An Exclusive Interview With Canadian Author Brandi Heather

I recently sat down with former client Brandi Heather, who is the author of the new book, Return To Play, to hear her reflections on her writing experience and what it feels like to be a Best-Selling author. Here is what Brandi had to say:

What inspired you to author your first book?

You know when you relate a story to people and they respond back, “oh my goodness, I had no idea other people felt that or thought that, or experienced that? That is what I wanted to write down, so that maybe just one person would read it and think, “wow...that is where my gifts have been hiding”. They were there all along. I love a book that reminds us that we already have so many skills and talents, but we spend so much time trying to get things “right” that sometimes we lose the best part of ourselves.

To be honest, worry also made me move to write the book. Over the past twenty years, I have seen, experienced, and listened as people of all ages and abilities are increasingly struggling with coping and resilience. The mental health crisis, increasing division, and fear of diversity and difference, extreme loneliness, and an ever-increasing inability to cope with the through challenge and change, make me think, what can I do? The book is not full of solutions, it is full of reimagining the journey, what we can do from birth to death to use our natural drive to play as a tool for resilience, facing risk, and finding ways to reconnect.

Describe how your writing space looked and felt?

This is funny, when Ryan first asked me about creating this “space” on one of our coaching calls, my husband said, “your space is everywhere!!” But my favorite space to write was on a comfy chair in my front room that gets sunlight all day. I would twist myself into the chair with my laptop and faux polar bear blanket and write. I tried writing in my office, but deep words find more meaning in comfort for me.

What was your writing schedule like when you were writing Return To Play?

If you read the book you will see that structure and stringency are not my “gifts”, but I would try and write every day. Ryan’s diligent schedule and knowing we would connect each week kept me motivated to write with purpose. The content was the accumulations of notes for a lifetime. I often have thoughts in the moments when my brain is not trying to create “on purpose”. So, many days it was just a matter of constructing from already set ideas and research.

What do your loved ones think about having an author in the family?

My mom is the best. When I told her I was writing a book, she said “of course you are!!??”, she has always been amazed at how much I can keep going at one time. At the time, like so many others, I was working to keep new business growth in the middle of a pandemic, I had my daughter Megan learning online at home, and struggling at times with my own health, etc. My husband, who has this unwavering confidence in me, is so excited for me to share my voice with others, he knows that is where I find my smile. My whole family is so proud.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in crafting “Return To Play”?

I found out so much about myself - but one of the biggest realizations was that in order for me to grow, and imagine and do the things that I speak about, risking with new ideas, trying even when you have fallen down, etc. That takes people… The pandemic has left us at a distance from people, and therefore creative people like me struggle to do what comes naturally without being with people. There were times during writing where I would take my laptop to the park and write, just so I could watch families, people walking on the pathways, etc. I realize that is my fuel, and that social distance also keeps me at a creative distance. I have found new ways to play with groups online, watch them create and connect, but it took me a while to find my place there.