Interview with Dawn Paoletta

Dawn, from her Facebook Page

Today we have with us an amazing lady, Dawn Paoletta, a fellow blogger and a newly published author. She has had an amazing life.

Q. S. Hello, Dawn. It’s so good to have you with us today.  How long have you been writing? What caused you to start?

D.P.I can still remember writing in school and feeling the desire to say something sincere from the heart, yet feeling not quite clear about what it was, like a seed buried deep in the dirt waiting to root and emerge. I have journaled and been dabbling in writing all my life. Although I dabbled in writing privately, I pursued a career in fitness and only wrote in journals. When I came to a saving knowledge of the Lord, words started pouring out of me in poetic form. I still have the first poems I wrote in the Bible I had at the time. Suddenly that seed rooted from early on began to emerge, blossom and bloom wildly! It took me awhile to come forward and share my writing publicly. I felt God was leading me in that direction, but as one who had an unconventional education and dropped out of school, I had doubts about the details. I continued to write, unsure of what to do and where to go to share until on a white-water rafting trip knew I needed to share what He revealed of Himself to me with others. I literally felt that if I didn’t I would explode!

Q.S. You have a blog. Would you please share with us why you started blogging.

D.P. Yes! This feeling of I must do what God is telling me to do and trust Him with the outcome led me to start my first blog, Beneath the Surface: Breath of Faith in 2011. It was birthed when I finally realized God wanted me to share the gifts of writing He had placed within me and took the leap of faith onto the World Wide Web finally sharing that “The River, The Journey and The Guide”, after a few shorter practice posts to test the waters. I loved the way God gave me insights that blessed others while ministering to me intimately as well. My writing brought me joy and kept me close to the Lord during this season. In 2014 I shifted my blogging to a new blog on WordPress called Enthusiastically, Dawn, my real-life signature used which is loosely based on the Greek and Latin root word Enthous, reflecting one embodied and/or inspired by God. It is hard, if not impossible for me to separate my writing from the God who inspires me. (Here is the link to her blog Enthusiastically, Dawn.)

Q.S. Do you participate in a writing group? If so, how long?

D.P.I connected with a local writers group in 2013 and this has been an amazing blessing and opportunity to grow as a writer. I have also been able to participate in some great local events due to my being part of a group. It is a diverse group of writers from all backgrounds. Both published authors and newer writers participate in writing to a weekly prompt or whatever they are inspired to share. My work has been published in the last four anthologies with the group.

Q.S. You have a love for planners, I understand you make your own. How did this come about?

4.) The Planner Question! This comes from my many years working as a Personal Trainer, running a business, and pursuing athletic and educational pursuits. Planning and Journaling go hand and hand to me… God used my personal pursuits in physical fitness and business to teach me about the spiritual life I live with Him. He has always been leading me and guiding me into a deeper understanding of His grace and truth. I do love planners, but I am a terrible planner person! I tend to be very impulsive, creative and intuitive. The Lord meets me somewhere between the planning and journaling and reminds me He is my ultimate goal. He is my Happy Place, and when I keep His will at the forefront of my plans, dreams, and goals, I am a pretty happy planner and writer girl.

Q.S. 5)     Do you have any other book ideas in mind?

D.P. I have a bookshelf of books in my brain that I want to write or put together! I want to revise my current book, Journaling for Discovery and Delight, to make it larger and with room to journal within the pages. As a newly self-published author, I learned a few lessons the hard way, but I learn best by doing, so I do not regret my choices! I am working on a Poetry manuscript, and I’d like to publish a Devotional. I have a Fiction piece and a few other pieces that are in various stages of development. I believe I am meant to write a few more books, and it’s a matter of doing the work and being patient with the process.

Q.S. Please tell us about your family.

D.P.I am married to my best friend, Angelo- we’ve been friends since 1983 when we worked at a café together in the city. I have a 17-year-old daughter, Katherine- who I love with my whole being!

Q.S. My next blog post will be a review of her book. of Journaling for Discovery and Delight – Creative Prompts for Your Journey