Following Your Heart

Post by Doris McCraw/Angela Raines-author



With a title like Following you Heart you might think this post is about finding love. In a way it is, but not as most would think. To me following you heart is finding what makes your mind, body and soul quiver with joy. It may be someone or something to love. For me it is creation. I love creating stories, be they fiction or non-fiction, performing in front of an audience and have them respond to my words, singing and bringing emotion to my listeners. In the past year I've seen the dream of becoming a published author with my fiction.

My non-fiction research, performing as Helen Hunt Jackson, talking about the early Colorado women doctors all feed a need I didn't realize was so strong. Helen is an inspiration, not only for my haiku, but my writing. In the short time she wrote, she didn't start until her late 30's and passed away at 55, the body of work is amazing. In the women doctors I've found the inspiration to follow that desire to make a difference.

In life I have had the blessing of being able to follow my heart and still succeed at making a living. That continues to this day. 

As a teen, I was able to study with the voice teacher I wanted, even though she was not taking on new students. She'd had me as a student when she was teaching schools and remembered me.

I went to the private college of my choice, even though the financial expense was steep. The experience was worth it at twice the price.

I spent twenty years working in a field that I had chosen at the age of fifteen, and retired at an age that allowed me to continue with my other passions. The field was corrections and I worked with delinquents. Not only was it challenging, but I also learned so much from those teens.

I have met and become friends with people who not only support me with their friendships, but also their encouragement in continuing to follow my passions.  With the Internet, the other authors I've become acquainted with is invaluable, to say nothing of the great stories I know about that would have been lost to me otherwise.

I have decided for me the only way to live is follow my heart and know that in the end I will find that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

If you decide to go on this journey remember to keep moving and if the road swerves, follow the swerve, it will only be a learning spot along the way.

Wishing everyone a great Christmas and New Year. Here's to writing, reading and creating the life we desire.

Originally from the mid-west, Doris now calls the Rocky Mountains her home. Doris is a writer, writing as Angela Raines, historian, actor,and teacher. An avid reader Doris loves to spend time in history archives looking for the small, unknown pieces of history. Many times these pieces end up in her stories or poems.
A photographer, Doris also writes haiku and combines them with her photography.
In here spare time she writes/casts and performs with a local murder mystery company.

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Author Page: http://amzn.to/1I0YoeL