Up Close With: Kathy Harms
Meet the wonderful writers and patrons behind LWS.
Through a creative lens, writer Kathy Harms invites us into her world. One frame at a time. Enjoy.
Kathy Harms
- Based in Porto, Portugal.
- Age 49.
- Writes Non-fiction/Memoir.
What are you working on right now?
I just completed my memoir, and am working on all the work adjacent to that.
Where and when do you write?
I start my day each weekday morning with the Writer’s hour.
We are currently living in a rented apartment in Porto, and my workspace is the dining room table. I’m dreaming of having a dedicated workspace again in the very near future!
How do you write?
I write on my MacBook. Until about 6 months ago I was writing in MSWord. One day I was lamenting how unwieldy my manuscript was becoming at a “Porto Writes” writing group session, and Judy Backhouse (also a LWS member, and the one who introduced me to LWS), told me about Scrivener. I immediately switched to Scrivener, and haven’t looked back.
As far as process, I like to start with an outline at a minimum, usually populated with key points or details. I then go back and flush them out into a narrative over time.
Why do you write?
As a child I wrote for fun, I enjoyed taking everyday events, like the morning routine to get ready for school, and turning them into amusing, and more epic tales than they probably warranted. I was also an avid reader at that time. As time passed, I found the books I read were more likely to be reference books, business books, or “how to survive your life” books. I only wrote necessary assignments for schooling, and later for business. About 15 years ago, I started to get serious about photography, and through that I became connected with the broader arts community in my former hometown. That exposed me to a wide range of creatives, and that motivated and inspired me to keep looking at the world through a creative lens. About 4 years ago I took a certificate program in positive psychology, and I was very inspired by some of the frameworks and principles I learned there. So much so, I felt compelled to write about them. So, I started a blog. I really enjoyed writing for the blog, and I diligently kept up the writing over a few years. When I moved to Portugal, I had a LOT more time on my hands, so I tackled a larger writing project — a memoir — and loved that experience as well.
What inspires your creativity?
As I mentioned above, I do a lot of photography. It is almost like a meditation for me, as it trains me to see things more slowly, notice details, be present to my environment. It’s in those moments where ideas for projects often present themselves (sometimes they leave as quickly as they arrived, but that’s another story!). Although photography and writing are different art forms, for me they are quite connected, from a creativity perspective.
What’s your favourite book?
As a kid I read and re-read the LoR (The Lord of the Rings) series. Recently I have been reading a lot of memoir, as I work on my own. Two that I found compelling were Educated by Tara Westover, and Chasing Chaos: My Decade In and Out of Humanitarian Aid by Jessica Alexander.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about creativity?
I love the idea that you need to make space for creativity, and it will come. I have found that to be very true. You do need to make yourself available for creativity, spend the time clearing your mind of the daily “life admin” thoughts, however that looks for you. For me, that is taking my camera out for a walk, for someone else that could be cooking a favourite recipe. You need to find your own open spaces, and the creativity will come.
What’s the one thing you would tell other/aspiring writers?
Just get started! Write some words. They can be only for you, or if you are more goal oriented as I am, you can set a goal, like writing a blog, or completing a short story, anything. I would also say to seek out a writing community. As soon as I moved to Porto I found the “Porto Writes” group on Meetup. Finding that community has been invaluable. I have learned so much from both new and experienced writers, as well as making friends in a new city. It’s been very good for the soul.
How can we discover more about you and your work?
I have a website up for my memoir: www.resilienceintherubble.com and I write a bi-weekly newsletter that includes updates about the book, but also my photography, and life in general: https://kathyharmscreative.substack.com/
Kathy’s writing view. Simplicity at its best.
