Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Hurst.
Hi Michelle, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been a science educator for over twenty years. I’ve taught in Arlington, Kennedale, and Mansfield. I currently work in curriculum and instruction. I love my job and have always seen the value in education. Several years ago, two things happened at once. I developed a chronic pain condition (trigeminal neuralgia) that made it hard to talk. I was a teacher and presenter and talked for a living. I had also just been accepted to a doctoral program for curriculum at Texas A&M. Over the course of those four years, I had brain surgery to help my condition, but I also wrote paper after paper and finished my degree. I have always written for fun and to process emotions and even had a “mom blog” when my kids were young. At the time it was just a hobby. I’d never had any formal writing training or courses and my career seemed to be moving in a completely different direction. I let the blog dwindle to just a post or two a year, but people kept asking me about it. Recently my mother has been struggling with memory issues. I realize that the opportunities for her to share her stories are narrowing. This was the push I needed to get serious about telling my own stories. I bought a domain, signed up with a writing coach, and started submitting pieces. Struggling to talk helped me find me voice. Writing my thesis helped give me confidence in my non-academic words. Watching someone lose their story has made me realize how important it is to tell mine.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
On the first day of my physics class each year, I used to give my students a challenge involving a notecard. I’d give them the challenge and a huge stack of cards. They struggled each year. I made a point to always praise the student who kept trying. Who was still working on the challenge, ten notecards later, even after we had moved on. I used that demonstration and language all year to encourage them how to keep going when they felt stuck. I always told them that I had plenty of notecards. I made sure to note how I gave them a half dozen cards, not one. This was because I didn’t expect them to get right on the first time or even the second. That I always had more and would be happy to give them the first step, but that I would not give them the answer. I was confident that they would get there eventually and I wasn’t so worried about how quickly it happened. For the first time ever, I have been submitting my work – to websites, newspapers, and literary magazines. For a girl who did not take any writing classes in college, this is intimidating. I’ve decided to send in one piece a week. I had some quick success, then came a few rejection letters and a whole lot of crickets. The first few did not phase me; they were to be expected. This is part of what it means to be a writer. Then more showed up in my in box. A few were very personal and kind, but they started to sting. My confidence wobbled, and not just as a writer but in everything. In my head, I know that this is just part of it. One of my favorite authors, Adam Grant, reminds us that “No one is rejecting us. They are rejecting a sample of our work, sometimes only after seeing it through a foggy lens”. Rejection letters mean I am doing the work, that I’m in the arena, but it can still get to you.
I have written entire professional development presentations on the importance of academic struggle and how important it is to learning and growth. Yet when I find myself in the middle of it, I do not feel like growing or learning. I’d rather watch Bridgerton or go for a walk than do some edits and try again. I’d rather go to the post office or hang laundry (two things I hate) than send more of my heart out there. I’d rather clean my office desk or match socks (two things I really hate) than tell people about my failures – but here I am wearing mismatched socks writing about it.
A friend told me about Stephen King nailing all his rejection letters to the wall and I just created an email folder for them. I slide them over. I googled rejection rituals and read about a writer who set a goal of 100 rejection letters. Another writer bought beautiful beads and placed them in a glass bowl, one for each rejection. She wanted to make something beautiful from those hard moments. I googled rejection rituals and read things like burn the letters or to write about them or write yourself an acceptance letter. I’m not trying to start any fires over here (yet) so I combined a few. I have a friend who when her son wants to buy an album or watch a movie that has questionable content – makes a deal with him. He has to read a self-improvement book or solid work of literature before buying an album with an E or M on the cover because let’s be honest kids are going to listen anyways. And maybe putting good content in him first will balance out some of the rest. I have a playlist for anything, so I built the most affirming badass list of songs to pull out when I need some encouragement.
I have to live what I taught. This week I went to Michaels. I did not choose a small beautiful bowl but instead bought the largest jar I could find, a bag of small stones, and a thin metallic sharpie. For each rejection letter, I decided I’d write something good about myself or the piece on the stone and place it in the jar. The big jar does not represent the fact that I anticipate failing so many more times, it represents all those notecards. I want to give myself plenty of room to keep going. I want to give myself the same confidence and permission I used to give my students.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a writer. I have written several posts for the Mighty, Grit, and Grace Project and a few educational blogs. My favorite topics are faith, chronic illness, hope, relationships, and middle age. I struggle with faith, questions, complicated relationships, pain, and details like where I put my keys. I often don’t know how I feel until I see it typed out. I wrote most often on my website www.michellewallishurst.com. I am working on a few projects – a series for the Choose Courage Foundation and a book of essays.
I’m proud of my willingness to invest in myself. In the willingness to learn, struggle, edit and submit over and over again. It takes courage to keep going.
I am most encouraged and proud when other people see themselves in my writing when it helps them name an emotion or response that they did not have the words for. I think people’s stories matter and I am honored to be able to tell them.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
I’m happy when something I write moves another person because it is a connection. So often we feel alone in our stuff, but art can help you feel connected even if our “stuff” varies. I’m happy when I’m hiking. I love sunshine and being outside.
I’m happy when I’m sitting at the table with my family laughing. These are my people and their laughter feeds my heart.
Contact Info:
- Email: michelle@michellewallishurst.com
- Website: www.michellewallishurst.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellewallishurst13
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelle.w.hurst.1/
Image Credits
Rhonda Brunson
