Parenthood brings unmeasurable joy, but it’s also possible to simultaneously feel lost in a new world of responsibility and unpredictability. Both men and women can experience a loss of identity after becoming a parent. For writers, this radical shift in priorities can move writing down to the bottom of their list.

In today’s special episode, Maria Secoy, Erin’s friend and colleague, interviews your host to get more details about her origin story. Erin shares the lead up to losing her identity and her motivation for writing after parenthood — as well as the resources she used to get back to expressing herself through writing, dreaming, finding an identity beyond mom, and being the kind of parent she’s proud of.

Erin and Maria discuss breaking the cycle of generational trauma and why it’s so important to the progression of the self and raising the next generation. You’ll hear what led to Erin creating this podcast, Parents Who Write, and her future dreams.

Vulnerability is key to self-awareness and making a change, so take the first step toward finding your identity by tuning in today.

Topics discussed in this episode

• Erin describes her journey as a writer and editor
• When and why Erin lost her motivation for writing
• How parenthood changed her and affected her writing
• Struggling with undiagnosed ADHD and anxiety
• Erin’s breaking point and impetus for change
• Breaking the cycle of trauma and its constant work
• What helped Erin reconnect with herself and her writing
• Erin’s favorite way to eat a potato!
• Where does Erin see herself in 15 years?
• Progress in Erin’s relationships, fulfillment, and self-nourishment
• Why Erin is sharing her story and how she’s already meeting her goals

About Erin

For 15 years, Erin has worked as a magazine and book editor, encouraging each writer’s individual voice and strengthening their writing goals. When she became a parent, she set aside her own writing aspirations to focus on her family.

Despite fearing her skills had atrophied, Erin finally started writing again, which helped her to unearth her identity beyond being mom. She then shared her journey through her blog, Life Beyond Parenting. Erin’s current role as a podcaster and writing coach enables her to help parents pursue their writing dreams.

She earned her MA in Writing from Johns Hopkins University, and she has finished the first draft of a fantasy-romance novel. She lives with her husband and their two young boys in Maryland.

Connect with Erin

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinptcanning
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/erinptcanning 
• Facebook group: https://facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite
• Book a free 30-minute consultation call:
  https://calendly.com/parentswhowrite/30min-meeting

About Maria

Maria Secoy has a BA in English and an MEd in Secondary English. She spent more than a decade in the classroom helping students grow as authentic writers.

She wrote and published her first romance novel, Alongside Lucy, in February 2022, which has since reached #4 on the Amazon Best Sellers List.

After hearing stories of editors gone wrong, cover designs that flopped, struggles with marketing, and anxiety over the entire self-publication process, she launched All Write Well to support writers who want to self-publish. Since then, All Write Well has grown to include a team of supportive experts to meet all the publishing needs of writers.

Connect with Maria

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/msecoywriter
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/msecoywriter
• Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/awwromance
• All Write Well (self-publishing support services): https://allwritewell.com/

Free your creative self too

Let’s connect via my Facebook group, Parents Who Write, at https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentswhowrite.