Meet J.T. Rath | Author & Healthcare Leader

We had the good fortune of connecting with J.T. Rath and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi J.T., what are you inspired by?
In the most simplistic and pure sense, I’m inspired by stories. They’ve always been around in human history, but right now there are so many mediums to ingest stories and so many people telling them, that it’s exciting to have so much inspiration at your fingertips. Between books, movies, videogames, and others, there are exciting things happening, particularly in the fiction space (though plenty of inspiration comes from real life too!).

In particular, I’ve found myself gravitating toward stories that simultaneously entertain and push our thinking. In this space, authors like Blake Crouch, or directors like Christopher Nolan come immediately to mind.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love to write stories, and in particular, I love to write stories that entertain. Ones that are vivid pictures in your mind and that may push your thinking a bit. I am a published author, but it’s not the job that “pays the bills” as the indie author space is one that’s oversaturated. Even still, I’ve found coming back to my “why” is always the strongest motivator.

I love to write. It’s a fulfilling way to channel my brain power, extra time, and ambition. Creating SOMETHING is powerful and feels good. If others just so happen to love what I wrote? Then that’s icing on the cake.

My sci-fi novel, Infinitude, is my newest release and it’s the book (I have 3 others) I’ve put the most “push” behind. Instead of self publishing with my own covers, and only on Amazon, I took the extra 2ish years to build my brand via a website and Instagram, while also learning more about marketing, building a team of Advanced Review readers (ARC), and the best way to get a professional cover. This was a challenge because it was time away from writing and could feel like a never ending tunnel at times, but I persevered because I believed in my story. I believed that Infinitude was my most complex, exciting, and thought-provoking work to date so I had to give it the push it deserved.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
As a Colorado-born Denverite, I would want my friend to experience both the city AND the mountains. In the city, I tend to gravitate toward things you can’t find elsewhere…our breweries are plentiful and often fantastic. Milk Market is a sweet little nook that houses lots of secrets. Speakeasies like Williams & Graham, Run for the Roses, and others feature ingenious cocktails. And Denver’s coffee house scene is perhaps its most underrated gem…Corvus coffee (the best coffee on the planet), Huckleberry, Rivers & Roads, Weathervane and SO many more. We would be highly caffeinated. Lastly (on our city portion), if the Denver Nuggets were playing, it would be great to see the best basketball team and player in the world do their thing.

Within the mountains, I tend to gravitate toward hikes. I think Sky Pond is the single best hike within the state (followed closely by the more challenging Chasm Lake). Sky Pond also happens to be where my wife and I got engaged, so it holds a special place in my heart.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I always have to shoutout my 7th Grade writing teacher, Mrs. Littleford. She receives an acknowledgement in each of my books and her ability to make writing “cool” was largely what entrenched a love for it at a young age. She had writing prompts that were often more free than I’d experienced before; it was in this class I got to write my first true stories, AND her feedback was thoughtful and helpful. She was a very influential teacher in my life.

Website: https://jtrath.com/

Instagram: j.t_rath

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