Welcome to the studio of Juli Accola

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If everyone was an artist or had an outlet to create in some form, the world could be such a beautiful place. We all have negative things that happen to us in our lives whether that be in our childhood or adulthood, and having an artistic outlet is so incredibly important when you feel lost, upset, or hopeless. I came from a military family and things were pretty strict in my house. I had to be a very responsible child, especially being the oldest, but had I not endured a childhood in the manner that I did, I don’t believe I would’ve had the passion or desire to create. It formed who I was and who I wanted to be. I started dancing when I was four years old and through dance. I found an amazing outlet. 

I began journaling when I was 12 years old and from there, my passion for writing became my second outlet. I grew up next to Omaha, Nebraska, just across the river in Council Bluffs, Iowa. I had one younger brother who I was more of a mother to than a sister, but as I look back on it now, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. I worked very hard in the classroom, in the studio, as well as at home helping to raise my brother. I became an All-American nominee in dance while in high school and was also the news editor for my high school newspaper at Thomas Jefferson high school. I went on to dance in college at Iowa State University, studying communications, marketing, and dance. My passion for dance and writing continued in college, and it gave me big dreams of what the future held for me. I dreamed of being a writer, and I also dreamed of owning my own dance studio. I was ready to see the world and create, but the universe had other plans. One semester before I graduated college, I met the love of my life, not knowing it would alter my course a little bit. While in college, I didn’t imagine  becoming a wife and a mother right after graduation, but fate had other plans for me. I was married at 24 and had my first child at 25, my second child at 28, and my third child at 31. Love has a funny way of changing dreams and altering our course, but sometimes that’s what we need. My three sons are the lights of my life and I couldn’t imagine my world without them. I put my career on hold during the younger years of my children so that I could be home with them and guide them through their toddler years. This was important for not only my children, but for our family. 

My husband is a Des Moines police sergeant, and the hours he worked and the sacrifices he made placed a huge responsibility on me to make sure our children had guidance, love, and stability. Although I loved being home with my children, I was still lacking my creative outlet.  It was during this time that I decided to bring Amanda Humperdink back to life. Amanda Humperdinck had been a short story I had written in college and although she wasn’t based on myself at the same time, she was a little bit like me. The first two books were published, but after the publishing company closed its doors Amanda Humperdinck no longer had a home-which is sort of ironic if you know the character. The five book series was put on hold and placed back on the shelf until I could come back to her. As my babies grew older and started school I knew I needed to contribute financially to our family. 

Although the artistic side of me wanted to stay home and write, and I even considered opening a dance studio as well, but financially it did not make sense. So I put my big girl pants on and entered the corporate world. I put my artistic endeavors and passions on hold, and I almost left them in the rearview mirror. For the last 16 years, I’ve been a dominant force for Ankeny Sanitation, helping them to grow their company while contributing to the financial stability of my family. As a woman, I feel like we make sacrifices for the ones we love, but I don’t think that’s a weakness-I think it can be a strong character trait, especially if you’re a strong woman. I do, however, believe that in order to be the best wife, mother, sister, friend, colleague, and person, we have to be the best version of ourselves first. In order for me to be the best version of myself and to be good at all of those other things, I need to have my creative outlet and I need to feed my artistic temperament. So after years away from the creative world, I find myself dusting off the keyboard and pulling those books back off the shelf. I love the process of creating and I love the person that I am when I’m creating. Becoming part of the collective has re-introduced me to my love for writing and creating. With the support of my husband, children, and brother I will not only be better for myself, but I will be better for them too.