5 Influencers in This Space That I Admire
I am going to share 5 inspirational websites of women that I admire, for many many reasons. All of them are strong women in their niche, they’re all different, and they are all authentic. I love their writing, I love their stories, I love their voice and I love how real and brave they are. Every single one is worth a look, and a follow, and when I grow up I want to be just like them!
The women I want to highlight are:
Mikala Albertson from Ordinary On Purpose
Mikala is a Doctor, Mom and writer. A few years ago she went through a really tough time and realised that all the striving and pretending wasn’t working anymore. When she finally let it all go, and started living her messy and ordinary life, she realised more of us needed this reminder and she started writing. She is real, she is funny, she is very relatable, and she is now an author of a book by the same name. I just love everything she writes and really enjoy getting her blog posts.
Sina Steele from Her Mustard Faith
Sina is a New Zealander, and I am so in awe of the fact she has written a poetry book, and had it published! We have a mutual friend, and she introduced me to Sina, and gifted me a copy of her book; and I loved it. Her poetry really resonates with me, and how I like to write; so much so, that I bought a copy for my Mum as well. I got to meet Sina recently, and spent a day at a Writing Retreat she ran, and we got to hear her story, together with a couple of others as well. It was very inspirational, and encouraged me to take my writing more seriously.
L.R.Knost from LittleHearts Books
L.R. Knost is a very well known social media influencer, she doesn’t have her own website; rather I follow her on IG and FB. She is fighting her own cancer battle at the moment, much worse than my own; but she doesn’t talk about it much, we just get a snippet every now and then. Her main passion is around Gentle Parenting, and like both of the ladies above, she has published books. She also writes poetry, and has had her poems published all over the place. I so admire her strength to continually write and fight for something bigger than her, despite her own personal circumstances.
Jen Hatmaker at her own website
Jen is hilerious, she has such an amazing way of writing – you think you’re right there, watching exactly what is going on as she writes it. However, she is also very real; having just gone through a divorce, she wore her heart on her sleeve and shared the deep pain and trauma as she went through it. Again, she is a NY Times Bestseller, and also has a podcast, and her latest book is a cooking book – so much to love! I adore her authenticity, but also her strength in sharing it; nothing is to sacred for her to write about, which is what makes it so funny. She shares things about her kids, funny and lovely things, about the heart-wrenching goodbyes as they leave home, about the new love in her life. Everything about her is big, bright and beautiful; and if you haven’t heard of her, you need to go meet her – grab a coffee, click the link, and have a laugh (or a cry) with her.
And finally, Mandy McCarty Harris from Happy Like This
Mandy is the only woman I have chosen who hasn’t had a book published (yet), but I am sure it will happen. Mandy is such a gentle writer, she writes from the heart and really captures what we as women and Mum’s wonder, think, dream and worry about. But she says it in such a way, and reminds us how much of what we do is worth it – even the unseen things, day after day. She often writes in a poetry type prose, but everything she writes has a softness and sweetness about it. But she has loved and lost two precious little girls, and knows what heartache is; and I think this is where her softness comes from. Everyone has a story, we may not know it, but when you have walked through any kind of deep pain like that, you know kindness is the answer.
As I wrote about these women, and told you of their strength and passions; I realised something for myself; these women all exemplify attributes of who I want to be, or what I want to do – publish a book, write poetry, touch your heart with their words, be real and vulnerable and very relatable.
All these women are influencers within their spheres, and have pursued their dreams through their written words; God, may I do the same… let me be an influence for You, drawing people to You through my words.
