Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Cox.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Hannah. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I fell in love with writing when I was nine years old, but started blogging 12 years ago to work out my junior high teenage angst. I would post poems and emotional posts. My blog started evolving in high school when I took on the challenge of posting every day for a year. Instead of angst, my blogs took on a personal tone, where I was and what I was learning in my faith and everyday life. Before I knew it, the fall of 2011 was here, it was time for college and the blog shifted again and became Oklahoma, Gypsy to chronicle all my adventures for my friends and family back home. Things changed quickly when my grandmother died three weeks into my freshman year. I blogged through my grief as I adjusted to moving back home, but my writing was deemed too dark by others. I stopped posting regularly, but continued writing in my journals. In 2017, after several years of blogging sporadically, I decided to launch again under Okay, Gypsy with a renewed purpose of pursuing my passion for writing and encouraging others wherever they are on their faith journey. Today, Okay, Gypsy is a place where I share book reviews, poems, and what I am learning in faith through self-designed graphics and blog posts. I am currently working on launching the blog in a more professional way, to better serve readers and create a space where they feel welcome to wonder and wander in their faith without judgment. I am also working on creating a line of products featuring my art and writing a poetry book I hope will come out soon. I am really just beginning this journey.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The road has definitely not been smooth, nothing worth pursuing is ever easy. I have struggled a lot with worthiness, perfectionism, and rejection. I have questioned if my voice really matters in this world already filled with amazing voices. Will people want to read my words? Are my words to dark, over-spiritualized or too fluffy? Will I ever make it as a writer? That is just a taste of the mental battle inside of me. Rejection is part of the process. I have submitted articles and poetry to many publications and have heard no more often than yes. I write posts and share on social media with little to no engagement. I have had people approach me to my face and question my faith based on their perception. It is easy to become discouraged in the pursuit of the gifts and passions God has given us. There is a battle going on between the truth and lies.
This is my pep talk: No matter what field you are in, keep going. Failure does not mean you are incapable, it means you have more to learn. Keep learning, growing, and following your passion. You will never know what will happen if you quit before you have even started. You are in a process, show yourself some grace, and stop trying to achieve perfection, it is unattainable here on earth. Embrace you’re messy, it is a beautiful journey.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Okay, Gypsy story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a believer, writer, reader, creator, and dreamer. My goal in everything I produce from writing blog and social media posts to following my paint brushes is to not judge a person based on how their journey looks from the outside. I know how it feels to be judged by the way my life and faith looks on the outside. I do not know where a person may be with God or life, but I know they need encouragement, support, and truth as they keep moving forward. I hope that Okay, Gypsy is that place, within the eclectic mix of words and paint strokes, where people find encouragement, support, and truth. I am most proud of this adventure because it is me, it is not me trying to please everyone or become someone else, but embracing the voice God has given me and the truth that has set me free. It is not what I am saying or producing that will set Okay, Gypsy apart, because it has all been said before, but it is the journey that makes this blog different and unique.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
The people in my life have been a huge part of my success. My mom is my editor and my dad is my computer guy. Without them my words would be a hot mess and my technology skills would be too. When I was younger, my dad would always explain “JOY” as Jesus, others, then yourself. That mindset has helped me keep my focus on what matters. My relationship with God is first above everything else, without Him it is not worth it. Others are second, in everything I should be considering them before my own desires. I am last because at the end of the day when I am dependent on Christ and loving others I am living my best life; a life of Joy. It is not about me; is the starting line for success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://okaygypsy.blogspot.com/
- Email: hello.okaygypsy@gamil.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/okaygypsy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OkayGypsy/
Image Credit:
Angela Cox, Christ Cox, Hannah Cox, Naomi Mattay
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
