Secrets of World’s Writers: In Ink and Truth — Brenda Hukel, MBA

Boldly Authentic

Showcasing Brenda Hukel, Author of Courageously Authentic

💜Dear Community, I’m honored to introduce Brenda Hukel, a great writer whose words stirred deep emotions in me. I cried, I sighed, I reflected… her stories resonate with raw honesty and powerful insights. Her words have the power to heal, inspire, and bring light to even the darkest corners of our experiences. Thank you all for your continued support! Be sure to follow Brenda’s journey on her website and social media — your engagement makes a difference and helps bring these important stories to life. If you’d prefer not to be tagged in future stories, please let us know. With deep gratitude, let’s celebrate the transformative power of storytelling together. 💙🤍💜

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Motto: You Are The Permission You’ve Been Waiting For!

1. That Special Moment

One fine day, you started writing poetry/prose. How did it happen exactly?

When I was in my early fifties, I reached a breaking point — a moment of truth that forced me to admit that everything I had worked so hard for was slowly killing me. On the outside, it seemed as if I had it all — success, money, prestige, and stability. On the inside, my soul was exhausted. I reached a point where I could no longer pretend. I could no longer hide my unhappiness, emptiness, and quiet sorrow.

That experience forced me to let go of the image I felt pressured to maintain because of an ingrained belief that to feel worthy, I had to continue to climb the corporate ladder — a ladder that was never aligned with the life I was truly meant to live. So, I walked away from my executive position and the financial stability it provided me and my family.

One day, I was sitting alone in a park, writing in my journal, when I closed my eyes for a moment, and a memory of my late sister gently washed over me. The memory took me back to the day I lost her to alcoholism. I saw myself standing at the cemetery watching people return to their cars when the painful truth hit me — it wasn’t the alcohol that was the cause of her death; it was the symptom. The cause was her inherited childhood beliefs, which shaped her as an adult and led her to believe she wasn’t enough or deserving of love and happiness.

Losing her shattered my heart. But sitting with that memory and the silent whispers of my sister’s voice, I decided I had to write Courageously Authentic, knowing deep in my heart that her story wasn’t just hers; it was mine. It was the story of women around the world — quietly suffering under the weight of limiting beliefs, feeling trapped by their past, by societal demands, and by the generational conditioning that told them who they should be instead of who they were born to be — their true, authentic selves.

2. Art Is Work

What does your work as a writer consist of? What are the biggest challenges of the present?

My work as a writer is an extension of my healing journey — and a deep calling to help other women reconnect with their truth. It’s a tribute to my sister.

As a writer, my work explores deep, transformative topics that speak and empower women to live boldly and unapologetically — to raise awareness that their voice needs to be heard, their dreams fulfilled, and the permission to be vulnerable and show the world their true selves.

In my writing, I hold space for my readers to explore their most intimate feelings without judgment. I try to write in a way that makes the readers feel like they are in the presence of a trusted friend and feel safe expressing themselves freely. If something I’ve written inspires even one woman to reconnect with her truth, then it’s all been worth it.

One of the biggest challenges I encounter in my work — and one that truly tugs at my heart — is hearing from so many women who no longer recognize the person staring back at them in the mirror. They wonder how they lost themselves along the way and often believe it’s too late to change because we live in a world that rewards achievement over alignment, perfection over presence, and self-sacrifice over self-love.

Another challenge is the fear of vulnerability — women feeling safe enough to be brutally honest with their truth. It takes great courage to be vulnerable and to realize vulnerability is not a weakness, it’s an innate strength. In those moments, I have learned that when we finally allow ourselves to be vulnerable and remove all the ego masks we wear to fit in, be accepted, and feel valued, we find this remarkable freedom and confidence to step into who God intended us to be.

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3. Without Projects, There Is No Future

What are your representative projects? What projects are you working on?

I am preparing for my book’s launch, which is scheduled for May/June of this year and will be distributed globally. I am also developing transformational tools that will be available across multiple platforms, including speaking engagements, workshops, interactive courses, blogs, and articles, to engage with women worldwide.

4. The Scent of Creation

Describe a scent that immediately transports you to a moment of inspiration or creativity. What emotions does it evoke, and how does it influence your creative process?

The sweet combination of honeysuckle and wild grapes brings back the memory of a hot summer day from my childhood. My sister and I were walking through the wooded path near our home as we discussed our plans for who we wanted to be when we grew up. I shared with her my dream of writing a book that would inspire and give others hope. My sister loved that idea.

The memory holds more value than nostalgic feelings because it represents a future commitment. The scent activates my inner drive, determination, and unspoken endurance. The smell brings back the purpose that drives me to write and reminds me of my audience. My sister’s memory lives in my words. The experience has become my core creative practice because it keeps me true to myself and focused on my mission.

5. Ink and Intimacy

If your writing style were a tactile experience, what texture would it be? How does the act of putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard make you feel on a deeply personal level?

My writing carries a deep personal meaning for me. It’s where I can drop into my truth and express my vulnerability through my words.

The surface of my writing resembles a brown-worn leather journal with a dragonfly engraved in the corner. A casual leather strap wraps loosely around the center. The journal’s texture and design symbolize outside gentleness but inside strength and resilience.

The pages contain my life experiences and the knowledge transmitted from generation to generation. The dragonfly symbol serves as a reminder that change and transformation, regardless of how challenging, create opportunities for significant personal growth.

Through my writing, I try to establish a bond with women readers who find their life experiences mirrored in my words. I choose my words with great care to inspire hope, inspiration, and courage.

6. The Harmony of Silence

Think about a moment when silence spoke louder than words in your creative journey. What were the circumstances, and how did it shape your understanding of your craft?

When I decided to write Courageously Authentic, I knew I would be tested spiritually and emotionally to ensure the spiritual principles and tools I had shared after 30 years of coaching were not just taught but lived through my writing.

The most profound moment of silence during this creative journey came as I wrote the final chapter of my book: “Ascending to Christ Consciousness: Returning to Wholeness”. During the writing of my final chapter, I was tested to the core. I was faced with the unimaginable — surrendering to my husband’s will to live or die. There was nothing I could do, say, or fix to change the outcome, no matter how hard I tried.

In that silence, I faced the raw truth of what I was writing about — surrendering to God’s will. It taught me that not every healing happens in words; not every healing happens through the medical model, but rather through the silence of unwavering faith, trust, and relinquishing the illusion that I had control to change God’s will.

That moment reshaped my writing, bringing it to a deeper level — both within myself and my words. It reminded me that in our most powerful moments, divine alignment is not found through fear or force but in the presence of surrender. The final chapter in my book emerged in the silence of surrender, and so did the new version of me.

7. The Palette of Dreams

Imagine your creative mind as a painter’s palette. What colors dominate your artistic spectrum, and how do they represent the different facets of your imagination?

My painter’s palette would contain colors of richness, symbolism, and intention:

Deep Indigo represents introspection, wisdom, and higher consciousness. It’s where I often begin when I sit down to write.
Gold is a symbol of spiritual awakening and divine, sacred knowledge that guides readers to their authentic selves.
Emerald Green brings balance, harmony, and deep emotional and physical healing that initiates true transformation.

These are the colors I strive to infuse into my writing: hope, healing, wisdom, and awakening.

8. The Quill of Vulnerability

If your creative expression were a handwritten letter to your inner self, what truths and vulnerabilities would it unveil? How does the act of exposing your innermost thoughts contribute to your artistic identity?

My handwritten letter to my inner self would read: ‘I see you. You are no longer invisible.’ It would address the little girl who felt unseen, the woman who held secrets among her pains, and the soul that never let down its guard to be her true, authentic self in pursuit of freedom.

It would reveal the fears I attempted to conceal, the beliefs I held by inheritance, and the pain of not feeling enough.

Writing has become my response to those deeply unspoken feelings I held deep within my heart. The act of laying bare my innermost self — on the page and in my heart — has defined my artist’s identity. It’s taught me that what lies beneath fear is unresolved grief, but the path to connection and healing is being courageously authentic. My words are an act of surrender to truth, not just for me, but for any woman who reads them and says quietly to themselves, ‘Me too. It’s time for me to be courageously authentic.’

9. Symphony of Shadows

Consider a character or theme in your work that embodies the shadows of your own psyche. What does this shadow teach you about your fears, desires, or unexplored dimensions of your creativity?

Is that the case?

The shadow in my work is the part of me that once believed she had to earn her worth by being everything for everyone — while silencing her own truth. She is the woman who carried inherited beliefs, buried her desires, and lived by invisible rules. She once feared being seen and not being enough — yet longed to be both.

That shadow has evolved into a spiritual mentor, revealing the new aspects of my inner self — arriving at true authenticity, wholeness, and deeper creativity.

Through her, I’ve discovered that the shadow doesn’t diminish the light — it offers the opportunity to reveal the woman who took the lessons of her darkness and emerged into wholeness, who awakened and is living as her true self — who she was born to be. Through darkness comes light. You can’t fully experience one without the other. This is duality. And within that duality lies the gift: the chance to release unconscious victimhood, quiet the mental chatter, reclaim our power, and finally live life on our own terms, unapologetically.

10. Echoes of Childhood Whispers

Recall a childhood memory that resonates with you as a writer. How do the echoes of your early experiences manifest in your work today?

I was five years old the day I realized how deeply words could shape a life. I had just received an “excellent” on my paper and ran up the long hallway, beaming with pride, eager to show my mother. As I approached the kitchen, I overheard her on the phone say, “I wish Brenda had never been born. She’s such a burden — not smart like her siblings.”

She turned and saw me standing there — paper in hand — and, without a word, turned back to the stove to flip the chicken. In that moment, something inside me went quiet. That’s the day I became invisible.

I didn’t know then that this moment — painful as it was — would become the foundation of my life’s work. It awakened something in me: a deep desire to rediscover my worth, regain my power, and someday help others do the same.

That experience led me to dedicate my career to teaching others that it’s safe to reveal their hidden wounds, rewrite their stories, remember their worth, and the freedom they’ll experience once they heal the past and find forgiveness.

11. Melodies of Memory

If memories were composed as a musical score, what instrument would represent your most cherished creative recollections? How does the melody of your past influence the composition of your present work?

When I was younger, I played the piano and loved the sound that came from playing the keys. So, if my memories were composed as a musical score, it would appear as a majestic piano composition. The piano always reminded me of an instrument that released the essence of grace and profound emotional depth. My life story plays like a beautiful melody through deep bass notes, conveying the days of darkness that taught me essential lessons that shaped me into the woman I am today — strong, independent, resilient, and compassionate. The soaring melodies would express the love, joy, and deep appreciation for my life’s journey. My life’s metronome marks perfect rhythm, symbolizing the balance I reached through my healing journey using the tools and principles I’ve shared in my book. At the end of the melody, it would end with a soft tone that brings deep inner peace and feelings of gratitude.

12. The Dance of Words

If your writing style were a dance, what would be the rhythm and tempo? How does the cadence of your sentences mirror the beating of your creative heart?

If my writing were a dance, it would be the rhythm and tempo of a ballet — graceful, expressive, and deliberate. Every word would be a movement choreographed carefully to communicate feeling, meaning, and beauty. The rhythm would represent the construct and flow of my words. My words reflect the introspection and truth as they gently guide the readers on peeling back the layers of the emotions that keep them small. As they reach their core, they uncover the grace and freedom of their authentic expression. As a ballerina performing on stage, every move gracefully expresses the emotions of the melody, and so does my writing as it takes the reader on an intimate dance of vulnerability, transformation, and renewal.

13. Admiration Exercises

Which writers do you admire? What are your favorite books?

Brene’ Brown: Braving the Wilderness

Gay Hendricks: The Big Leap

Valarie Young, Ed.D: The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women

Micheal A. Singer: The Untethered Soul

Louise L. Hay: You Can Heal Your Life

Eckart Tolle: A New Earth | Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

Don Miguel Ruiz: The Voice of Knowledge

Don Miguesl Ruiz, Jr.: The Mastery of Self

14. An Indiscreet Question

With which influential author or inspirational figure from life, past or present, would you most like to share a cup of tea and a captivating conversation?

Louise Hay. Her journey and transformational work had such a profound effect on millions of people. She was a woman of grace, compassion, and humility. She led from her heart and portrayed pure integrity. Her legacy continues to ripple through generations, guiding, healing, and inspiring others on the path to inner transformation.

15. A Story in Ten Words

“One choice, one breath, one truth — she remembered who she was.”

16. A Favorite Fragment from Your Works

“Authenticity isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s the sacred return to who you’ve always been.”

17. Contact Information

Email: BrendaHukel@gmail.com
Brenda Hukel’s Website
LinkedIn Profile

18. Blog/Author Page/Social Media Profile/Library/Book Store

Where can we read your stories?

19. What exactly would you like to convey to a fellow writer/editor/screenwriter/film producer?

Present your writings in a few words.

Through my company, Awakening the Consciousness Within, LLC, and my book, Courageously Authentic, I reach women worldwide with stories, tools, and teachings that heal, empower, and transform. My work is rooted in authenticity — and designed to inspire courageous living and meaningful transformation.

20. Embers of Endings

Envision the conclusion of a significant project. How do you feel as you pen the final words or brush the last strokes? What is the emotional resonance of completion, and how does it influence your anticipation for the next artistic endeavor?

Completion feels like standing at the top of a mountain — grateful for the climb but energized to explore what’s beyond the next peak.