God has a purpose for even your darkest days.

That’s something Crystal Holdipp has learnt continually throughout her life.

The 30-year-old has struggled with learning challenges since she was in primary school; she grew up feeling like she was never worthy or capable enough.

Despite her hardships, she is using her message of hope and strength to encourage others in her latest book of poetry, Resilient: Rise Above The Ashes.

Q: What inspired your latest book of poetry?

A: My life experiences and how they pushed me to rise above my circumstances is what inspired this book project. I’ve faced adversity of all kinds, including academic struggles since primary school. I was in learning support classes all the way up to college and was diagnosed with a learning disability (in terms of how I process information) at 23 years old after going to see an educational psychologist.

I’ve also dealt with deep depression and extreme anxiety where I was having panic attacks, suffered with the constant pain of rejection and insecurity, been crippled by fears that stemmed from negative experiences like never having a steady job and just found myself in situations where there was constant opposition in my life.

Despite it all, what I’ve experienced gives me the passion and desire to help and encourage others, so that’s what I’m hoping to do.

Do the poems in your book have any common or underlying themes? What are they and why did you focus on those?

There are themes in the poems including bouncing back from life’s struggles, conquering depression and anxiety, not allowing negative circumstances to hold you down, using setbacks, disappointments and failures to propel you to something greater, not allowing stigma and statistics to stop you from moving ahead, breaking out of and letting go of bitterness, hurt and anger that can spring up for many different reasons. I focused on them because I have a passion and desire to help, encourage and minister to those that find themselves in these circumstances and are going through these things.

This is something that God has placed in me to do and I had to experience this from the time I was a little girl in order to know what it’s like.

What is the important message you want to get across with this book?

That we don’t have to allow negative and unpleasant events to hinder the purpose and plan that God has for each of us. These bad things will happen, but what’s more important is how we handle them and what we do during and after.

How did you know God was leading you to write this?

Around the time I was inspired to create these poems, that’s when God gave me a strong urge to write on the topic of resilience.

He was working through a few people who had no idea I was working on this type of book, and used them to either call me up or connect with me and give me words of clarity, wisdom and confirmation. Then attacks would come from the enemy to distract and discourage me.

I had thoughts like, “I don’t have what it takes to do this”; “I’m not good enough because of my experiences”; “I don’t have enough support, resources and help to get this done, to get the book out there and for it to be successful”. Also, Satan was trying to use other situations to really bring me down during the writing process.

What was the biggest challenge putting it all together?

The biggest challenge was pushing past fears, doubts, procrastination and other distractions that would come in between. Also, the financial and business side of publishing was a challenge as well. The only way I was able to overcome them was through faith and trust in God; doing what I needed to do when feelings changed and pushing past distractions.

Did it strengthen your faith in any way?

Knowing that I’m doing one of the things that God has called me to do which glorifies Him; completing the book and that lives are touched and transformed is a big reward. My faith was definitely strengthened through it all because there were so many times I could have just given up and listened to all the lies, but each time God was looking out for me and was constantly there to remind me of my worth and value.

How are you feeling now that it’s done and out there in the public domain?

I’m excited and putting my expectation in God for what He will do through it.

How many books have you published now? What motivates you to keep it up?

I’ve written and published three books now. They are titled Poems From The Heart, Inspiring Moments: Encouragement for the Soul and Resilient: Rise Above The Ashes. They are all available on www.amazon.com in both Kindle and paperback versions. There is just something within me that won’t let this dream and passion of mine go. I believe my faith has a lot to do with it. There are times of discouragement and disappointment, but there is something that eventually keeps pulling me through and getting me through. Definitely it must be the work of God. I’m eventually hoping to combine my writing with business and ministry components. I would like to put both my calling for writing and passion for helping others together.

• Ms Holdipp will sign copies of her book at Bermuda Society of Arts on Friday, September 9, at 1pm and the Bermuda National Library on Tuesday, October 18, from 6pm-8pm. For more details, visit www.crystalholdipp.com or follow her Facebook page: Crystal Writes.