Meet Florida-based Novelist Jacqueline Brown
JACQUELINE BROWN is a Catholic novelist based in Jacksonville, Florida. Visit her website for more information on her books!
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to Jacksonville?
JACQUELINE BROWN: I was born in a small town in Kansas. When I was seven, my family started moving, and we eventually ended up in Ormond Beach, FL. I decided to stay close for college and so went to the University of North Florida.
While I was finishing my masters degree, I met my husband, who is a native of Jacksonville. We got married and then moved to Mississippi and then Kentucky for me to get my PhD in Clinical Psychology. Once I was done with that, we happily returned to Jacksonville and have been here ever since.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
I call myself a psychologist and a fiction writer, because I'm still licensed, even though I'm no longer practicing. I "retired" from psychology in 2017 to focus on writing and now homeschooling! I definitely consider myself a Catholic writer, but if I'm not speaking to a Catholic audience I might not highlight that. I have so many readers of all different (and no) faiths that I don't want to keep anyone from trying the books because they think they aren't Catholic enough to enjoy them.
Catholicism is woven throughout all of my books, but I didn't write any of them for the devoutly Catholic, or at least not only the devoutly Catholic. I want everyone to feel welcome reading my books or engaging with me as the author.
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
The Catholic Writers Guild (CWG) has been hugely supportive! I guess that's not really part of the official church, but it has been very helpful. I tell everyone who reaches out and says they want to be a writer (or already are) to get connected with the CWG. It's for all types of artists, not just writers.
Where have you found support among your fellow artists for your Catholic faith?
A lot of the authors I've connected with online are Christian, but not Catholic. Many have read my books and enjoyed them and so contacted me. I have not connected with as many Catholic writers as I would like to, though I know several through the Catholic Writers Guild.
How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
After I published my first book The Light in 2016, I had a fantasy that the church hierarchy (meaning priests or my bishop) would be as enamored with the book as everyone else was. That would then lead to them telling their flock to read my books.
In truth, I haven't had much support from clergy, not because they don't like the books, but because they are busy. Their lack of enthusiasm was disappointing to me for a long time, but now I've realized that it's not their role to encourage people to read certain books. I was assigning more to their role than I should have been and so that was causing my disappointment.
Now I realize it's really the laity that I need to be welcomed by, and I have been. That response has been very enthusiastic, and I am grateful for it! Having said that, it would be great if traditional Catholic publishers would publish Catholic fiction, but they tend not to do this. It would also be helpful if more Catholic bookstores carried more Catholic fiction.
How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
I don't ever expect to get any accolades from literary critics, I don't believe they are very open to anyone writing in a positive way about their Christian faith. Perhaps with time that will change, but in the meantime I'm focused on writing good books and reaching readers who want to read those books. As frustrating as Amazon is, it has allowed me and other Christian authors to reach readers, and for that I'm very grateful. I would love a Catholic Fiction genre on Amazon, but for that to happen we need more Catholic writers and readers. For now, I appreciate being able to at least specify Christian.
Coming Summer 2022.
Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
I am grateful to have the Shrine of Our Lady of Le Leche fairly close to me and visit a few times a year. It's so wonderful. If anyone is in St. Augustine they need to visit it for sure! My husband and I are also engaged with a group called Legatus which we really enjoy. Through the Catholic Homeschooling community, I'm blessed to meet lots of like minded parents.
Where in your city do you regularly find artistic fulfillment?
The Catholic Writers Guild has an active chapter in Jacksonville. They are a great group that I used to always attend but now am not able to, but I highly recommend it. Otherwise my artistic well is filled through time outdoors, time with my family, and the sacraments. Specifically, the Eucharist.
How have you found or built community as a Catholic artist in your city?
The local Catholic Writers Group is great for this and open to all artists.
What is your daily spiritual practice?
Every day my family and I pray the Rosary and also offer up our own prayers, but we do it as a family so that we are modeling that for our kids. I also pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet daily and try and attend daily Mass at least 3 times a week. I'm also typically reading a spiritual book or scripture. I try hard to surround myself with people who are devout in their faith, and am blessed to have some wonderful friends who are also wonderful Catholics.
I did have a spiritual director but I don't currently. I found her by asking one of the deacons at my parish.
What is your daily artistic practice?
This is a constant work in progress! Every time I have a routine established, something changes. This used to upset me so much but now I am more patient with myself and life. My goal is simply to write as much as I can. Some days that's several chapters, other days it's nothing at all.
It's really frustrating, but when I started out I got some great advice. The writer who was speaking at a conference said, "Don't ever stop living your life." That is so key! God doesn't want us to be hermits (unless He specifically calls you to be one, LOL).
For most of us, our art is a secondary vocation. My primary vocation is as a wife and mother, and I'm so grateful for that. But that means I don't finish books as quickly as I would like. However, I like to think my writing is better for the depth my faith and family bring to the stories.
Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist. What happened, and what brought you the most joy?
Two days ago was a great day. I went to Mass, came home and wrote the beginning of my ninth novel. This was my third attempt at the beginning of this particular book, but I think this one is going to stick! I also reviewed the cover for the novel I'll be releasing fairly soon, Altered. I sent my weekly sales reports to the woman who helps me a little with marketing and then helped my fourth-grader with school, made dinner, and even did some laundry - it was incredible to get so much done!
But then yesterday, I was at two different doctor appointments across town for my two different kids. Then to a luncheon for a Catholic board I sit on, then hopped on a phone call for another board I sit on. I felt like I got nothing done all day. That's the way it goes. Some days are incredibly fulfilling, others not so much! The best days do include writing, but somedays it just doesn't work out.
How do you afford housing as an artist?
I'm old and married so I live with my husband and kids :)
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
After we became parents, I started working part-time as a psychologist, and so my income gradually became less important to the household. It did help me get started as a writer. It paid for editing and cover artists. In 2017, after I released my second book I decided to quit that job to focus on writing and raising kids. Then a few years later, because of COVID the kids came home for school, and we decided to keep them home. It's been great for our family but difficult for my writing.
At this stage I want my writing to pay for itself, which it does, and I want to create enough books that when I have more time to devote to marketing I will have the ability to make a decent income. I have friends who do much better financially, but they spend much more time on the business side of writing. I don't want to do that right now, and so I don't. But in the future, I plan to.
What are your top 3 pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
Live the life God has called you to live.
Don't compromise your faith for your art. You must intertwine them, not silo them.
Have an active prayer life so that you can discern His call and say Yes when He calls.