Author Mel Kaspin Blume: “Through every challenge faced during our journey called life, we have a choice; Even when it seems impossible, we can find a glimmer of light”

…through every challenge faced during our journey called life, we have a choice. Even when it seems impossible, we can find a glimmer of light. You might have to look really hard, but hope will be there once the clouds clear.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Mel Kaspin Blume.

Understanding COVID-19 and quarantine has been challenging for most of us. For parents, explaining the coronavirus pandemic has been even more complex. Mel Kaspin Blume, the mother of a nine-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son, resorted to her innate talent, the art of storytelling.

Screens, Beans and Quarantines is the result. This free, downloadable children’s book that teachers from Los Angeles to New York, Atlanta to Denver, are reading to their students via Zoom, is a charming solution.

Mel Kaspin Blume is the former Head of Copy at Disney Consumer Products where she created in-depth storytelling copy for products from Disney, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel. Two years ago, almost to the date, Mel left Disney to start Once Upon a Blume, a one-person branding and copywriting agency that specializes in the art of storytelling.

Mel has written for a range of companies including Forbes and Condé Nast. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husband, a nine-year-old daughter and three-year-old son, where she is constantly video chatting with her family on the East Coast.

Born and raised in East Brunswick, NJ, Mel experienced New York City’s corporate fashion life after graduating from Rutgers University Business School. She headed out West in 2006, and after nearly a million jobs, she launched her writing career in 2010 by self-starting a fashion blog.

Thank you so much for joining us Mel! Can you share a story about what brought you to this particular career path?

I’ve always been a writer. My second-grade teacher noticed my love for the written word. At the age of 23, I left my family, friends, career in fashion, and any sense of stability to explore a creative career in Los Angeles. While I delivered flowers, waited tables and put shoes on people’s feet, I kept reminding myself that one day, I will be paid for my writing.

Can you share the most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career?

The moment I decided to leave New York City and head to Los Angeles, I bumped into an old friend at a party. He lived in Los Angeles, and we started talking my move, and now over a decade later, we’re married with two kids. The universe has an amazing way of guiding you when you’re open to its magic.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in your journey to becoming an author? How did you overcome it? Can you share a story about that that other aspiring writers can learn from?

There were many challenges, from financial to growing a thick skin, but the one I’ll discuss here is loneliness. Being a writer is so unique because oftentimes you live in your head. When I grew to feel comfortable in that quiet space is when I started to feel the beauty of it. I’d jump into groups here and there, but almost every time I was part of a “group,” shortly after I’d find myself in my own lane. Coming to terms with being alone and thriving in that zone has led me to this unique space. I’ve made many decisions that others didn’t support, but I knew they were right for me, so I put one foot in front of the other and walked alone. To keep my motivation and discipline during those “lonely” times, I’d read and listened to speakers like Tony Robbins. They gave me the courage to continue on my path and to look inwards to find my strength.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting?

I was writing copy for a global company and thought I had a stellar idea for Halloween. When I presented it, I realized it had an undeniably strong sexual reference that I had not noticed until I read it out loud. When I did, I couldn’t finish the presentation because I was laughing so hard, as was the rest of the team, and then I just sat down.

Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Before you present, say every word out loud! I still laugh uncontrollably when I think of that moment.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I have two rhymings, children’s picture books that I’m starting to pitch to literary agents and publishers. Both are unique stories of empowerment that celebrate inner strength and being different.

Can you share the most interesting story that you shared in your book?

A moment that inspired this story was the preparation for my niece’s birthday. She was the first child we knew celebrating a birthday in quarantine, and my sister told me about car parades. They apparently were happening in suburban towns throughout the country, and I was fascinated by the thought behind them!

What is the main empowering lesson you want your readers to take away after finishing your book?

Screens, Beans & Quarantines is meant to bring a sprinkle of sunshine to kids who feel the clouds of our current COVID-19, stay-at-home environment. The empowering lesson is that through every challenge faced during our journey called life, we have a choice. Even when it seems impossible, we can find a glimmer of light. You might have to look really hard, but hope will be there once the clouds clear.

Based on your experience, what are the “5 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Author”? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Be bold. Not everyone is going to like your work, and that’s okay. Be you, be different. You have a perspective that no one else has. You have a story that no one else has written. When I first started blogging, I had no idea what to write about, and I was nervous to put my voice out into the world. I started to write about stories in my life, and I quickly learned that people enjoyed them. I drew in a reader that worked at the fashion brand Guess, and that relationship started my writing career.
2. Write, write, write, write. Never stop writing. If you experience a blank space in your head, write “Blah blah blah blah” to yourself until your story starts to flow. It might take 5 minutes, it might take 5 days, just take a deep breath, and let it come. My English teacher in 11th grade taught me this trick, and it works every time.
3. When brilliance strikes, grab your computer, or pen and pad. Don’t lose the moment and think you’ll remember it later. My kids know that when it strikes, Mommy needs a few minutes. They are very understanding (most of the time) and I truly appreciate it. Those moments are rare, and the rush is real. Plus, there is no feeling like it when you read the story that just flew out of you.
4. Grow a thick skin. Compartmentalize harsh words about your work into a little box, close it and send it away. Don’t let it circulate through your thoughts or take up any space in that miraculous brain of yours. It’s not worth it. My work has been scrutinized and criticized by various executives in intimidating boardrooms, where kindness is not the objective. I would leave the meetings with my head up, write down useful feedback, and delete anything hurtful from my brain.
5. Read. Keep learning. Meditate. Every single day if you can. Fill your mind with new ideas, inspiration and silence. Even if it’s only for a few minutes. I was on a deadline to finish a story last September, but it just wasn’t there yet. I did a 20-minute meditation, and through the silence, my ending found me.

What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a great writer? (i.e. perseverance, discipline, play, craft study) Can you share a story or example?

Keeping a journal. I started one in the fourth grade and had one on and off my entire life. When I was living in New York City, I would commit to “Life Nights” at least twice a week. I would sit in front of my computer and write to myself for hours. A lot unfolded. Those hours, those moments of me, alone in my head, letting my ideas flow freely, led me to my passion — and my cross-country move.

Which literature do you draw inspiration from? Why?

I’m into non-fiction at this moment in my life. I’m a big fan of spiritual work from authors including Abraham Hicks, Wayne Dyer, Mike Dooley and Gabrielle Bernstein. Through their teachings, I’ve learned that thoughts become things, so you need to be very careful about the pictures your mind creates and believes. When I start to feel uncertainty or let myself be thrown by a new challenge, I turn to the work of these authors. A strong inner belief system can help you navigate through anything, and it will take you anywhere you want to go.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

My movement would be to educate and support children, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, so they can become world changemakers and advocates for kindness and peace. The mind of a child is so open and free of bias. They have the power to do everything if they’re given the necessary tools, resources and love. They’re the ones who will need to ensure the permanence of this revolution against racism. Their beliefs need to be so deep-rooted, that they can pass the stories happening now to future generations of changemakers.