Tess Alley is the author of The Divinity Bureau and a Finance Manager for Vacasa Vacation Rentals. She spends most of her days writing and crunching numbers; but when she isn't, she can be found playing 'Resistance' and fulfilling the wanderlust that comes with working for a vacation rental company. Her debut book, The Divinity Bureau, is available now for pre-order. Full shownotes: http://yourcreativepush.com/tessalley In this episode, Tess discusses: -The difference between being a finance manager as a full-time job and a writer on the side. -Her earliest memories of being creative, and how Harry Potter helped to inspire her creativity. -How she got the inspiration to write The Divinity Bureau. -The things that hold her back the most from being creative on a daily basis. -How you have to sometimes do the "cha-cha" and take steps forwards and backwards to advance your position. -The importance of scheduling programs like Google Calendar to keep you creative pursuits as a part of your daily schedule and at the top of your mind. -All about her new book The Divinity Bureau. -How some ideas can linger for a while before they are finally ready to be put out into the world. -How the first step is always the most difficult, but you have to just take it and push through the vulnerability. -The story behind the quotes on her Instagram page. -How creativity and stories like the Harry Potter series are able to create a connection between people who love them. Tess's Final Push will help you to realize that you have the same amount of hours in the day as all of your greatest heroes, so use them wisely!!!   Quotes: "I was so focused on survival that I thought I had to give up on my lifelong dream." "I think if you're a creative type, you actually have a physical need to create." "In the end, the book ended up being a giant mesh of everything I've learned." "I think I cried a little bit when I first saw it on Amazon." "Even just writing a mediocre book is still a lot of work." "I think the rewards definitely outweigh the fear." Links mentioned: "The Divinity Bureau" by Tess Alley Connect with Tess: Facebook / Instagram