Cheryl Savala

My dad used to call me a gypsy. That seems pretty accurate considering I’ve always been the type of girl who has to be in the know and on the go. As an adventure addict, arts advocate and chronic metaphor maker, I take creativity seriously. How serious? Twenty-five years immersed in design and entertainment marketing is a good start. My commitment to creative leadership means I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with hundreds of artists, educators, and entrepreneurs to build pop culture brands. I’ve always had a good sense of direction. In fact, the title “Director” has been on my business card for decades. But what happens when a leader gets in her own way, or worse, loses her sense of direction altogether? When I felt happier sitting in a coffee shop with my journal than working on a blockbuster movie, I thought my career had hit a dead end. Instead, I was hit with a “brick to the head.” It said: You’re a writer.

“Strength Becomes Her – Eight Essays of Resilience, Perseverance & Self-Love” is a collection of 8 essays that shares the timeless wisdom which has passed from mother to daughter for generations. These are stories of women who, in the midst of life’s toughest decisions, push fear out of the way and face the never-ending challenge of raising a family and forging a career. Then, when the seasons of life transforms, they prove that it takes much more strength to let go than it does to hang on. These eight authors celebrate both the femininity and the fortitude of women who not only take a stand, they also rise, dig deep and live out loud.

I’m currently writing the first of three memoirs, “Goodness Knows – The Way Home.” Throughout my personal story, I share my creative and personal transformation, while simultaneously facing my mother’s anxiety, elder abuse and eventual passing. Some label this experience of a woman’s search for answers a “mid-life crisis” while others might call it a spiritual awakening. Goodness Knows it’s a time for listening.