Self-promotion is not a sin in the workplace. I’ve had to learn this and continue to struggle with it. I often assume that the time, energy, and strategy I put into a project are obvious, but everyone has their own responsibilities to focus on.

I’ve often said that I love learning. What I really meant is that I love being good at new things. The thrill of excelling has always motivated me, but it’s also made me hesitant to stick with things I’m not immediately good at. This year, I’ve challenged myself to change that mindset.

Who says I have to slog through years of grunt work, being underpaid and under appreciated, before I get the recognition and opportunities I’ve worked for?

After being introduced to Zora Neale Hurston’s work by chance, Ann Perry Wallace found herself captivated by the relentless way in which Hurston pursued her passions. Wallace also took inspiration from the popular quote by Les Brown, “the graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid.” Subsequently, the concept of denying the grave your gift became the angle from which she approached the retelling of Hurston’s life.