to find that passion and tell your story. That's really what we're gonna focus on here today is how to go out there and tell your story because we got a special guest review here today. And we've got Kyle Ann and she's gonna talk to us today about Unleashing that story unleasheing that book that you have inside of you, and make it fun. Because we all have unique journeys, we all have unique opportunities. And she's gonna talk about how she's created a method. And that's what it is right? We always follow people's methods to reach success and be able to help other entrepreneurs tell their stories. So Kyle Ann, tell everybody a little bit about yourself and where you're from.

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: Hi, I'm Kyle, Kyle Ann, and I live in southwest Florida. And I'm originally a navy brat. So I'm from all kinds of places, but I began seriously writing in 2014. And I had been going through the, our Jewish, or Jewish task of learning how to write and, you know, yes, we all went to school, and it's still hard to teach, as we all know. But during the time I've, there were certain phases of learning the writing that kind of suck the joy out of writing for me. And during that process, I started thinking that we have this is ridiculous, everyone has imagination, everyone can do this. So I started thinking about how I think, and I took all the lessons that I've learned as a resource center, teacher and a call at a college level, about learning styles, envisioning and how the brain works. And hence started developing a method to keep you in your writing materials while you walk down the path to left field. Because as adults, what we do is we stop ourselves from thinking, you're trying to think of somebody's name, and he can't think of it you just move on, right? But your brain was triggered your brains still working, trying to find that file. And that's kind of stuffs always intrigued me that like, when we're in the trenches of our writing, we should be able to trigger and move out of writer's block quote unquote, or impostor syndrome. We those feelings that overwhelm us, we can all get past with this method of moving out of the stuckness. That answers your question. Most

Hugh Zaretsky:

of us, here's a little bit of your background. So you started out as you set as a resource teacher to college. And so you are helping students sort of and you saw the different learning styles. So that's a big thing. Most people are rethinks, they learn just like them, and they don't. Right. And you know, some people learn visually audio, right? Like, it just depends on you and your style. And so, tell me what was like that, okay, I want to leave being a teacher, and I want to launch my own writing method. What was that sort of transition? Like? My

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: transition was, I started writing my novel, and I wanted to publish a novel before I turned 60. That didn't happen. Now, if my children wanted that novel done years ago, it would have been done in six months. Right? But it didn't happen. Because I was always afraid. I didn't know what I didn't know. And so I wouldn't allow myself to just say, Okay, I've done it. And it's just it was a continual, perpetual thing. So I have published a book and number two is actually coming out next week, I believe, congratulation, but and but I didn't do it by 60. I'm a little older, the sixth. But I did do it. In the meantime, and this is going to sound pretty funny, but I have read tarot cards and oracle cards since I was in since the 80s. And somebody during COVID in 2019, called me and asked me to read tarot cards for their character in their writing. She was so stuck. And then I went back to my days teaching it learning styles and learning skills and basic skills. It was a physical therapist, assistant. And so I taught physical therapist neurology. I wasn't the neurologists, I ran the lab and stuff. So the brains always fascinated me. So we started doing pulling cards for this woman's character, she ended up writing her whole book based on triggers that were already in her mind. I just had a trigger for her. And that's where this method came from. So now I use prom cards and other ways after we learn your learning style after We understand the science of imagination. And you can put those two things together and realize that no two people can think the same. You can't compare yourself to Nora Roberts, I can't, you know, because Nora Roberts is informed differently, she has a different education, her family was brought up somewhere different, what's in her brain is different than what's in my brain. How I Learned is could be how she learns differently. So what we have to do is learn what triggers worked for us to bring that imagination. And the best way to have your best idea is to have a lot of ideas to choose from. And this method will give you a lot of ideas in one scene. So you know where to take your story. You know, your story, I don't, so I'm not going to, you know, I've worked with many editors and book coaches and found out I was writing their story and not mine. And that's really what I've said, I'm going to start helping other people cheat the joy of writing, while they're writing in their work of progress, not give them some tips, and then they have to go and figure out how to apply it to their writing work within your writing. But I pull it out at you. And it's it. You don't need me once you figured out the system. But I don't really

Hugh Zaretsky:

understand by, you know, like I said, Now now in my third book, my first solo book, and it took me 14 years to write it. I started it back, probably in two, just before the crash real estate crash 2007 2008 I hired a ghostwriter to write it, I told them the stories and they were right and wasn't coming out in like voice. So I'm putting on the shelf thinking, I don't know, I'm not very good at grammar, I'm not very good at spelling. And so put it on the shelf. And when I you know, I've talked to three different people, and they're like, you know, you gotta write your book, you got to write your book you got and I was like three people in nine months, all written best selling books. And I was like, Alright, one was a publisher, that speakers authors, I'm like, All right, I'm gonna go do it. And once I gave myself permission to write, it's all I wanted to do. Now, granted, I hated writing before that like when Yashin right. And that's

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: a part of it is bringing the joy in so that we, to me, it's my meditation, it's mindset, I want to write, you know, this marketing stuff, and all this other stuff. I'd rather just sit and write and I can disappear, you know, and everyone should write, I also teach a journalism class I used to more than now. But the beauty of being able to put your words on paper allows you to see it, and just read it out without hear it. And then you understand it better. And so the joy of putting it on paper, you get it allows you to give it a name. And once you give that topic or whatever, like in journaling a name, you can do something about it. Does that make sense?

Hugh Zaretsky:

Yeah. It's also very cathartic, right, like, so I went through 911. And so I've never really written out a full story. And I'm full sorry, did not make it in the book, because that's too much for people. But it helped me like move past a lot of things on the 20 year anniversary. Because I was like, All right, let me You know, I wrote out the whole story. And right.

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: Yep. And your truth to it. And that's another thing. You might live in a situation of being situation and it goes with creative writing. Also, I've worked with content writers, poets and songwriters, I've just worked with one. If, if you don't have to get a really good idea, like you knew that, that that story was a good story, but you knew it couldn't go where in this book. But some people would have written that story and said, This is the best story. If I can't put it in this book, then I have nothing else to write they stop themselves adults do. And then we need to take that one step further. But what happens is we don't give ourselves a different trigger, or something else to think about. We keep getting hung up on that same idea that isn't working. And kids don't do that doesn't work, they move on. Adults will stay there. How am I gonna make this work? And that's probably this method is to help you get out of that. And I also review all the writers myths, like we don't have to be starving artists. I think there's imposter Sham. There's writing books. There's there's so many myths that stop us in our tracks.

Hugh Zaretsky:

And it's all the stories in our head, right? So you're just helping people break out of the stories. Yeah, and give themselves permission to do the thing that they want to do. But they're like, I haven't done it before. I was going to read my book, like you go through all of those things,

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: and use some scientific things to explain a little bit about how, you know a lot of people say Oh, I'm left brained or right brained. Well, guess what? You need both halfs to imagine anything? No. So you know, you might have to exercise and I do a lot of ideation exercises. They're so fun. i It's the most fun class to teach. Because we're we go out I tell it we go out and let's see all the time and I do that Just in left field and your concierge to left field. How's that?

Hugh Zaretsky:

Sounds good. Awesome. So what is it like one? Tip one thing for anybody that's like, Hey, I got a story. I want to start writing. But I don't know where to get started, what is something that they can do that you've seen? You know, because we talked about people here to follow that. And guys, if you want to write a book, go ahead and type the W in the chat right there. So you definitely do that. And everybody on here I know has a story in their head. So go ahead and put an S in the chat. Right. So as in the story, that was just question of, is it a full boat? Is it a poem? Is it whatever you got to get out? Right. But what is one thing, one tip that you would give to somebody that says, Hey, I've never written for how do I start, or what's the first thing to do?

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: In both my classes, the journaling and embrace your muse, the creative writing mindset class, I'd give glow work, not homework, glow work, get that ideas popping in your head. And the glow work is go for walk. Listen, observe and wander for just 10 minutes. So you've got this story in your head, most people don't know how to write the first word. Once you get the first word down, go for a walk, look around, I have scenes all in my books. From my glow work. I have a scene where I like I went walk in one evening. And I could see in people's windows, I could see their Christmas trees. I saw this one morning, I saw a little boy come running out first to get in the van with his brothers and sisters who were sliding over the backseat. And one of them had a toothbrush in their mouth. That whole scene came to me. And it was handed to me. And it was one of my books kinda right. So it doesn't matter when you start pulling is starting. So if you if you go out, see what triggers your brain, stare at the BARP. And you might see the shadow of your grandfather. And then all of a sudden you have an idea, you know, walk through and I had I had to stop for some birds the other day is as they were getting too close to me and my dog and I just watched them and they were watching me. And I thought of a scene. And it wasn't even with a bird it turned out to not even be with a bird that this but so So allow yourself quiet. And that the triggers come to you. So you can put a word you can start, it'll help you start. And remember, you might start writing and it's the middle of your book. That's okay, it's down on paper. You can rearrange it all later.

Hugh Zaretsky:

Okay, just just to start us out. But one of the things when you sit Be quiet, that means don't take your cell phone, right? Don't don't get those distractions, turn it off, go for that luncheon with intention and be like, Okay, what's my Sorry, what, you know, what do I want to get out to the world, and just sit there. And as you said, it's sort of like your meditation is your writing. And for some people that is right, just every morning, getting a few words out, and just being able to see

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: it's in there, you just need a plushy cards in there, you just need a trigger, you need something and if you don't know what you don't know, you don't know what your trigger is going to be. And that's why the glow work is so important. Just go for a walk, you might see something happen. And it reminded you of something from childhood. And then that's a Ha, your aha moment. Yep, I do it every day for 10 minutes. I

Hugh Zaretsky:

really hope you guys heard it. And I think that's one of the keys, even in an entrepreneurial world or finding your passion, it's doing something every day. You may not get it the first time, you may not do it the second time, but eventually your brain starts to go, oh, this is the time to open up my mind and think about those stories. And what's the next story? Right? It's

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: it's a muscle to exercise. That's why I'm vegan. Disney has you know, imagination, Academy or whatever theirs is called. And I do a lot of ideation exercises to trigger those muscles. It's important if you want to be a creative director.

Hugh Zaretsky:

And just to get the story out, right, like, I know, when I did mine, they were like, hey, it doesn't matter. Just pick a time and write for 10 minutes. That day. Doesn't matter what you write about does right? And some days you rarely make it through the 10 minutes and then other days you end up writing for hours. Right and

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: what's frustrating if you really honestly don't know what to write about, and you're staring at the wall, or you're banging your head against the wall, guess what? It's nothing's gonna happen because you haven't given it a trigger. So that's that's the part to grab. And especially when you write nonfiction, sometimes you have your triggers because you might know a topic or whatever. So you at least have your starting point to get to that field and get all these fun ideas from without going to AI for them. That's a whole nother topic. So this is your own, not artificial Intel, real intelligence at work,

Hugh Zaretsky:

fine job that was around that I get my book done so much faster. A long way, right? Like my newest hottest computer now if I didn't have to, like type it, my problem was the typing and writing that I didn't have to do that I just talked into it now like books, you know, for people that are, you know, not such good typers now you just talking to your computer, but make sure it's your own idea. And you're, you know, taking those people's ideas and tweaking them those types of things. So awesome. So now, you're in Florida now and so you've started golfing, and what's your enjoyment that you get out of golfing as your fun fact here?

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: I love to go, I do. I've been golfing. I just picked it up, or 2012 I think, and I started golfing. My husband was an avid golfer, I'd love to golf with him, it's one of the only things I really love to do together. And he's very patient with me. And so all of a sudden, I'm still a 36 handicap. And if you're a golfer, you know, that's about the bottom line. But I'm not a bad golfer, like I can par And and, and bogey some holes, and then I get 10 on the other ones. Just like right and right like it's the same thing someday. You hit the target our mindset, it's all a mindset, it's where I want to pull from that day, it's the same thing. I write in the Create, my creative writing has to be done in the morning before I wake up. I have to be way. But before I get on the computer saying with golf, if I Golf I have to golf before my brain starts doing something apples, I can golf in the afternoon, I can edit in the afternoon and do my promos, and my you know, social media in the afternoon. But mindset is important in my mind is clearest for golf and writing in the morning.

Hugh Zaretsky:

You guys aren't here. First up, find that right? A lot of people have that, you know, one of the worst habits people have is checking this thing right away as soon as they wake up, checking that cell phone, right? If you check that and then all sudden your brain starts

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: directions, oh, my cell phones, my squirrel.

Hugh Zaretsky:

So we don't want to squirrel and we want you to build the habit of success for whatever you want to help you find your passion and then get your story out there. Because everybody's got an amazing story. You may not feel that way. And everybody's like, well, everybody else does it this way. Actually they don't. Right. They really don't like coaching over 10,000 students across United States. Everybody's got a different story, how they got started, where they got started, all the different things. So you know, just go in there. Do it.

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: And if you have the same time, I mean, there's only 10 Really 10 stories out there. But I guess we've all heard that. And I'm not going to write like Nora Roberts, because she wasn't informed the way I was informed she has a different education than I do. She was brought up with different people in different places that I do. So we can't i can't compare myself to you know, Nora Roberts, if it's some people do, and this does come up, and we're talking about different mindsets and writing units. And then I'm like, well, somebody else got this done, you know, wrote a book in three months? Well, what I say to people like that is we all have the same 24 hours a day. How do you use yours? What's your priority? Yeah, it's a choice. And so you can't be mad at yourself, Stephen, because you only had an hour a day, if they're retired and have 15 hours a day. Actually, I think if you're retired, you do less because you don't have structure when I had to add the structure. Because once I'd retired and decided to do writing full time, I could do it tomorrow, I can do it tomorrow. Well, I've changed that.

Hugh Zaretsky:

I always say busier people get more things done, right, because you have to get it done in the time slot versus the procrastination. All right, I'll do it later, right. If you got to get it done, you get it done, and you hit that target. And so if you didn't do it information from this type of G in the chat, or hit the hearts and the lights right on there, make sure you follow the podcast so that we can continue to bring you amazing information here in the future. And be able to get this out to as many people as need to hear it because your story needs to get out there to other people as well. And before we wrap up here, Kyle, any last words of wisdom a quote or anything that you'd like to go by?

Hugh Zaretsky:

Kyle Ann Robertson: Your imagination will lead you to your writing potential.

Hugh Zaretsky:

There you go. You guys heard it here. First, your imagination will lead you to your writing potential. And you guys all have lots of potential, just you allowing yourself giving yourself permission to go ahead and do that. So we'll see everybody back here on the next podcast. And you know, make sure your hearts and the likes and the Launch button contact us and we'll make sure we stay in touch with Kyle you guys will hear from her in the future so thank you Kyle very much and let's take one more step one more day of writing one more sentence so you can hit your goal Have a great day everybody

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