Amrita Rose never realized that a single thread connected her entire life until a friend pointed it out. The Longmont resident took that thread and turned it into a self-help book.
Rose always thought of herself as a photographer who wrote. Only recently did she decide that she could also create images through her writing.
In her new book, “No Plaid Suits: How Not to Have a Boring, Normal Life,” she compares the image people have of themselves to an invisible plaid suit that represents “all of the habits and behaviors that we tell ourselves we are. We’ve told ourselves those stories so long we believe it’s true,” Rose said.
“When we look at that, we have an opportunity to make different choices. So we can shift out of wearing that plaid suit and put on a nice t-shirt and a pair of jeans.”
She taught digital imaging and photography as a university professor before switching careers to become a life, resilience and career coach.
Rose has always written or included writing in her teachings. It was a natural fit for her to begin a blog that included self-help pieces and essays, Rose said.
The various posts became the basis of the book “No Plaid Suits: How Not to Have a Boring, Normal Life.” Rose also added in some memoirs so people could understand how she learned the lessons to create the life you want.
“I just wanted to offer people practical information — because I’m very practical — and have it be kinda fun,” Rose said.
While living a very practical life, Rose didn’t realize that everything she had ever done was to teach people how to live or see life in a different way.
As a photographer, Rose took photos of things people passed by daily but often ignored and brought out their beauty.
“It’s literally how I show up in the world,” Rose said.
In the book, Rose suggests readers learn to change a tire as a way of changing one’s life.
She said that often when people have to change a tire it is when the circumstances are less than ideal, it could be raining, dark, on a busy highway or even in a foreign country.
“Knowing that you can change a tire, under those circumstances, is really about knowing that you can be self-sufficient and that you are capable of meeting whatever challenge life brings,” she said.
Rose hopes people discover a sense of their own autonomy and inner strength from the book, she said.
“I think so often we all get lost in what the culture says we’re supposed to be like, be doing or how we’re supposed to show up. It is so easy for us to label ourselves as either the role we play professionally or the role we’re playing in the moment … I think it is really easy to lose sight of our inner strength and our inner ability,” Rose said.
While writing “No Plaid Suits: How Not to Have a Boring, Normal Life,” Rose also began a series of children’s books that explore three journeys of self-discovery. The books are still in the editing process but she hopes they will hit shelves soon.
