Readool Books Interviewing Diane Grimard Wilson
Today, we have the pleasure to interview Diane Grimard Wilson, author of “Brain Dance: My Journey with Invisible Illness, Second Chances, and the Wonders of Applied Neuroscience.” Diane Grimard Wilson is a Chicago peak performance coach, licensed clinical professional counselor, and has board certification as a fellow in neurofeedback. “Brain Dance” is a medical memoir of her journey through invisible illness, second chances and the wonders of applied neuroscience. It’s her story after having a concussion and not realizing her injury that was simultaneously affecting every moment of her life. The book is intimate, funny, informative. It reads like a novel and will be valuable to clinicians of all kinds, anyone who has had a concussion or head injury, their families, and all those who love brain science.
Diane’s first book, “Back in Control: How to Stay Sane Productive and Inspired in Your Career Transition” was a finalist for the prestigious Nautilus Book Awards and she is a former contributor to the Chicago Tribune. Her clients include physicians, leaders, executives and creatives. Diane is host of the “Genius: Sciencing Our Human Potential” podcast where she interviews leaders and other personalities for their human stories on resilience, changes, and coping with the global pandemic. Diane lives in Oak Park, Illinois with her husband, an environmental journalist.
Below is our interview, and let’s get to know more about her.
What is the hardest part of writing your books?
Probably like many people, the hardest part has been managing my time and energy.
- My inspiration doesn’t always happen on a schedule and other commitments pop up.
- Although I love it, my job as a coach and therapist requires a completely different energy.
- Related, sometimes it feels like I have so many centering activities in the morning – like meditating, walking and affirmations – that there isn’t enough time left to be productive. The irony of that is sort of funny.
What songs are most played on your Ipod?
I listen to music on Pandora and Youtube.com. ‘Love anything by Ed Sheeran or Matteo Bocelli. Ed Sheeran’s “Bad Habits” is like an ear worm stuck in my head right now. I find it uplifting, motivating. For serious concentration, I sometimes play Buddha Bar or classical music.
Do you have critique partners or beta readers?
I had several beta readers for Brain Dance. It’s a very personal story about having a brain injury with a lot of science in it. There is also humor that I wanted to be taken as such. It’s like you want people to get your jokes.
The support of beta readers was invaluable. I did tweak things they pointed out that were confusing – information that was in my head but not in the manuscript.
Overall, I value the perspectives of pre-publication beta readers, editors, and subject matter experts. This is my first book in over 10 years. Their help reduced my anxiety and increased my confidence. It was a task to coordinate it all but it left me feeling like I could be proud of the work and it was worth the vulnerability involved.
What book are you reading now?
I’m reading “Heart, Breath, Mind” by Dr. Leah Lagos. It’s the best book I have ever read on heart-rate variability (HRV). HRV is about how flexible your autonomic nervous system works in shifting from activation (fight or flight) to calm (rest and digest) throughout the day. Dr. Lagos works with elite athletes, Olympians teaching them to manage and use stress in performance.
I already do HRV training with my clients but wanted to try Dr. Lagos’s training series on myself. With the pandemic, our bodies have experienced high levels of stress for an extended time. They could easily get stuck in an anxiety pattern. I’m three weeks into the HRV training and I already feel better.
How did you start your writing career?
I started keeping a journal 5 days before my 16th birthday. I was a sensitive kid growing up and am still, as an adult. Writing helps me understand the world and myself. I love writing. It makes me feel whole in a way that nothing else does.
Tell us about your next release.
My most recent release was Brain Dance in May this year. I wrote an article on it as a guest columnist for my local paper The Wednesday Journal. After working on Brain Dance for two years, writing an article with about 24 hours’ notice was exhilarating. It describes the mission of the book. I am looking for other places to contribute articles on the brain, stress, attention, and peak performance. The world needs to know more about this. Other than articles, my next release will likely be a workbook for Brain Dance.
Follow Diane Grimard Wilson on website/blog and social media
Author Website/Blog:
www.grimardwilson.com
www.GeniusPodcast.Us
www.BrainDanceBook.com
Author Social Media:
Goodreads Profile: Diane G. Wilson
Facebook Profile: @braincoach333
Twitter Account: @braincoach333
Pinterest Account: braincoach333
Purchase “Brain Dance”
