Today we’d like to introduce you to Joslyn Crowl.
Joslyn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
In my 20’s, I had really struggled with health issues. I was in and out of the hospital constantly. I felt like a medical pin cushion and a medical mystery. I felt very lost and hopeless and felt my dreams were so far from ever being able even to start them. I would briefly talk to people, and they would say, “wow, you should write a book about this.” I had always loved writing, so it planted a seed in my mind.
Having dyslexia, writing a book also seemed completely out of my grasp. I dreamed of owning my own photography studio, writing books, and having a family, which all kind of got shaken up.
I ended up spending my 20s fighting for my life, and just a few months after my 30th birthday, I lost my ability to have children from stage 4 endometriosis. Part of me died that day, but another part of me woke up. It was a drive and determination that I felt deep within me as I lay in pain all those years.
I pushed forward, and I spent my 30s building my photography business and opening my studio while I wrote chapters here and there.
It took 8 years to write 16 chapters and have a business I fought so hard to build to survive through a pandemic; with all of life’s many ups and downs, I finished The Seventeenth Chapter. Just before my 39th birthday and put my story into words.
I really want to inspire others, I know what dark days are like, and sometimes you just need to be a light for someone to get them out of the darkness.
Most recently. Launched The Joslyn Crowl Podcast. I have always been a talker and putting it to good use and getting to share stories, and helping others tell their stories while we help other businesses, dreamers, and anyone else we might cross paths with in life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For sure, not even the littlest bit of this went smoothly. If there were one thing that went smoothly, I would have sworn I did it wrong. Ha! Nothing has been easy. Health issues, medical bills, pandemics, mandates, and marketing platforms limit how you can reach people with censorship. A long list of things!
I can smile now, though, and play the reel of hardships in my mind that I faced knowing that they made me such a strong person. I used to not like feeling like I was a “strong person,” but as I get older, I know there are people that I have lost in life that fought battles that they didn’t make it through, and I don’t want to take my life for granted.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
By day, I am a professional photographer; I opened the doors to my gorgeous studio in November of 2017. It’s been a labor of love and has changed so much, as well as I have too. I decided to publish a book to share my story of battling chronic health issues, going through difficult challenges and overcoming obstacles, and changing the course of my life. Finding gratitude and pushing through for a higher purpose.
Writing the book was interesting because it took me about eight years. I didn’t constantly write; just when I needed to get a story down, and I grew so much in that time frame that the book evolved. I think if I had to try and write it all in the present day, it wouldn’t have had the same effect. I wrote things when the emotions were raw and the purpose was powerful. I just had to share it when I was ready.
It starts by sharing my story of battling Stage 4 Endometerisios and a very heartbreaking experience of noting getting to bring children into this world. Even though it was emotional, I still did end up leaving a lot out, some things you just have to keep to yourself. I then went on to have several more battles, facial surgeries, selling everything I owned, and building a business. Where I think the transformation really took place. Finding gratitude, becoming stronger in my faith, and wanting to inspire others to keep going.
Each chapter is a little story to take the reader on a journey to show them that after rain, God provides a rainbow. We just never know what is in store for us!
What do you like and dislike about the city?
When I was a kid, I always thought I would end up moving to a beach somewhere when I was out on my own, but with my health, I was never able to leave. I had family and support here and doctors. When my feet landed in Columbus, Ohio, about 20 minutes south of where I grew up, this was where I ended up building my life, opening my studio, and becoming a published author. It has changed a lot in that time frame, and back then still had a little bit of a small-town feel, but not so much anymore. I know I won’t live here forever, I know that, but it is my home for now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joslyncrowl.com/book-launch/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joslyndc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joslyn.crowl/
- Other: https://www.joslyncrowl.com/podcast/
Image Credits
Em Christine Photos
Ian Alexander photography
