Yolande House's Creative Journey
Yolande House's Creative Journey
Yolande House has always been passionate about writing. From a young age, she found solace and expression in her words. Though she started writing seriously in her late twenties, it wasn't until her mid-thirties that she immersed herself in literary-focused online writing courses. These courses transformed her writing, teaching her the intricacies of craft she had previously only touched upon. Yolande's dedication to her craft led to early successes in publishing and literary magazines. However, her journey was far from straightforward.
Yolande’s Challenges
As Yolande's passion for writing grew, so did her challenges. Financial constraints during the early pandemic made it impossible for her to continue affording online writing courses, a crucial part of her growth as a writer. Additionally, as someone who is chronically ill and disabled, Yolande struggled with maintaining her writing momentum without external feedback and deadlines. Craft knowledge alone wasn't enough; Yolande realized she needed more profound emotional and mindset work. Trauma from her past, including CPTSD, had left her with poor boundaries and emotional blocks that hindered her creative process.
She was at a crossroads, seeking a way to bridge the gap between her writing projects and her emotional well-being.
The Solution
Chelene's holistic approach, and focus on emotional well-being, was exactly what Yolande needed. The Thrive Coaching Program became a crucial part of her journey. This program wasn't just about being creative; it was about slowing down, addressing emotional blocks, and setting up sustainable processes for long-term success. Through one-on-one coaching and voice memos, Chelene provided ongoing support, helping Yolande navigate her writing and personal challenges.
“I loved the guidance and interaction! Chelene’s support and insight were invaluable in developing better processes and systems for my writing, and for my life, setting up a much healthier foundation for a lifelong, sustainable writing career.”
Yolande’s Results
The impact of working with Chelene was transformative for Yolande. She developed a more robust writing process, learning to balance her workdays with ‘flow days’—days dedicated to writing without rigid expectations. This approach was particularly beneficial for flowing with the ebbs and tides of her chronic illness. Through the Thrive Coaching Program, Yolande learned to establish and maintain boundaries, a skill she had never mastered before. This newfound assertiveness extended beyond her writing life, allowing her to protect her peace and better focus on her creative work.
“Boundaries, I have to say, more than anything, were probably the most transformative… They’ve given me so much energy, and that's helped my writing life immensely.”
The emotional and mindset work Yolande undertook with Chelene also paid off in her writing. She was able to lean into a healthier way to process her trauma through writing, finding a therapeutic outlet for her emotions. Yolande was able to work on her fears and anxieties connected to writing about trauma. This was transformative for her. This holistic approach to her creative practice enabled Yolande to heal and grow, both personally and professionally. The structured guidance from Chelene helped Yolande organize her memoir and essays, providing clarity and direction for her projects.
Yolande House's journey as a creative has been one of resilience and transformation. With the Thrive program, Yolande developed a sustainable writing process, and found a better way to balance the physical and emotional toll writing about personal trauma can take with the emotional healing she finds through her craft. Her story is a testament to the power of holistic coaching and the importance of addressing both craft and emotional well-being along the creative journey.
Yolande House is a bisexual, disabled writer whose essays have appeared in literary magazines such as The Rumpus, Grain, Joyland, and The Fiddlehead. Her writing has made it to the finalist round at Creative Nonfiction three times, her Entropy essay was selected as one of the magazine’s “Best of 2018,” and her work has been supported by Access Copyright, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. She can be found online at www.yolandehouse.com, Instagram @healthruwriting, Twitter (X) @herstorian.
Currently, she’s working on a memoir-in-pieces about being hard of hearing.