Today, Invisible Friends, we’re going to be inspired.

The fabulous Whitney from Whitney Inspired is the definition of a creative woman.  She writes, paints, scrapbooks and teaches!  It’s enough to put you in a whimsical tizzy!

Let’s learn more about her, shall we?

How did you get started blogging?

I started blogging because I wanted an outlet to share my ideas and art, both words and pictures.  My blog provides a stress-free environment to experiment with my writing.  Assigning a blog title was difficult, and then I realized that “Whitney Inspired” is perfect because I write whenever I feel inspired.  I do not write because it is my job or because I am forced to but because I am inspired to write.

What does being creative mean to you?

To be creative is to allow my imagination to wander and to let my inspiration guide me in modes of self-expression.

Why do you think it’s important for women to balance creativity in their daily lives?

I am a high school English teacher, and I love my job.  One thing I love about my job is that, although I spend much time completing paperwork, grading, and attending meetings, I also get to be creative in lesson planning, interacting with my students, and decorating my classroom.  In this way, the humdrum tasks of my job are balanced with the aspects that require my personal touches of creativity.

Although teaching is my career, I cannot let my career consume my life.  I must make time for my family, my friends, and myself and creativity.

In many ways, my creativity drives me and keeps me going.  Sure, I have bad days from time to time or wake up on the wrong side of the bed, but exercising my creativity can pull me out of any slump.  The world is not black and white.  There is always a margin of error.  There are always gray areas.  I see the world in a rainbow of colors, and I view every situation as a spark for my writing, thinking “I have a character who might do this or need this or think that… That’s a great quote for…”

Without this balance between life’s work and humdrum tasks and the creative, a woman could lose sight of her sense of self – who she is, what she believes in, and what makes her happy.

One of Whitney’s creations

What kind of creative things do you do every day?

I write something – anything – every day either online or in a notebook, and there are many days that my husband and I discuss characters in my novel as if they are living, breathing people we know.  Who are they, what are their problems, how do they feel, and why?  I also sketch and paint.  Scrapbooking is one of my favorite hobbies.  I also experiment with makeup, especially eye shadow colors.  My face is my canvas every morning!

Tell me about your family.

My family lives in Tennessee.  My parents have been married for 25 years, I am 23 years old, and my brother is 6 years younger than me.  I have 3 living grandparents whom I love dearly. My husband and I still live in Tennessee but a few hours away from my parents.   We do not have children yet, but we do enjoy life with our Boston Terrier, Bo, and our cat, Purdy (she purrrs, and she’s pretty).

None of my family members write or would consider themselves to be in any general sense “artistic,” but I am compelled to express my creativity in many ways.

Favorite food?

Seafood and Mexican food are my favorite.

Favorite song?

I enjoy all kinds of music and have an affinity for 80s rap at the moment.

Do you like to dance?

I love to dance, especially to 80s rap!

If you could take a trip with anyone and go anywhere, where would you go and who would you take?

I would take a Carnival Caribbean cruise with my husband for however long it would take me to finish the current novel that I am writing.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given?

Some of my students might say extra credit… but I think probably when I surprised my husband with a coupon to a day spa to get a massage and sugar scrub treatment during a time when he was working full time, attending school full time, and finishing up final exams.  He is a very masculine, “manly man” who works hard and does not take a lot of time out to physically care for himself.  At first, he was not keen on the idea of going to a day spa, but we went together, and he enjoyed the experience.

Bo, the inspired Boston Terrier

What’s your ideal pet?

My ideal pet is one who is non-aggressive and who enjoys being with people. Both of my pets are amiable, gentle animals.

There’s an enormous present waiting on the kitchen table for you.  What’s in it?

A PhD certificate and my completed novel… and maybe some roses.

How long have you been writing?  What do you write?  What are your goals with your writing?

I have been writing all my life.  Most of my writing up to this point has been academic writing, but now I focus on fiction writing.  For my academic writing, I hope to develop some peer reviewed articles for publication.  For my fiction writing, I hope to publish novels.

Photo by Whitney

Why do you think it’s important to include writing in education?


People need to be able to articulate their ideas, needs, and concerns verbally both in speech and writing to communicate effectively and efficiently for a variety of purposes, both personally and professionally.

What’s your favorite book?

My favorite book is One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

What do you hope people gain from your writing?

I hope people enjoy the experience of reading my fiction, and I hope people gain knowledge and insight from reading my academic writing.

Why do you write?

I enjoy writing and sharing ideas.  It gives me a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment.

What did you get your graduate degree in?

My Masters of Education is in Secondary Education, and my Bachelor of Arts is in English.

What do you hope people get from your blog?

I hope to explore my writing abilities and to meet people with similar interests as my own and who inspire my writing.

What’s the best sentence you’ve ever written?

I cannot say for sure what the “best” sentence I have ever written is, but here is one that I enjoyed writing:

“Unable to say more, the ice melted, and from head to toe, heart and soul, Jayme’s cool body drained into a pool of lukewarm water on the floor just as a breeze blew in from the window, swishing the pale, purple curtains, and rippled through Jayme, who, refusing to look back at her sister, soaked Lizzie’s feet as she rushed under the door, gushed down the hall, and trickled into the kitchen.”

To learn more about Whitney, visit her at Whitney Inspired!

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends!  We have an exciting week of whimsical fun coming up!