Ep. 1075 – From Classroom Bells to Children's Books with Kirsten Telan (@ktelan1)

·53 min·5 clips

Kirsten Telan reveals how faith transformed her writing from self-help tips to a deeper, purpose-driven blog.

The episode begins with host Dom Brightmon introducing Kirsten Telan as a wife, mom, kindness advocate, and creator of the Confetti Effect. Kirsten explains her background, raised in the 1980s, which she credits for building resilience and routine. She retired after 15 years working in a school, where the structured environment initially hindered her creativity. After retirement, she started a blog called the Confetti Effect, initially focused on self-help but later shifting to faith-based content as she found deeper purpose. Kirsten describes how faith became her framework for writing, moving from tips to testimonies. She shares her Christian journey, including moving from Boston to Florida as a child and later reconnecting with church after her husband's cancer diagnosis. To conquer fear, Kirsten took improv acting classes, which led to commercial opportunities and a contract with the Home Shopping Network. The idea for her children's book, 'A Tale of Two Dogs', came from observing her Shiba Inu and pug adopt each other's traits during COVID-19. She wrote a rhyme about the dogs and collaborated with a former colleague as an illustrator. Kirsten details the publishing process, including her fear of submission, her husband's help, and acceptance by a hybrid publisher that selects only 10-12 children's books per year. She emphasizes the importance of growth mindset, revisions, and not taking oneself too seriously. Kirsten now does school visits with her dogs, uses finger puppets for engagement, and has created a devotional based on the fruit of the spirit. She advises choosing discipline over motivation and serving others to add value. The episode concludes with Kirsten sharing her website and resources for listeners.

As heard by us

A faith-forward writing conversation about purpose, authenticity, authority, and connection.

Kirsten Telan's turn on Going North frames self-help as an entry point and faith as the layer that gives her writing more depth. The discussion keeps circling back to a plain but sturdy idea: authorship is not only about momentum, but also about purpose, authenticity, and…

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

A warm push if your writing needs purpose, not just polish.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Going North Podcast