Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesus Ibarra.
Hi Jesus, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started working in construction at an early age and became a finish carpenter, but I wanted to do something different with my life. I envisioned myself writing stories, meeting people, traveling, and transforming my ordinary life with my writings.
Literature has played an important role in my life. I’m pretty sure that learning to read was the greatest asset in my life. I started writing poetry at an early age. When I was 40 years old, I self-published my first book. A bilingual poetry book titled “Contrasts.” That was the beginning of a wonderful journey, exploring the possibilities of storytelling.
To this day, I have written 6 books. They are all about different subjects: Poetry, fiction, drama, and autobiographical. I write mainly in Spanish, but I have 3 books in English. All are available through Amazon.
My greatest dream is to have one of my stories taken to the big screen.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been a rough road! I am a self-taught person. I only attended elementary school and needed to learn the basics of writing.
At the beginning, I didn’t have any idea how to develop a chapter or how to continue the story without losing the main idea.
I also learned to format a book, create book covers, and place my books on Amazon.
It has been a learning experience in all ways.
But I still have a long way to go.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I make my living working in construction. Sometimes I feel like a Renaissance man because I do many things.
Writing, wooden art, and photography; some of my pieces have been showcased at the Hannan Center in the Ellen Kayrod Art Gallery in Detroit, MI.
I think that writing is my strongest talent.
What I feel most proud of myself for, is that I was able to overcome poverty and the lack of formal education to pursue my dream of becoming a writer.
My first language is Spanish; I learned English to reach a wider audience with my stories.
I believe my stories have a deep connection with my own life.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
The best advice I can give to anyone planning or hoping to write a book is never stop learning.
Knowledge is the key to success.
There are going to be plenty of setbacks, but every one of them leaves a lesson and a way to improve ourselves.
There are no magic formulas to succeed or to overcome obstacles, but hard work and determination.
One thing I recommend to anyone is to ask for help. We as human beings are not self-sufficient.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://suenosyletras.godaddysites.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_art_poetry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
