We recently had the chance to connect with Kim Berkley and have shared our conversation below.
Kim, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
I would say that I’ve been doing more wandering than purposeful walking over the past year or so. Last year, I suffered severe creative burnout and lost my way a bit. It’s been difficult, and while I’ve found my way back to the path—or at least a path—several times, I still find myself wandering off of it now and again.
But I think it’s good to get lost sometimes, even if it doesn’t always feel good at the time. It keeps us from following a path blindly for too long and reminds us to question, now and again, whether it’s still a path we want to follow.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Kim Berkley (she/her), and I’m a writer—mostly. My work days are currently split between freelance writing assignments, narrative design work on various video games, and my own creative projects. Currently, I’ve got one visual novel game (‘The Dragon’s Last Flight’) at the alpha testing stage, and am still in the process of drafting a longer interactive fiction novel (‘Shadow of the Curse-Eater,’ formerly titled ‘An Appetite for Malediction’).
I’m also an avid reader and gamer (of course) with a touch of wanderlust and a fondness for felines.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was a little girl who wore flowers in her hair, brewed pretend potions made of weeds in a plastic cauldron, and made friends with all the local stray cats. I dreamed of being a tornado chaser, a horse trainer, a marine biologist, an astronaut, a singer, a knight in shining armor, and—most of all—an artist.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have been many times during my life that I almost gave up. I’ve had debilitating migraines pretty much all of my life, and while I’ve finally gotten them under control in the past few years, when I was younger I really struggled with the combination of being sick often and the depression and anxiety that came with that. There were many days when I wanted to give up any semblance of trying to live my life. It seemed like too much work for too little joy in return. (This is in spite of a generally happy upbringing in a stable, loving household.) But the sun always rose the next day, and I always wound up getting back out of bed and trying again. I’m so glad, and so grateful, that I did.
Creatively, I’ve considered giving up on certain projects and, in some cases, I ultimately did set them aside. I’ve even thought about quitting writing altogether when things got really difficult. But I keep coming back to it, and the words always seem to come back to me, too. So I don’t think I’ll be quitting altogether anytime soon—though I’ve definitely learned the importance of taking breaks.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That time is money, bigger means better, and suffering for your work is the mark of true artistry. That last one is especially damaging, and it boggles my mind that so many people still cling to it. I do believe that suffering can be used to fuel creative expression, because creative expression allows us to process that pain in a healthy way. And I also believe that our struggles can make us more empathetic, which in turn helps us create art that people can connect with on a deep, visceral level.
But I also believe that everyone struggles with something, and it’s not so much the pain itself that fuels good art, but the capacity to learn from it, process it, and express it skillfully. And I absolutely do not believe you need to be IN a state of suffering to create. In fact, just the opposite; real self-care helps your mind and body function better, which in turn generally makes it easier to focus, empathize, and make cool stuff.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
When the world is quiet, my to-do list is empty, and I am curled up in bed with my cat, soft sunlight and a gentle breeze streaming in through the window. It doesn’t happen often, between the weather here and my cat’s energetic disposition, but when it does, it’s pure magic.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://storytellerkim.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storyteller.kim/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/storytellerkim
Image Credits
Kim Berkley
