Creators are the heart and soul of Tealfeed. As they continuously work towards feeding us more information every day, it's only fitting to bring out their journey for the world to know.

In this series “Creators Spotlight”, we are asking our creators about their journey. Watch out for them sharing their journey and getting candid with us. Today we have with us Sheryl Garratt.

Sheryl Garratt, a writer, a journalist and a magazine editor, shares spending her childhood in Birmingham and talks about the life of a writer!

Continue reading to find out more!

Who has been the biggest influence in your life? What lessons did that person or those people teach you?

I wanted to be a writer even as a small child. My parents told me not to be so silly, that only one in a million people get a job such as journalism. My grandmother would quietly whisper in my ear: “But what if it was you? You could be that one in a million. Why not?”

By the age of 15, I was reviewing bands on the radio in my hometown of Birmingham. I was 17 and still at school when I had my first paid interviews and reviews published in newspapers. 

Tell us about your childhood, what was the best part? Is there any specific incident that has largely influenced the kind of person you are today?

I had a really rich, happy childhood. But my favourite place was always the library. So many books! And I wanted to read them all. Still do.

Where is your hometown, and what was it like when you were young?

I grew up in Birmingham, the UK’s second biggest city. Even when I was young, in the 1970s, it was very racially mixed.

There was a brilliant music scene evolving there as I grew into my teens, mixing reggae, soul, ska, punk: The Specials, The Beat, UB40, Steel Pulse, Dexy’s Midnight Runners. I was right in the middle of it all, and writing about music was how I got started as a journalist. 

How important a role does content play in your life? Are you a full-time content creator? Why did you start creating content?

I am a writer. For most of my working life, I was a journalist and a magazine editor. Now I’m a coach helping creatives of all kinds get the success they want, making work they truly love.

I write a weekly blog on creativity at thecreativelife.net. But I don’t tend to think of it as content. It’s words, stories, useful information. 

What’s that one aspect of being a writer no one talks about?

It’s not always easy. There are magical days when the words flow smoothly and everything you’re trying to say comes out perfectly. But most of the time it’s about research, persistence, editing and polishing.. just going over it again and again until it works. 

What’s the most satisfying part of being a writer?

When readers get in touch and say it changed something for them: that they grew or learned, changed their mind on an issue or found out something new. 

What are you up to currently and what are your long-term career goals?

I’m just finishing the second edition of my book Making It: Ten Steps to Creative Success Without Stress. I’m also ghost-writing a book with someone in the UK fashion industry.

But mainly, I want to empower a new generation of creatives to make the work they’re supposed to make. I’m in the last decade or so of my working life. But if you’re young and just starting out, please don’t give up. We need you. Your creativity can save the world! 

What drives you to create content regularly?

I am a writer. I’ve always written, told stories. And I always will. It’s how I make sense of the world. 

What’s the most challenging part of being a content creator?

I think if you’re new to it, the challenge is finding your own authentic voice and then finding your audience, just getting seen and heard amid all the noise.

How do you make sure that you aren’t affected by nasty comments and negative things said about you?

I don’t read them. It’s the only way to stay sane!

Anything else you would like our audience to know about you!

You can find me at thecreativelife.net.

How would you want people to remember you?

As kind. And perhaps funny sometimes. 

What's success for you and when you would consider yourself to be successful?

Changing hearts and minds. Making the world fairer and better for all of us. Doing whatever I’m doing with integrity. Laughing a lot. Having all the time I need for family and friends. That’s my definition of success now. 

Who’s your favorite creator? Why?

David Bowie. Nina Simone. Bob Marley. Bjork. Elizabeth Gilbert. Brene Brown. Alice Walker. William Blake. Georgia O’Keeffe. Zaha Hadid. Jonathan Ive. I could go on and on and on. So many creatives out there create beauty, soothing our souls, inspiring us, making new and exciting things! 

To every individual who’s planning to start out as a content creator, what would you like to advise them?

Find your own voice. Be bold, be original. Don’t measure yourself in clicks and views.