A Self-Made Writer Navigating Life’s Complexities – Exclusive Interview with Justin H. Briggs
- Brainz Magazine
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 16
Justin H. Briggs is a writer located in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. He is more than his diagnosis and less than his potential for success, in his opinion, but he is working on that. His diagnosis of schizoaffective bipolar disorder manifests symptoms of depression, mania, delusion, paranoia, and hallucination. He is in no way medically certified beyond the occasional CPR certification, but he has been there and done that, so to speak.
Justin H. Briggs, Writer
What is your motto?
Ad astra per alia porci.
Tell us about your greatest career achievement so far.
My first published title “Insanity Comes To Mind: A Memoir On Mental Health” was published May 1, 2020. I had never before published or written anything beyond school assignments or work reports
before this title.
Others always seemed to read into what I had written, however. I had a knack for the thing, but was not exactly considering ever writing anything of substance. A fun hobby, pastime, or talent actually appears to be a gift.
After I self-published the memoir via Amazon I became a writer, in my opinion. Five years later, I have forsaken all other options and am focusing solely on pursuing career opportunities via the written word.
What inspires you?
Sunrises, Patrick Mahomes, and bettering myself.
What is your work inspired by?
Writing is a gift. It is something I practiced out of necessity before I ever allowed myself to imagine it could be a gift for others as well; I could share my creation. I am inspired to attain success with this gift for the sake of realizing the full potential of said gift.
I am a good writer working at being great. I have no definition or specific achievement by which to determine greatness for myself, however. The rewards of writing are self-evident to me and certainly radiate far beyond the grasp of mere monetary gain. But money is good too.
What’s your purpose, mission, and driving force for all the work you do?
My purpose is to write. My mission is to develop a craft into a career. My driving force is a manual Chevy sedan.
What specific goals do you aim to achieve?
Well, what are my options? That's something I reflect on often...
My first book had moderate success with minimal effort in terms of promotion. Promotion, however, is half of the game. Should I desire to become a well rounded, respected writer of this or any time then I should make myself well-rounded and respectable…at least in the written word.
But the funny thing is I never thought I would write a book until my options were to write a book or disappear either literally or metaphorically. All bridges were burned. I was both to the world and from myself missing from existence.
Writing a memoir on my mental health changed that reality for me, publishing the book has clearly helped others, and I will never forget my first thought after drafting the manuscript: “What do I write now?”
So my goals include writing and publishing whenever, wherever, and however the opportunities arise.
This is not a cover letter, however, and I am not a medical professional of any kind so I will just say this: I just want to make the world a better place.
For readers inspired by this conversation and eager to start their journey, what first steps would you recommend?
Buy my books, read my blog posts, or at least take a long, hard look in the mirror with regard to your mental health before your only hope is to write your way out.
Read more from Justin H. Briggs
