Member Spotlight: Bianca Schulze

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? First and foremost, for me, writing is a form of expression from the heart. It’s a way to communicate ideas, thoughts, and information across time and space. It is a way to make sense of the past, look forward to the future, and enjoy the now—or endure the now, depending on the moment. Expressing complex concepts, emotions, and experiences helps me make sense of the world. To touch others’ minds and hearts through this process is an incredible way to connect, exist, and open oneself to possibility through writing or reading another’s work.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Whenever I have writer’s block, I know I need to step away. I try to be kind to myself, acknowledge my efforts so far, and then take a step back, breathe, and trust that my creativity will return in time. And I love Ernest Hemingway’s advice about getting out of a block: “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.”

What is your favorite time to write? I don’t pressure myself to write every day or at a specific time. I write when the ideas are flowing and won’t leave me alone; I capitalize on that! Everything else can wait—and if it can’t, I write the most detailed possible note I can on whatever I have access to (my smartphone, a napkin, and a piece of paper nearby).

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? I shared it above, but I’ll share it again with more context: “I would stand and look out over the roofs of Paris and think, ‘Do not worry. You have always written before and you will write now. All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.’ So finally I would write one true sentence, and then go on from there. It was easy then because there was always one true sentence that I knew or had seen or had heard someone say.” — Ernest Hemingway in his memoir A Moveable Feast

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? In today’s age, I love that writers can use their platforms to advocate for social change, raise awareness about important issues, and amplify voices that previously went unheard. Writing can inspire empathy, provoke critical thinking, and catalyze action, making it a potent tool for social impact and advocacy. Writing can bring joy, love, and light into moments of despair. Stories can allow a person to feel seen and to see others for the very first time. A good book can bring a smile to a person’s face. Our stories connect us, and I’m here for all of it!

Bianca Schulze’s Cattitude, illustrated by Samara Hardy, is out now with Clever Publishing.