This is How Richie Mental Healths

Our first interview with a dude!

Welcome to January. This month we will be exploring the interconnectedness of Mental Health & Authenticity.

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Happy January, everyone! Are we in good spirits at the brink of 2021? I am. And I hope you are, too.

This month is all about the cross section of mental health and authenticity. In light of that, I have several interviews lined up with fabulous people to share with you, and we are kicking the series off with someone equally as relatable as he is inspirational.

Who is hot, hilarious, and read all over? Richie Crowley.

Richie Crowley is a writer and creative director. I met him through a writer’s group (initiated by him), and have been intrigued by his pursuits as a writer, a creator, and a hilarious, fun human being ever since.

Please grab your beverage of choice, take a seat somewhere comfortable, and inhale every word of this conversation. Enjoy.

You are a successful freelance writer. What do you write about, and what is your ultimate goal as a writer? 

Thank you. Success as a writer for me begins with alignment. Before I even begin writing, I ask, “Do I give a shit about this topic,” or is it just low hanging fruit? I'm not in the business of cheap writings. Anyone can do that. I write mostly in marketing, sobriety, and personal branding.

Marketing and personal branding because I can make people better at their jobs. Sobriety because it's personal to me and I want to promote a new type of sobriety, without stigma and full of bright energy.

I started writing on Medium because a literary agent told me, “You have no audience — go build one.” So, build one I did. Via Medium and a newsletter.

My ultimate goal is to write fictional reality novels and screenplays. I think trying to build my audience ended up distracting me, BUT, it's also funded by bigger dreams — a compromise?

You talk extensively about your sobriety. Why did you decide to get sober, and how has it changed your life?

Alcohol became unhealthy for me. It became harmful to my mental health, my emotional health, and how I loved myself. It even hurt friends and romantic interests.

It totally beat up my dreams, always leaving hangovers and empty wallets at the most inopportune moments when I was finally ready to take some action. And, I learned how truly awful it is for the human body.

One of our greatest tragedies is that of deferring dreams. Alcohol continued to encourage me to defer them. 

Tell me about these alcohol-free drinks I've seen you promoting. What do you hope people will gain from your sober lifestyle promotion?

First, I love them. They've come such a long way, and some truly taste incredible. The show is meant to put this new face to sobriety. Sober comes with so much stigma, so much, “Can I ask why...” pauses.

I've found sobriety to be a superpower, a catalyst of better living. In the time since, I've ended up doing consulting and personality work with several brands, so the show not only teaches me things about video production and editing, marketing and branding, but is now a source of lead generation for my private work at RICKiRICKi.

The way vegan personas emerged, as did meditation ones, I feel like maaaybbbbeeee I'm at the front of the alcohol-free revolution, and if I can introduce this lifestyle to someone in need, then it's all worth it. Heck, that someone IS me — it's already worth it!

You have this really fun, really hilarious, and really authentic way about you. What advice do you have for people wanting to fully show up as themselves, but who are afraid to do so out of fear of seeming "unprofessional" or "too much?"

I wish I could nail this one down to something more than adopting a "fuck you" attitude because it took time to get there.

I carry this "I don't care what you think" reaction with me. It sounds harsh, but it's not. I do what makes me happy. I trust my intentions and that what I do does not harm anyone else.

When my mom calls to say she likes my long hair, my partner says she likes my pants, my friend likes my song — these are all external validations that I can graciously receive, but I can't rely on to make me happy, or to make something worth doing. And that's seeped into all parts of life.

Ashley, we live once. One crack at this existence. To anyone who makes someone self-conscious during that time, well fuck them, and to anyone who is seeking that happiness? It exists, and it takes some work. Start with meditation. 

Any wise words of wisdom to give to the fabulous people reading this, on...anything?

Trust more. Blindly. I'm asking a lot here, but trust that if you stay in alignment, it'll all work. 

Also, patience. If you're going to trust, be patient. 

And, on that note — do a shit load of work. Ira Glass said, “If you want to be original, the most important thing you do is a lot of work. Do a huge volume of work,” and I am a bit of a disciple of it. 

Also again. Manifestation is more than advertised. Most self-help life coaches say write it down and meditate, but what they don't tell you is how to scrape emails, build decks, pitch pitch pitch, and get what you want in between those meditations.

Thank you for reading today.

I hope you enjoyed this one as much as I did. Do let me know your thoughts, and have a fabulous day.

To keep up with Richie, find him on the gram here, and read his articles here.

Be you.

XOXO,

Ashley