For many authors, writing isn’t just a job but is a form of therapy. Amanda Bean, for one, reveals how her mindset shapes both her mental health and the stories she tells. 

Positive mental health can be defined as being happy and peaceful, and enjoying the company of others. This is how Ms. Bean, author and teacher, describes a positive mental health. Inspired at a young age by a third grade teacher who thought her poem was exceptional,  Ms. Bean craved people to be moved by her writing and just fed her passion for writing.

“Writing is about sharing and we’re social creatures, if we don’t share with others we begin to hold all that emotion inside which affects the joy.”

Ms. Bean continued to say the mindset and mood she’s in will affect the types of stories she is reading or writing. “Everything I write is related to my life,” she said. “Or I pull pieces of my life into my book. Some are good. Some are bad.”

Reading and writing has affected her as a person because it helped build her imagination and create empathy for people. The dreams she experiences tend to be so specific and created from previous day-to-day experiences that whatever bad or good thing happens, is reflected in her writing. “People are so complex that they tend to contradict each other, and there’s nothing wrong with that.,” She explains.

With such a strong opinion on mental health affecting writing both negatively and positively, Ms. Bean continues to be mindful of how her writing can inspire others. She expects to keep using her emotion and mindset to help navigate her passion for reading and writing.