Meet Amie McNee | Author, Creativity Coach, Public Speaker, Book Doula.

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

Hi Amie, what role has risk played in your life or career?
As an author and a creative coach, taking risks and letting myself be seen is an integral part of all my success. Being an artist means you are an inherent risk taker. Creativity, in any form, makes you vulnerable, and vulnerability is risky. Being seen is risky. Choosing to take up space is risky. Artistry is all about risk.
But for many, many years, even though I was writing my books, practising my craft, I evaded risk and stayed in my comfort zone, not sharing my art, waiting to be picked.
I wanted the publishing houses and agents to see me, and choose me, to take on all the risk for me. Without their approval I believed I had to stay small. I believed that without external permission I couldn’t be an author, I couldn’t be a professional creative. I had to wait. And so I did, for years, getting into credit card debt and working jobs that wore at my soul.
It wasn’t until I took the risk of coronating myself, picking myself that I found success as an author and entrepreneur.
I had to take one of the biggest risks any human can take, which was to go out on a limb and say, despite no one else agreeing with me – I back myself. I choose myself. Witness me.
And so; I published my own books, I started my own creativity coaching business, I became a book doula, a podcaster and a public speaker, without anyone’s permission, just my own conviction in myself.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a historical fiction author! My book The Rules Upheld By No One was released last year and received so beautifully by the world. My next book baby is set to be released at the end of 2022 and I cannot wait. All my books are born from my degree in medieval history, focussing specifically on sex culture, sex work and pornography in the middle ages! I write the untold, wild and wonderful stories of people from that time.

It was through writing my fiction, battling with the submissions process, and moving through the loneliness of creativity that led me to creativity coaching. I was battling with bad depression, sitting on a throne of hundreds of rejection letters, and I thought: I need someone to support me through this. Who is talking about how hard it is to be creative? Who could guide me through this incredibly intense dark night of the soul?
For a long time, I couldn’t find anyone. I couldn’t find anyone talking about it, offering support, recognising just how much inner work is required when we commit to our creativity.
So I became the person I needed most.
Four years later, I am speaking to tens of thousands of creatives every day, supporting us, holding us as we do the brave, brave thing – share our art.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Alright, we are in Sydney together, an incredibly beautiful and vibrant city. BUT I am highly introverted, and the best place I know is my house, with a good G and T, and my husbands cooking. So we are definitely staring there.

But seeing this is a week long trip, I’ll have to get creative. So I am going to introduce you to Australian Cafe Culture. Australia does the best breakfasts and coffee in the world. Fight me, my instagram is @inspiredtowrite, I’ll see you in my dms.
We are heading to Sydney’s Northern Beaches and going straight to Monaka, a Japanese cafe that does an incredible traditional Japanese breakfast, and the best eggs, toasts and side ever. They also serve everything with this salad, that my husband and I affectionately call ‘crack salad’. It’s not describable with words, you’ll just have to wait and see.
Still hungry? We are going to Barrel One in Brookevale, a little further south on the coast and we are getting a bagel and coffee. Or maybe a toastie. It’s up to you, but you’ll like it.
As we are going south along the beaches, we’ll just keep going for convenience sake, and head straight to Sunset Sabi on one of australia’s most famous beaches, Manly. We will eat dumplings and then we will have a sunset stroll on the coast. It’ll be delightful.
Ideally, we’ll finish eating before 8, because this writer likes a 9pm bedtime. But once we get up, there will be like a dozen excellent cafes we can choose from for breaky.
Just realised I only talked about food spots, but honestly that’s very on brand for me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My husband, fellow author, podcaster, and business partner James Winestock. There were so many creatives who gave me the courage to choose myself and let myself be seen, but no one did it like James did it. He saw me before I saw myself. He read my books before anyone else read them. He was witnessing me when I felt like everything I did or made was done in a vacuum. Being witnessed and seen for who you truly are is the greatest gift and James gave me that.

Website: www.amiemcnee.com

Instagram: inspiredtowrite

Twitter: amiemcnee

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmieFionaMcNee

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-L0qxnj_ey5tG6wWa28BzA/about