Meet Sky Ariella | Professional Writer & Traveler

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sky Ariella and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sky, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
My decision to pursue a creative career didn’t start off as an unwavering commitment to the craft, though the passion was always there. I loved writing, but the possibility of making money from typing words that came from my stream of consciousness felt like a foreign concept before it became a reality.

After graduating with my bachelor’s, I had full intentions of pursuing a safe, cookie-cutter law degree. Before getting right into more schooling, I went solo backpacking around South East Asia for a few months to take a breather that ended up completely shifting my perspective on working and time devotion. A combination of being immersed in the freeing lifestyle of exploration and meeting people who were so genuinely happy with their lives made me realize that I didn’t have time to waste between walls investing in a job that just wasn’t me.

I started imagining the two future versions of myself who either committed to a career in law or life as a professional writer. I was substantially more drawn to the variation of me who found success in writing. I pondered, “If money was no longer an object for me, what would I be doing?”. The answer was simple. I wanted to write.

The fear of failure started feeling a lot lighter than that of looking back at my life one day with disappointment that I didn’t at least give it a go. It was a slow, tough and often confusing process, but I relished every tiny moment that’s gone into building a creative career as a writer. That’s how I know now that I made the right choice in my pursuit.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I tend to view my writing as fitting into various different compartments. There’s the professional work that supports me financially and my under construction fiction. My professional repertoire falls into the niches of travel, lifestyle and career content. Though I’ve always had a knack for writing, I had absolutely zero professional experience in the writing industry before getting a foot in the door. If my unemployed self from a few years ago was to ask how I got to where I am in my writing career today, I would say that it came from the simple act of committing to making it work. I was always fascinated by traveling the world with only my laptop and an endless stream of words to support me, but I never put in the legwork. That was the difference between forming a thriving career as a writer and floundering.

It’s difficult to build a career in a creative field like writing, but I think there’s a popular misconception that it’s impossible. Creativity is valuable and in demand. For me, the inevitable challenges of developing a writing career felt much less strenuous to overcome because I genuinely love the art form.

Since I’ve gotten the ball rolling as a professional writer, I’ve gained a lot of insight into the industry, my own writing and the reality of working as a freelancer. One of the most useful lessons I’ve gained is that having a talent or a passion for something doesn’t inherently breed a career. Though passion might show you the right direction, building a career takes a huge amount of work on the backend and it’s not always fun. However, it’s worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had a friend who was visiting Denver for a week, I would be partial to all the nature activities that the surrounding areas have to offer. I would bring them on a hike to St. Mary’s Glacier, a drive up to the heights of Mount Evans and on a visit to see the colorful rocks at the Paint Mines Interpretive Park. For food, I’d take them to Smok for some delicious BBQ, Hey Bangkok! for authentic Thai and Fire on the Mountain for an endless variety of chicken wings. When they’re jonesing for some nightlife action, we’d go to the rooftop bar at Le Méridien downtown or Death & Co.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to my grandma Max, a voracious reader and lover of literature who inspired me to develop a relationship with the written word. I also want to thank my Dad for instilling me with the confidence to succeed.

Website: https://www.skyariella.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyariella/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sky-ariella/

Other: https://www.skyariella.com/portfolio