Meet Rachel Ewing | Writer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Ewing and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
My work life balance used to be all about the work and grinding on it until it was done… But the hardest part about writing (probably other creative jobs) is that I cannot force it. I would skip events and stay home to focus on fixing my work, but unless I was in the right head space, it wouldn’t be worth it. I’d get the pages cranked out, but they wouldn’t be good because I was trying to force the process to happen faster. I would get stuck in a script and try to ring answers out of time alone with the page. The empty page that was giving me nothing.

After too many times, I eventually learned to change my work life balance to be more life and less work. I developed a sense of when I need to step outside for a walk. I figured out that going out to do things actually breaks those barriers I was trying to muscle through alone. I learned that my writing is informed by what I’m thinking about and doing in my life. I learned to stop trying to pour from an empty cup. I still feel guilty, like I should be powering through, especially on deadline for a job, but I really learned that I need to give myself grace and the ability to take time to fill myself back up. Not only does having a life now make my writing process easier, it is also better because it isn’t just me writing about writing because that’s all I’m doing.

I still have to force myself to write somedays and there are still professional deadlines that mean missing things, but that permission and ability to get up and call a friend or walk my dog or listen to a podcast has changed everything for me. I feel more inspired and excited by my life than I used to. And my work has also made my life better. I say yes to more things and meet more people because I am seeking those things out. I am much more willing to be uncomfortable because I’m working through a piece of writing and I need the distraction. I know great ideas can come from new experiences, so I go and I do way more than I used to. I’m so thankful for that.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think I am most proud to finally have found my voice as a writer. For a long time I wrote what I thought was wanted by others and what was “good”. I worried about what my grandmother and church would say. I worried what the guy I was dating would say. But now I am focused on writing what I actually am. I thought I should be happier and shinier. I felt the “be likable” note women get a lot and I tried for so long, but one day I sat down and wrote a horror script and it felt right. I stopped trying to scrub the darkness and anger out of my work. I let the cracks in my happy face show and the world got so much better for me. I found amazing women who are also into horror to mentor and work with me. I really like and am proud of what I’m writing. I still have glitter and cuteness, but I also have blood and rage. Finding out that was something people liked made me feel seen in a way that I wasn’t for previous writing jobs. I feel like I have a brand and an identity now and that helps me connect with others like me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
We start by getting breakfast and coffees to go from Horror Vibes Coffee in NoHo. The owner is so nice and the drinks are always themed and delicious. Then we go to The Brand Library in Burbank. The building is gorgeous and park around it is perfect for walking. Libraries are such a gift to our community and I love them more than I can say.

Then more walking along Magnolia in Burbank. There are tons of second hand shops and cool things to check out, especially in the Mystic Museum and It’s a Wrap. After that, we go to Don Cucos in Burbank because they are top notch Mexican food and the world is always better after nachos and a margarita. Then we finish by going to Player One in NoHo for arcade games.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to Shoutout my Writer’s Group – Ashley, April, Joe! Writing often feels so lonely and like you’re spinning your wheels alone but these amazing people make me feel like I have a team. They make me want to write so I have something to show them and they make me want to be better because they are so talented. I recommend to everyone that they find a community to lean on as they work, because it makes everything so much better.

Website: https://www.rachelewing.com/

Instagram: @rewingthday

Twitter: @rewingthday