How Patricia Leavy Embraced Creativity to Build her Dream Career as an Author and What We Can Learn

With the exception of my husband who is a constant source of support, everyone thought I was crazy to walk away from a job as a tenured professor with a looming promotion. Our careers may look enviable, but on the inside, we may be unfulfilled. In many ways I had a wonderful career in academia and that’s certainly how it looked on paper. But it’s the difference between looking good and feeling good. Life is too short, and failure is better than regret. Even if something looks good to everyone else, if it doesn’t feel good to you, it’s okay to make a change. In the end, there’s nothing better than finding your true calling and living your purpose. So, while making a big change was scary, I was more afraid not to make a change. People always have opinions. It’s important to tune out the noise and listen to your own heart. My mantra is: always bet on yourself.

People are often encouraged to pick a lane and stay in it. There’s a saying that “repetition equals reputation.” While that may make for a “good” career, it doesn’t always make for a good life. I see no reason why we ought to limit ourselves. We each have so much potential and there are infinite possibilities for how we might manifest that potential. I’m never surprised when someone creative proves to be creative in more than one way. For example, actors who become musicians are often targets of criticism. Yet to me it’s so obvious that an artist would have more than one outlet. As for me, I love intellectual and artistic projects. Some days there’s nothing better than getting lost in a story-world I’m creating. Other days, I want to explore new ways to conduct research and then I feel compelled to write a nonfiction book. I see no reason to limit myself. I actually think writing in more than one genre makes all of it stronger.

The question I’m most frequently asked is: “How did you do it?” Sometimes people mean this in a very specific way related to becoming a commercial novelist, but mostly I think people are asking: How did you build the career and life you wanted, and how might I do the same? I wrote this book as an attempt to answer that question. I tried to write it as honestly as possible so it would be useful. It’s important to show there are stumbles and mistakes along the way, and to offer support and guidance for when people go through their own challenges. It’s also important to unabashedly celebrate the wins, so that others see what is possible. So, in the book I decided to detail the “messy gut checks” that led to “turning points” which ultimately enabled me to build the career I wanted. I hope it gives others the courage to do the same, as well as a roadmap. 

Start by getting really honest with yourself. I’ll give you a practical way to do this. Write yourself a letter. Think about your career and your life. What are your hopes? What are you passionate about? What do you wish your career looked like? What is the gap between where you are and where you want to be? Go deep about your career as it is and as you wish it to be. Think of this as a messy gut check on paper. It may become your guide and lead you to a turning point. 

For me, being an artist is truly the greatest privilege. I love it more than anything. But it’s also incredibly difficult. It really is true that artists bleed in public. You make yourself vulnerable and share that which is most sacred to you. It’s like putting your beating heart in your shaking hand and extending it to the world. There’s so much rejection and critique to navigate. So I have the utmost respect for what authors and artists do. The industry does not always show that same level of respect. There are all kinds of exploitive contracts whereby creators give away all the rights to their work, don’t receive fair compensation, enter into non-competes that are like strangleholds, and on and on. Creators have different priorities and so the same issues may not be important to every individual. What is important, however, is that they fully understand the deal they are entering into. Many do not properly understand the contracts they sign. This has to change so I use my platform to do what I can to educate and empower other creators.

It’s a small indie imprint. We have an innovative model whereby we offer authors co-publishing agreements. It’s not traditional or hybrid publishing. I think of it as DIY with an experienced helping hand. Our contracts are extremely author centered. For example, authors retain copyright, derivative rights, creative control over content and design, and there are no non-competes. We’re especially interested in crossover authors, such as academics who have written a novel or memoir, or textbooks that merge traditional and artistic methods. We have a new book series called “Literary Scholar.” The Artist Academic was our launch series title and we’ve just signed three incredible projects. We have a highly competitive, vetted submission process and plan to keep our line small.

My last novel, Cinematic Destinies, was released in September and it’s a personal favorite. It’s a cozy, feel-good love story about love, art, and what it means to live with passion. I’ve been enjoying promoting it and hearing what it means to readers who might be in search of a little inspiration, magic, or beauty. The second book in the Celestial Bodies Romances, following Shooting Stars Above, is coming out in March 2026 and it’s called Twinkle of Doubt so I’m gearing up for that release. I’m in the middle of writing another romance novel, but I do have the desire to get back to nonfiction too. For readers who enjoy The Artist Academic, there may be more in store for them. The incredible response from early readers and the conversations we’ve had has inspired me.