Avery Lynn
Avery’s a children’s book author and poet getting after her dreams from Los Angeles, CA.
Filled with awe and wonder, Avery uses her faith and imagination to tell stories that deeply move her readers. Whether writing poetry or stories for children, Avery pens purpose in every word she writes. From growing up in a small town in Texas, to taking on the big city of Los Angeles, Avery’s determination to make a difference has empowered her every step.
What dream are you currently turning into reality?
I’m currently writing children’s books about life lessons related to emotional intelligence (empathy, forgiveness, kindness), relationships, social connections, and morals. Also, I have been working on a special poetry project for a little over 3 years. I was hurt by the church, which I think a lot of people can relate to but are scared to connect with others about.
I had to really lean into God and community more than I even was when I was just “doing good”. I had to take in the reality that people are just people. We are not perfect. This piece will target an experience that too many feel but feel alone in.
When did you first realize you discovered your dream?
I’ve always appreciated a good children's book section. The imagination and wonder of a child lives here. That section has always felt like a spaceship to other worlds. I’ve always felt things pretty deeply.
When I was 8 years old being “all the drama”, I would get in little tiffs with my mother. As a kid, you can’t really pull a sentence together in the heat of a moment. I would be sent to my room and immediately pull out a piece of paper. I would write exactly how I felt and tell my mom in a letter what I thought about what just happened. I’d run to her room, lay it on her pillow and run back to my room. This would go on throughout my childhood, and after all those years, she’s kept them all. There’s something about how easy it was for me to string words together perfectly on paper than with my voice into the air in front of me.
How does your faith go hand in hand with pursuing your dream?
If Jesus flips tables, I’m going to flip the pages of my books with the same rage. I think as a kid with ADHD that was put on all the medications, I just wanted permission to feel. To feel all the things. In joy, hope, sorrow, and desperation, Jesus welcomed me arms wide open every time. My dream is to create the same safe space for others as He has done for me.
What’s one or two practical steps you take to keep moving forward?
Every day I give myself space to hold no other obligation other than to just breathe. Staying busy seems to be so popular in our culture today. I don’t know if it’s just me being tired of there being just one more thing to do after the other… but I just want a second to breathe.
What encouragement would you share with someone who’s going after their dream?
You may think, “Oh, someone else will do it.” While that may be true, no one on this earth will do it like you. You are too “one of a kind” to be ordinary, and that leaves no choice but to take extraordinary risks.