The Life of a Writer & Artist

Joelle Steele Interviewed by Barbara Cabot
Freelance Magazine, 2005

I'm just a creative person, and I express my creativity in whatever format, whatever media, feels most appropriate at the moment. -- Joelle Steele

In 1992, after attending her presentation on expanding creativity and then reading and seeing some of her work, I interviewed writer and artist Joelle Steele in Venice Beach, California. In 1997, she moved to Monterey, California, and in 1999, I moved to San Francisco. I've kept in touch with Joelle, and I again visited her, this time at her house in Monterey. We sat on her patio in the shade of a trio of pine trees, looked out over her garden, and talked again about her art and writing, and her upcoming relocation to Lacey, Washington.

Barbara Cabot: You live in a house now. What a change from your studio apartment in Venice Beach.
Joelle Steele: Oh yes. Big change. Even bigger change on the way because I’m moving to Washington state in just a few months.
BC: But isn’t Monterey a great artistic inspiration?
JS: Yes, in some ways it is, but it’s not the right place for me. I intended to spend the rest of my life here, but instead it has turned out to be a transitional place, and I'm now done here and ready to move on.
BC: So what has been happening over the past 13 years since we last spoke? What are you creating these days?
JS: Lots of books. Just finished my fourth for the year.
BC: I notice you have a pretty extensive Web site.
JS: Yes. I started joellesteele.com in 1994, and I just developed it more and more over the years. It is a tremendous creative vehicle for me.
BC: Yes, I saw you had pages for all your creative pursuits.
JS: Pretty much. I am very drawn to the horticultural stuff, so that’s kind of my priority. That and looking for more cover illustration work.
BC: Where do you find the time to do it all?
JS: It’s about all I do. I spend at least five hours every day writing or designing stuff. I’ve got more software now that helps me creatively.
BC: Do you draw on the computer?
JS: No. I like the feel of traditional drawing and painting tools and materials. But now I have a scanner and image management software, a digital camera. I can do things for myself and my clients that I could never have done all on my own back in 1992.
BC: For example ...
JS: Well, years ago, if I was designing a cover for a CD or book, I would paint a picture or take a photo, and then I’d have to find ways to make it look the way I envisioned it, then get the fonts done, then lay it all out manually and have it shot, and it was just a long and tedious process. Now I do it all -- aside from the basic art -- from start to finish on my computer and it is very fast and easy by comparison. I can even superimpose the typesetting.
BC: Are you still writing poetry?
JS: Of course. I even self-published a book of poems called A Tapestry of Eden.
BC: Self-publishing appears to be a significant part of what you do these days.
JS: Yes, and I find that the entire process, from writing the books to typesetting them, doing illustrations for them, and even the marketing, is extremely enjoyable and fulfilling. I now have complete creative control over my own works by self-publishing them and then taking advantage of the Internet as a vehicle for marketing them.
BC: How much client work do you do?
JS: Well, I've quit editing and writing for hire, and I'm now focusing mostly on my book sales and illustration work, also website design.
BC: So how are your book sales?
JS: Well, they were very slow a year ago, but now they are greatly improved. I’ve been working at boosting my ranking in the search engines, and that is making me a lot more visible, so sales have gone up considerably.
BC: How many more books are on your list of books to write?
JS: Oh, that list! It has really grown. There are about 160 books on it now, and about 40 of them are in various stages of completion. I just kind of pick one, work on it for a while, go on to another one, finish it, pick out another one ... and I also do new books that aren't even on the list. I'll never do all 160. Some of them will be deleted, but I never run out of ideas.
BC: What will be your next book?
JS: There are three for the horticultural industry that I’m trying to decide on at the moment. I’m also working on customized brochures and websites for that industry. Also selling contract templates instead of forms.
BC: You’ve got more outlets for creativity it seems.
JS: Definitely.
BC: And you have a garden.
JS: Yes. It was bare dirt just five years ago. I’ll be sorry to leave it. So much of my heart went into it. But, oh my aching back!
BC: Is there a garden for you in Washington?
JS: With all that rain, you can count on it. My house there is almost three times the size of this one and it's on a third of an acre, so there's more room to garden. It also has about a dozen 120' tall Douglas fir trees. I can’t ever seem to get enough trees!
BC: You said that back in 1992.
JS: Well, I guess that means I’m consistent!
BC: What will you be doing in Washington?
JS: I'll continue my self-publishing business and expand it. I plan to break my current Web site into several smaller, more manageable ones. And I will be doing illustration and photo restoration. I'm trying to keep my options open.
BC: You said that before too.
JS: Well, keeping your mind open to all the possibilities is part of being creative.
BC: I see you even wrote a book about expanding creativity.
JS: That would be Unblocked. I’m very happy with that book. Unfortunately, I don’t have any time to market it. It has only sold about 100 copies, so I need to do something with it soon.
BC: Are you teaching?
JS: Not here, but I plan to teach again when I’m settled in Washington.
BC: Will you miss California?
JS: Probably not. All my family is up there and that’s the main attraction for me.
BC: That and gardening?
JS: Yes, it always comes back to gardening for me.
BC: Do you have any updated advice for would-be writers and artists?
JS: For writers, yes. After over 20 years of editing, all I can say is, please take classes in grammar, spelling, and vocabulary building. Learn how to write and communicate intelligibly. For artists -- and for writers too -- learn to use the Internet. It is a fabulous tool.
BC: Do you have a plan yet?
JS: I’m working on one ...
BC: More options?
JS: Oh yes. There are always more options, more opportunities. More every day.
BC: So you don’t suffer from the creative blocks you wrote about in Unblocked?
JS: I can honestly say that I am never blocked. Can’t even recall the last time I was. Must be at least 25 years ago.
BC: You don’t ever hit a dry spell?
JS: I wish. I could really use a break sometimes!
BC: How about art? All those abstracts you were going to paint?
JS: They are coming up in the very near future. Finally. I see them for 2006.
BC: What else do you see in your crystal ball?
JS: I see more short stories and more novels.
BC: So life is good.
JS: Yes, it’s great!

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