S.R. Crickard is the author of the upcoming novel, Misshelved Magic. It’s a story that promises libraries, a mysterious creature, and greedy, power hungry magi, so who could say no to that? I am very excited to read this book when it releases in November. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.
QUESTION: What has your creative practice brought to your life?
CRICKARD: C.S. Lewis said, “Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage.” I believe that fiction, especially fiction with virtue and beauty, will leave things behind in our psyche, that we can then draw on in difficult situations. The creative writing process involves a lot of self-reflection and observation of others. Writing characters that feel real can only happen when you’ve analyzed and interacted with real people in real situations. I think a lot of who I am has been formed by reading good books and writing characters who find the good, true, and beautiful in unexpected places.
QUESTION: What advice would you give to someone who would like to establish a creative practice?
CRICKARD: My biggest advice for anybody who wants to ‘go public’ with their creativity is to learn to take criticism and take it from the right people. It can be very tempting to know you have a good idea and get angry when people don’t respond to it the way you expect.
Find people who are already successfully creating in your medium and learn from them, either by asking questions or just observing what they are doing that works. Not everybody has time to mentor a newer creator, but any way you can learn and absorb from successful creators, the better. There is a difference between learning from someone and copying. If you can take what works for others and put your unique style into it, that’s the goal. If our work is too precious for criticism or improvement, then we can never put it out into the world.
QUESTION: What do you think is the purpose of creative work?
CRICKARD: I think creativity is one of the things that makes us human. I believe we are created, and that we, in turn, are designed to create. Even a person who doesn’t think of themselves as particularly creative makes stuff. We cook, write, paint, design, and decorate homes, collect beautiful things, and invent new games and activities for ourselves. Creating and consuming creative work is something our souls need, and there are as many ways to be creative as there are people on earth.
QUESTION: What do you hope your audience takes from engaging with your creative work?
CRICKARD: I hope most people put my books down and feel hopeful and encouraged. Topics I’m passionate about show up in my writing naturally. Themes like Memento Mori, how our virtue shows up during hardship, and finding beauty in unexpected places, will make their way into everything I write.
