Author and artist Janet Whitehead has been coaching people both locally and internationally for 11 years, and while coaching usually starts off covering general life goals, she often discovers her clients have a story to tell.
It might be fiction or based on their own personal experiences, but most have the same thing in common — they have something to share with the world and something else stopping them from doing so.
“Most people just don’t think of themselves as writers, even when they have a story idea that needs to be told,” says. “They don’t think they are good enough, so they don’t want to invest money in themselves, even in something like coaching.”
Whitehead recognized the issue and went to work finding an affordable solution.
And so Writerly Kits was born. A subscription box packed with a bevy of items writers need to help kick-start their writing process, Whitehead explained.
The kits feature items such as coffee to give that writer's mind a buzz, Whitehead says, and aromatherapy oil blends designed to elicit creativity. It also has journals, guides to help writers remain organized throughout the process and activities designed to kick-start your imagination.
“They get the support of writing tools to get them past all those things getting in the way,” Whitehead says.
It includes tips and tricks, as well as things to help them just acknowledge they're writers.
She notes it's surprising how many people don’t think of themselves as a writer, and that can be a pretty big hump to get over in the writing process.
“By getting a subscription it means they are admitting they are writers, and that is a big step.”
The kits are more than just the physical contents that come in the mail; it also includes an online community for those who subscribe, filled with published authors and those working toward that goal.
“It allows them to have even more support in their writing process and see they are normal in all the things they are going through.”
Whitehead ensures her kits are personal, especially when compared to what can be found online.
“Every kit comes with a letter from a published artist,” Whitehead says, a part she admits gives her chills. “The letters are so sincere, they give insight and advice, and every letter feels like it was written directly to the reader.”
One thing Whitehead must keep in mind when compiling the boxes is that every writer is different, and binding every person to the same process is setting them up to fail. Instead, she's designed her kits to allow writers to explore what works, or doesn't. Even seasoned writers have contacted her about the improvements they have made in their own writing process, thanks to her kits.
She is getting ready to release her second kit themed "Imagination Gone Wild."
Whitehead, who is based in Kamloops, credits Kamloops Makerspace for much of her project's success, as they have helped her create the kits.
Kits cost $68, plus shipping with new kits released every two months, filled with all new items based on a different theme. The kits have been sent across Canada, the U.S. and as far as Japan.
All orders for Writerly Kits can be made through the website.
— Cavelle Layes is a freelance reporter for KamloopsMatters.com. This story has been shortened from its original version.
