Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I do plastic models. Think assembling/customizing Gundams, but they're not Gundams. Zoids, mostly (based on animals), as well as Digimon, Pokemon, and YuGiOh. I've always liked building things with my hands. When you write, you can delete/re-write a sentence as many times as you like, but with paint or plastic, there's only so many times you can do it before the results become progressively worse. So it's a good reminder of "perfect is the enemy of done." If I ever become Silly Rich, I might get into Warhammer just for miniature painting. Or DnD minis, like the $400 Tiamat.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
My first piece of creative writing was one of those blank books where you wrote/drew in all the pages. This was in first or second grade, and everyone in the class made one. I wrote "My Neighbor's Dalmatian," which was about my neighbor having a dalmatian and how I thought that was neat. My neighbor actually had two golden retrievers, but I really liked 101 Dalmatians, so, y'know, I used my imagination.

But all my classmates didn't understand WHY I wrote about my neighbor having a different kind of dog. Why would you write a story that isn't real? I didn't have the ability to really explain why fictional stories are valid, so I was very frustrated, as this was the only thing anyone said about my story. Looking back, I know I shouldn't have expected constructive feedback from other elementary school students. Although...we did get a neighbor about a decade later who DID own a dalmatian, so perhaps my story was true all along.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Pretty much every form of "you should always/never do X" that I got when I first began writing. I read craft books in my high school library and I was fairly active on a writing forum and people parroted these constantly. But they never included the nuance needed to explain WHY these were "rules." But you can and should break "rules" if the story requires it AND you can pull it off. It got me into this headspace that I wasn't a "good" writer if Word said I had any sentences with passive voice or I couldn't think of a way to write a sentence without an adverb. It distracted me from the stuff that actually makes writing good.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I want everyone to admit just how toxic and harmful Amazon has been to all of us. Yes, some writers have made a lot of money via self-publishing, but that success was only built upon the bodies of countless bookstores, presses, and very soon, literary journals and magazines. I want authors to stop prioritizing Amazon, Kindle, and Audible releases and invest in other platforms and markets. Now that Amazon is allowing a flood of AI garbage, it's only going to make things worse. Amazon has never been our friend, and we need to stop acting like it cares about us, because it never has.

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
When I was in sixth grade, I started seeing an orthodontist. Everyone told me that I had some baby teeth still and they'd needed to be removed. They didn't want to wait, otherwise my results wouldn't be as good, so they'd have to be removed surgically. The procedure went well and I thought nothing of it.

After college, I moved across the country and saw a new dentist, who didn't have access to any of my history, so he only went off what I told him. I ended up changing dental practices a lot because of changing jobs and moving, so it was only after the third dentist did someone finally ask, "Did you know you're missing some of your adult teeth?" I guess all the previous dentists didn't care to ask why my mouth didn't align with my self-reported history, and the one I grew up with chose to keep me in the dark, even as an adult. No wonder people don't like dentists!

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I'd want to get back into horseback riding. It's a little difficult to get to a stable when you live in an urban area and don't have a car!

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?  
Now this I had to think about as I love multi-tasking! I’ve always been absolutely useless at drawing no matter how hard I try, but I can take a good photograph, often combining light, textures and angles to capture a moment or space. One image comes to mind of a beautiful beach scene I snapped, positioning the jetty off-centre, with a seagull poised mid-flight in the corner of the frame, albeit more luck than skill on that occasion!

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I've been writing poetry since I was a teenager pouring out all the usual angst but never shared any of it, so I guess I wrote more for cathartic reasons initially. The first poem I did share was with my family about Gramps who had recently passed away, albeit an emotional piece for an emotional time. One of the first poems I sent out into the world was published in an anthology whose title included the title of my poem, so figured I was on the right track! 

What is the single best sentence you've ever read? 
Too many to narrow down! I was going to say the “heart off guard” line from Seamus Heaney’s ‘Postscript’ or one of many haunting lines from a Sylvia Plath poem (‘Tulips’ for example). However, I’ve recently discovered Dorianne Laux’s work who is an American poet, so from ‘Two Pictures of my Sister’, a poem about the abuse between her sister and father – “Bells the buckle from her cheekbone” – what an absolute stunner, both literally and visually.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I’d always loved my English Literature and Language classes at school, and wanted to continue them with a Creative Writing degree. Unfortunately, the rest of my grades weren’t good enough for a singular subject, so I opted to combine English with History of Art and Design, which was fascinating. Now, I complete online courses, attend workshops, am in a poetry group and read, read, read because a poet, no matter their level, can never stop learning.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?  
Greater support of indie publishers and more opportunities for marginalised voices to share their stories and be heard over the mainstream noise. Both have increased significantly over the past few decades, but as with anything there’s always room for improvement. I’d also like to see whenever work must be printed that it’s done so sustainability and on recycled paper, or mandatory planting to replace those used for books, because trees are so precious.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
When I’m working on a collection yes, there’s always a connection between each poem be it through content, format or style, but if I’m responding to a prompt or feeling inspired by something I’ve read, then anything can happen. One of things I love the most is when I’m working on a poem that, for whatever reason, isn’t working with or for me, then I find a different angle and bam we’re on the same page again and off we go!

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
Anywhere the words take me. Sometimes the last line will come to me first or the first that I feel I can explore further. Quite often I need to do research to expand an idea or concept I have, which is wonderful because I love learning about new things and there is just so much we don’t know. Being able to capture something new in a piece of art, whatever the medium, is quite simply treasure, especially when it shines the way the creator dreamed it could.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I've been creatively nomadic but my first burst of sustained creativity was in theater in college. After that came poetry and then photography. Most recently, micro and flash fiction and creating zines are what are keeping most of my focus.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was 19 and cast in the lead of my first play, totally by chance when the original lead bailed on the production. It was not well received but at the time (and still, actually), it didn't matter because I was in the process of moving headlong down a creative continuum and didn't give anything negative the opportunity to attach itself to me as I lived in that process.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
“You have to let other people be right' was his answer to their insults. 'It consoles them for not being anything else.” André Gide, The Immoralist

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
No formal training in literature or photography. Cameras with manual settings used to give me anxiety so I bought a Pentax K1000 (fully manual film SLR) in 1993 and some books to learn how to use it. In terms of lit and writing, I attended my first and only writer's conference in 2000 but otherwise, my sometimes exhaustive reading discipline has served me well.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Aside from concerns about quality, acceptance, and appealing to an uncollected audience that I think are always swirling, the more practical one is justifying the time and energy that being actively creative takes away from the other demands of life. Wondering if doing 'this' will be worth what I'm not giving 'that' because of the effort it requires.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
This might be too tangential, but if we could remove the fear kids are taught when learning about poetry, we would not only have more poets in the world but more readers, too.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I have a few themes that I don't think I'll ever stop writing about because I don't think my understanding of them can ever be complete: time, religion, the cosmos, and more recently the algorithms that are defining our realities. In terms of my photos, I'm highly opportunistic and would say this is where I have the least well developed/identified "lane" of pursuit.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I just try to get something down while holding a feint but real sliver of hope that I'll be able to work on it someday. I have many, many such pieces waiting for my return. More of them will be orphans than not.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I've had the least opportunity given or built to pursue music and so I think I would start with that. You know that moment when a song is over, where the band members end on the same note and look at each other with those smiles of recognition? Living one of those moments for myself is on my bucket list.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I am a graphic designer as well as a poet, essayist, short story writer, and (aspiring) novelist. An elegiac poem of mine won first prize in Bacopa Literary Review 2020 and I was long-listed for the international erbacce-prize in 2021, 2022, and 2023. I am currently working on a novel about a stranded generation ship. Additionally, I took lessons with a local artist in my teenage years, where I specialized in charcoal.

I am a fashionista and often provide style tips on thrifting to friends and acquaintances. I have been stopped on the street and in museums so that people can take photographs of my outfits, which are often unique, one-of-a-kind thrifted items, vintage dresses that used to belong to my Mom, or hand-made items. When I dress up for a night on the town, I don’t hesitate to dress like the main character of a storybook fable. I enjoy being at the center of attention and think that fashion should be a bold form of expression through which one presents their most authentic self to the world. When I meet my wife, I want to be standing in an unforgettable dress or a fabulous outfit that will draw her to me like the force of magnetism.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was only three when I wrote my first ‘book,’ which my mother took the liberty of binding for me and writing out in more legible handwriting than I could hope to manage at the time. I see her faith in me as a catalyst that led to much greater things. The book was about fairies. I have always been attracted to fantastical, supernatural, and science fictional themes. That first book was testament to this, and the incredible power of a mother’s love to spark joy, creativity, and innovation.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
The Sentence: “The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.” – Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot

Why I Love It: It keeps things in perspective. It keeps one humble.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
Very little. I do not have an MFA or a traditional creative writing degree. My BA is in Artificial Intelligence Studies with a focus in computer ethics, which naturally extended to an MA in Digital Humanities, which I completed just recently.

I took several creative writing courses in college and had the privilege of taking a writing workshop with world-renowned writer and President Emerita of PEN International, Jennifer Clement. She is one of my many mentors.

I began my unofficial training in 2018 under the tutelage of my first mentor, Robert Hoffman, who taught me so much about the craft and mechanics of writing. He saw raw potential and talent in me and played a large role in helping me hone and refine my craft.

I have been attending workshops, seminars, writing retreats, and taking other such classes at every possible opportunity. I often seek out and win scholarships and was most recently a recipient of a scholarship to the wonderful Murphy Writing’s Winter Poetry and Prose Getaway, for which I am extraordinarily grateful.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
My biggest creative doubt is that my work is not yet universal enough – that it contains themes, motifs, imagery and even vocabulary that has gone out of style. Recent critiques from readers hint that my work is too labor intensive in the sense that a casual reader may be challenged by an unknown word and unwilling to look it up. I fear sometimes that my meaning might be obfuscated, and my words will be misunderstood. I want my work to speak to the entirety of the human experience: to be timeless despite remaining very grounded in today’s sociopolitical Zeitgeist.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
“Write what you know” seems like sound advice at first glance, yet it can be incredibly limiting. If we all wrote what we knew, where would the space operas be? The fantasy epics? The stories that take us by storm and capture our collective imaginations tend to be very much outside the realm of the known.

I would venture to say that pushing the limits of the known is one of the most human traits there is. There will always be a wanderlust for walking between worlds through the pages of a book, for escaping to another place, another time, another planet, to live someone else’s life for a day and see the full range of all that possible. If one always writes what they know at the expense of the unknown, they lose a great opportunity to explore both themselves and create a world that has never before been seen or dreamt or heard of.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I would very much like to see more stringent guidelines about and restrictions upon AI-generated and AI-assisted texts. Many authors have turned to tools such as ChatGPT to generate ideas, plot stories, and refine and rewrite existing pieces. This seems to me to be a very slippery slope that has long-lasting ramifications for trust amongst the literary community itself as well as the marketability of human-crafted poems, stories, novels, essays, articles, etc. A large part of the problem is a broken educational system that does not always teach critical thinking or impart pupils with more than the most basic literacy skills. I would like to see the publishing community espouse certain values, including but not limited to valuing the labor of a diverse range of human creators over the tempting lure of the low-hanging fruit of machine labor – no matter how sweet it might seem.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
There are quite a number of threads that reoccur in my work. The ocean with its ever-shifting moods and vibrant ecology is a motif I explore often, as is liminality, especially in the form of documenting life in and around a vulnerable coastal community. The stars – navigation by them, their presence (or conspicuous absence), legends surrounding them, constellations: all these things and more are sources of endless fascination.

My work comes from a place of enduring passion for the English language, and deep reverence of its power. Above all else, love is the central theme that my work tends to gravitate around, whether that is in the form of the love that romantic partners share for one another, if it manifests in the guise of an ardent love for the planet and its many species, or if takes the shape of a mother’s love. Love is transcendental.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I begin with a seed of an idea – a feeling I am compelled by; an image: a glimpse of light as seen from a moving train; a snippet of overheard conversation. Everything grows from that initial seed. I become very attached to almost every piece I ever create when it is new. With some poems or stories, I come across them years later and that spark will be gone, what I was trying to say lost to the sands of time, but with others, the vital, vibrant force of creation is still very much alive. That is where I begin: with the vitality of the moment, the volatility of life, and the passion of forging something brand-new.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would learn to sew my own clothes! I have always wanted to craft my own fashionable creations from scratch. I would very much like to make myself a gown with a lot of tulle, lace, and bows, as well as other frilly clothes and unique pieces that you just won’t find in stores or see duplicated as another person’s outfit. I am considering saving up for a second-hand sewing machine.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I think it's important to have more than one creative outlet. I grew up playing musical instruments (piano, trumpet, trombone, cello), which is a great way to lose yourself in something completely different than the main project you're working on. Problems that seem intractable work themselves out in the back of your mind while you're using the "front" of it for something else. For a while, I was a painter, and got to know a whole new creative community that way. My mother taught all of us kids to knit, and that's something I turn to now and again. I'm not as ambitious as I used to be--no sweaters or mittens or hats for me. I do, however, make these ridiculous sets of lips. I found it a calming activity during the worst of the pandemic, and now I find myself knitting while watching TV.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I believe I share this doubt with many writers: that moment of facing the blank page and wondering if you've already written the best things you're ever going to write. Some people say you have to write every day to be considered a writer, but I don't share that view. You should, however, be open to writing things down even when you don't think they're going anywhere. My upcoming novel, City of Dancing Gargoyles, began as a series of flash fictions I'd written based on a prompt I gave myself during the height of the pandemic. It was an act of creative desperation, when I felt too scattered to write anything beyond the small, discrete, daily puzzles I'd given myself to solve. Over time, it wound up becoming something I'd never imagined it would be. And if I'd told myself "novel or bust," it never would have happened.

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own?
Part of the problem I've faced placing my work is that it doesn't speak with one voice. It also doesn't fall neatly into one genre, straddling mainstream/literary and speculative. Fortunately, I think the publishing world is coming around to my view, being a little less dogmatic about genre labels, and more accepting of different genres. All that said, one of my advance reviewers referred to my upcoming novel as "a little bit Calvino, a little bit Atwood, and a little bit Anne Carson." I am indeed an admirer of Calvino's wry-but-wise style, and certainly the improbable cities are in conversation with his Invisible Cities. And Atwood--that was an honor, because she's long been a literary hero of mine. I must admit, I'm not as familiar with Carson's work, but now I have a new name to add to my reading list. I am all for being inspired by authors across genres, pulling from a variety of inspirations rather than tunneling into just one set of tropes.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
This is actually something I've been thinking about lately, because I recently moved across the country to Seattle, and as I told a friend recently, "Every time I move to a new place, I become a different Tara." I was a racquetball player in one place, a rollerblader in another, a painter and cellist in another, a gardener in another, and a writer now. I'm still waiting to see what emerges from the chrysalis here in Seattle. For the moment, however, I'm enjoying going for walks around the lake and taking a zillion pictures of cherry blossoms.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
Ballet is the other artistic discipline that I love as well as collage, but I need to make more time for both.  

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
My first recollection of producing work was in Kindergarten. I shared my stories and bright drawings and heard, "You have a big imagination!"

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I earned my BA in English from the University of New Mexico with an emphasis in Poetry and I received my MFA from California College of the Arts. I have also danced most of my life. I am always reading, writing and taking new workshops to engage in my practice. I have most recently taken Jose Hernandez Diaz's workshop on surreal prose and odes. Wow, they were fantastic! I ran a weekly workshop for years called The Writer's Lab which was a great way to keep community with other writers and sustain a liveliness to my practice, but of course, COVID changed so much about everything. I am rethinking how to jump start a version of that again.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
My biggest creative doubt is that my work isn't academic enough, or "smart."

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Make it less weird. 

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I often think that each piece is a new exploration, but overarching themes are ever present. Some obsessions that remain include: pop-culture, womanhood, surrealism, religion/god, nature, and family/relationships. 

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I usually start a new piece of work with an image that resonates, a feeling I want to capture, or a question or strangeness that I want to explore.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
If I had unlimited time I would like to take up painting, playing golf, and studying mysticism.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create? 
Currently I work as a haunted attraction actor, but intend on expanding to stage acting in the near future. I also used to sing, but haven't done that in ages. I've always wished I could paint or draw, but have no aptitude for it.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I've written as long as I can remember. When I was too young to read I'd often look at pictures in books and make up stories based on them, and have always preferred imaginary play. As far as putting out work professionally, I was in my mid twenties when I published my first short story “The Girl in the Basement”. People seemed to like it, but I've come a long way since then.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
The answer to this question will probably change by the day, but right now I have to go with the opening of Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House. “No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream.”

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have a Bachelor's degree in creative writing. I've considered going back for a Masters at times, but right now I continue to continue my education by learning from the work of other artists. Also, as mentioned before, I intend to take some acting classes in the near future.

What is your biggest creative doubt?  
I see things so clearly in my head, so my biggest doubt is in my ability to find the words to match my mental images. This is my biggest fear as a writer.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
The concept of outlining and endless drafting. I'm jealous of people who are that organized! If I spent my time preparing like that I'd never finish anything. It's the same reason I can't write out of order, I know things when they come to me, and rarely a moment before.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?  
I understand the realities of capitalism, but I'd still like to see more risk-taking on the business side of art. Trend jumping and fitting a particular demographic of readers makes money, but I'd love to see more unique and varied voices, especially from the larger, more mainstream presses.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
My novels have an overarching mythology and mostly exist in the same reality, or at least in variations of the same reality. Thematically, I do keep going back to concepts such as transformation, found family and creative expression. Many of my characters are also outsiders or counter-culture types, because I enjoy exploring that side of our society.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
Almost always with a single image. This image may end up being important to the story or not, and in one case didn't even end up in the finished novel, but it is a starting point for me as a writer, sort of a sliding-glass door into the world of the story.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
So many! Acting, music, film-making,finding some visual art that I'm not completely useless at creating and then devoting time to learning it. For most of my life I dreamed of creating and running my own haunted attraction or some other sort of immersive theater show, but the more I work in the industry the more I think I'm not cut out for the life of a manager, but with unlimited time (and resources) I'd probably give it a shot. 

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I think of the universe as greatly big but think of art as bigger than the universe. I mean of art as a distance between two imaginary ends that cannot be reached. Art is all that is known and yet to be known even though they are carried among us in the breath of wind. They do not operate on the principles of facts. but of personal truth, emotion and pattern that stem into an unending belly of patterns

I plunged into my first art form as a drawing artist. Generating sketches and drawings with pencil and sometimes adding shades of colour with crayons. I would replicate comic work such as 'Conan The Barbarian' and quite a few others I had had access to. .I was the go-to person for drawing works in my elementary school days.

It got to a time that drawing art was no longer an enough outlet to express the ideas pinned on my mind. To illustrate the drawings in and of themselves demanded some form of extra creativity with words. This creativity with words brought me to what I had termed expression of imagery.

It was all plain words that felt different and elicited element of consciousness.

In an attempt to tone it down for wider audiences it evolved into musical expressions and creation, birthing a character called 'Eddinz Bani'. Of which associated effort had culminated into a body of work title - Rooted: The Template. The materials are globally available on major platforms including itunes

While my poetry (poem as well as spoken word) and musical creation person has come to stay, my drawing ability has morphed with its soul vanishes to relive in words and sounds while it has also find a very useful application to some technical outputs. This I consider a fair creativity exchange.

My poems such as 'Hello World' and 'Unconditional Love' have been organised and recreated into lyrics. So it's ok to say i create poems (including spoken word) and music

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I created my first poetry work in my late teens. Social media wasn't popular as of then. I kept a notebook which I named - expression of imagery.

i had a very small circle that could relate with the contents beyond a surface value. They cheered me on.

Try to match me with the big names of literature.

There is a set of audience to whom poetry is a lot for to take in yet they feel something for it. May be the rhythmatic impression from choice of words or is just them connecting with a particular line or sentence but more than that, wished they could read and connect with the entire piece without trying too hard to comprehend the central theme. Still they manage to get along and wants you to tone down content language to some level of 'simplicity'.

Yes, simplicity is part of good poetry but not to a point of watering down it creative and engaging values

While you think you have gotten to your limit of simplicity, for some it's never simple enough. However various audience will come along and pick up on what make a piece endearing to them

I am driven to creating a signatory writing style As an African child I needed a niche that touches base with the black community and yet resonate with the global audience . i do root for elements of nativity and taking every opportunity to project mother nature and its preservation.

There is so much more we are opened to that need to be artistically expressed in words as for poetry and the conveyance of impressions the way they have been envisioned.

It takes time to be a butterfly. We are made of stories packed in layers. The goal is to engage as many audience possible. Finetuning my style of writing in terms of simplicity without losing the fire of a creative striking piece. This has been an essential part of the mission.

i feel there is a lot about where I come from couple with my experience that can immesely add unique perspectives to the literal community

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
"As you start to walk on the way, the way appears" - Rumi

Rumi is an amazing writer. I am most inspired by the wisdom of this quote.

The sentence shows that the way to manifesting the self boils down to taking the first step.

To reach ones fullest potential one must be triggered to boundlessness

It should make us reflect on the first law of motion, why nothing moves until we move.

Here 'walk' is to action and 'way' a metaphor for the magnitude of the human potential.

Many will never take the first step to start. Many will do but without focus will stray from the path. Many will start but retreat from the journey.

Until courage and actions lead the way, potentials are caged and remained unfulfilled.

For in the 'walk' lies potential for strength, creativity, unique perspectives and seeds of opportunities to unlock boundlessness

For in the 'way' lies the answers you are looking for.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
It should start with a prompt. May be of an image, symbol, sound, a word or phrase or even a partial or complete sentence of what do I write about.

Every piece of my work has its own dimension that doesn't rely on a set of methodology. I go with the flow a prompt provokes, whether or not it sounds interesting at first

There are the easy writes, of which I only need a play of words and personal sentiment to take me there and bring them forth to a satisfactory or beautiful conclusion. Words that are domiciled in my artful reserve vying for their rightful place in my creative space, I only have to reach in and have them plugged on. Whether genuine or not. No pressure as long I feel a connection with the work. This category of work piece could be around topics that are mostly subjective and emotive like love and romance as well as politically inclined piece and societal issue that are quite opinionated especially when accountability and ethics are not overly involved. They require little or no infusion of logic. Just run it with a little bit of generic sense to them

At the other end of the spectrum are the ones that need a different kind of approach and attention. They demand height as much as depth and expanse. They call for investigation, research. and sometimes one-on-one with expert subject matter. Such as topics around mother nature, climate change and war. As much as they need to sound interesting and hit readers on the nerves, beyond the creativity engagement, they must come from a place of facts and veritable ideals

Commonly the prompts and initial lines will hint on the idea of a possible theme but not necessarily where the finished work is headed. At this stage, I am interested in a first draft based on the nature of emotions that it evokes as instant accompanying insights without caring about depth. At this time I am focused on maximizing the rawness of the concept without recourse to the creative process. After which onward reimagination and improvement will add some flesh to it.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I always find myself uncertain about finalizing and pushing drafts that do not yet clearly or subtly satisfy an intention. The immersion starts with me. If I don't feel drawn in, I don't think anyone else would. To the reader, like a dream, there has to be something to hang on to. So aslo like veins in a leaf, I must have a sense of it feel. If the piece does not trigger my finger at least, i do not expect the audience to connect as much with it

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
Should I have unlimited time, i would put it in swimming to see how of familiarity I can develop with water like I have with land but for the most part I would rather expand on my current domains. I have the art and science going for me. There is always something new and interesting about them every day to explore. One shows the mystery. The other tells the principles that govern how to safely embrace the mystery. Sitting between these two ends is philosophy to help use the best of reasoning for self scrutiny and to determine how worthy our truths are truly are. With this my hands are full. I would spend my unlimited time to study how these various knowledge intersect and overlap. And how there real life applications can benefit planet earth, humanity and drive innovations.

I must be lucky to have discovered my gift of art early in life. From self discovery and reaching down to a depth within to bring out what I have to offer was a journey into meaning and purpose. I feel even more lucky to have been operating in meaning and purpose early in life. At this stage I only feel a sense to attain a balance in duty and responsibility to the ones I love. Art is the inevitable sea that presses against our limited power of imagination and without science and philosophy we are lost in its vastness

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
When I was about 14 I hand-wrote a short story in a notebook. When I let a friend read it, the only thing they had to say was "you know you're supposed to start a new paragraph whenever a new character starts talking, right?" Naturally, I was inconsolable, but that is simply the writer's life. Everyone's a critic!

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have a BFA in film production, but beyond that most of my writing training has come from practice, critique swapping, and a lot of reading. Exercising the muscle of writing is pretty important to what I do, as well as reading the work of writers I admire and thinking about what I like or don't like about how they've executed something. I also love writing to very specific submission calls, as this lets me reach for plots and concepts I wouldn't normally gravitate toward.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Mostly that I'm not doing enough. I feel like a lot of my friends and colleagues have written books by now, and I know I've written plenty, but gosh, sometimes it would be nice to have a novel to point people toward. I self-published a novella in 2021, but for some reason I still struggle to make myself believe that it "counts" as a real book because I put it out myself. Meanwhile, if anyone I know says the same thing about their own self-published work, I am very quick to tell them that "of course it counts, you wrote a dang book!" I do believe that. Still working on applying that belief to my own self.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
"If you want to be a writer, you have to write every single day, without exception." I hear a lot of people say that. It's treated like an antidote for the "you must write 1000 words a day" crowd. I know that that works for some people, and that's awesome! For me, though, frequently the more pressure I put on an act, the less likely I am to complete it. I have been writing more than ever now that I stopped tracking my wordcount every day. It's absolutely imperative that you only follow writing advice that works for you. I mean, try things! But if those things are hurting you, even if they work great for your writing heroes, then they aren't going to help you make anything.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
It's already been happening a bit, but I would love to see a diversifying of voices. I want to see more people represented in the publishing world. In terms of diversity, sure, but also just...I wish that the same five people weren't writing all the books, you know? It's far better than it used to be, particularly with the growing popularity of indie and self-publishing, but there is still a long way to go.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I would never have thought about my work as having overarching themes until a friend and I organized a theme swap event through a writing Discord server. A bunch of us had to write down 3-5 themes from our own writing, then we swapped them in secret and tried to write using each other's themes. That exercise (aside from prompting me to write a super gross story) made me think very consciously about what themes I write about most frequently, and start to notice them in a lot of my work. I think many of my shorts explore some common themes, but most of them explore those themes in different combinations or from different angles. Hilariously enough, in looking at the five themes I offered up in that exercise with regards to my own fiction, I think "Leaving My Mother's Vespiary" manages to avoid them all!

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
Frequently I'll have a concept in mind, and I'll let it percolate for a bit before I actually get rolling. Though sometimes I will simply come up with a first line and see where it goes. Occasionally (as was the case with "Leaving My Mother's Vespiary") I will have a very old draft in my trunk that I'll come back to years later and rewrite from scratch. The original draft in this case was about 2/3 the length and 1/17 the quality. Sometimes distance can help!

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would love to learn to draw. I would draw such troubling things. I really need a genie to come down and give me wonderful drawing skills. No, I should probably just pick up a pencil.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I paint, in acrylics. Odd bold things like “Still Life with Melmac Plates and Pink Birds”. This saves me from my wretched poetic self. Over the years, I’ve had a few shows, I’ve sold a few paintings, and I had one stolen. Which was flattering if annoying.

When painting fails to do its trick of dissuading me from bleakness --or I run out of paint — I indulge in knitting or crocheting, Fanciful one-off things like three headed knitted werewolves or vengeful crocheted poppets. I’ve made some more socially acceptable things too, like blankets As Seen On TV — I have painstakingly reproduced a granny square afghan from the 60’s series Dark Shadows, and the rarely seen (but I saw it) blanket thrown on a sofa in the 60’s TV show The Addams Family; currently I am collecting yarn (this takes a while, I like to find the actual vintage unnatural stuff in just the right colors) for an afghan I saw on The Brady Bunch. I don’t know if anyone does this, but I do. (Does this TV blanket thing date me? I saw all the shows as re-runs. Oh well, it probably still dates me.)

Finally, to round off this answer, I am a decent harmonica player as well as an adequate guitar player, I was even in a band back in the 80’s. We were called (wait for it) The Melmacs. I wrote all the song lyrics. We had a write up in FlipSide! Then we broke up. Ah, youth.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was 8; it was third grade. I wrote a poem regarding the differences between similes and metaphors. It rhymed. This was the 70’s. It didn’t go on the classroom wall of creative grooviness next to the popsicle stick god’s-eyes and the concrete poetry about schoolbuses. Of course, this set me up for the rest of my writing life, expectation wise.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
The first line of Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, leapt unchallenged into my mind when I read this question. “A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories.” I encountered this when I was in highschool in Australia. I was busy devouring 19th century poetry at the time and had little space in my head for 20th century novels. I had to read the book for English though. I raced through it. This was the first sentence I was ever instructed to go back and re-read and notice. So, I did. And it was an electric moment. I suddenly realized that prose—as well as my beloved poetry-- could evoke. It did not shake me from my formalist ways, but I still consider this particular sentence to be the best one I’ve ever read.

What is your most evocative memory?
1986. Middle of the afternoon. Sitting by myself on a bench in what looked like a small city park somewhere in London, looking down at a stone pathway that wound past me at my feet. I noticed that some of the larger stones had writing on them. Not just writing. Names. Names and dates. They were old headstones. I was sitting in what had once been a graveyard and was now recycled as a park…as soon as I registered this fact in my head, a terribly woozy feeling came up out of the ground and surrounded me. I understood clearly that I could not have possibly avoided stepping on the dead when I walked into the park far enough to get to the bench. And they didn’t like that. I knew that they didn’t. I didn’t like that.

The dead and I did not like each other.

There it was, a bright day in March, it was London, life of every kind imaginable was going on all around me and I was stuck in an iron gated sea of death. I was unable to make myself move. Time left me. Thought left me. Even sound stopped reaching me. At some point my terror of being there outweighed my terror of stepping on even more dead people. I ran. I just ran. Away. Out. Fast. So fast. I don’t know how I managed it. I don’t think I breathed. I never looked back. I never went near that park again. There are ghosts I never wish to be around, even if by accident, even to this day. Even getting an ocean away, that memory still throbs in my head.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
That posthumous recognition is worth trying to become a ghost for.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
It didn’t sound good to me, but I guess it sounded good to the giver. I was advised to take my rhymes and my meters and crawl back under my rock. This was after my first poetry reading, decades ago. Told to me by an established older poet. This was not useful advice, ultimately. He’s dead, unread, obscure — I’m still here saying rhyme the free world.

(Apologies to Eminem; and to whoever is reading this: don’t let any of the bastards dim your light.)

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
The complete absence of submission fees. They gall me. I know that they supposedly keep submissions down to a quiet roar. I realize that writers used to have to pony up for envelopes, typing paper and stamps. But! I see many excellent venues work without these fees. Writers still pay for computers and internet service. It’s not even like the old rock and roll ‘pay to play’ night club contracts—writers pay to submit but have no idea if their work will ever be accepted to play. That seems so unfair. I don’t submit to places that charge fees.

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
My husband and I bought a haunted Victorian house. Truly haunted! And it is fascinating. And not as scary as some would think. Ghosts are people too, after all, just older and dead, with an inclination to walk around upstairs in the middle of the night.

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own?
No one. Well, perhaps the poet Margaret Todd Ritter. Maybe (maybe).

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would like to learn how to sew. Artistically. I’d make myself a Pearly Queen jacket and skirt. My people come from Hammersmith/London; I’ve always felt an affinity toward the Pearly Court.

Then I’d turn my hand to serious herbology. Make a nice shade garden of poisonous blooms that no one suspects but others of my kind…

Ceramics would be nice to take up after that. And glass. Blown and stained. Then leaded window refurbishing. I’ll fix up this haunted house!

Letter press book making and publishing next. Grimoires. Poetry volumes.

Then on to making cloth, starting with planting flax seeds, learning to spin….weave….

Owning and tending an ancient apple grove would be interesting. Cider. Pie. Shrunken heads.

Basically, if I have unlimited time I will observe no hobby bounds. Perhaps that is why no one has invited me to become a vampire? I’d most likely be much too wearying for most of the other vampires—I’d like to think I would be a most interesting vampire. I can think of endless things I really really want to do. (I like to think that turning into a ghost will let me participate in some of the less strenuous things I’d like to do that I hadn’t gotten around to doing.)

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I used to have a YouTube channel where my friends and I would make skits and prank one another. We had to write the script for each skit beforehand, rehearse, then film and edit. We also made a few comedic songs that we posted to YouTube years ago.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was in the third grade when a friend and I created a graphic novel about our teacher. We renamed him “Mr. Fucker” and had him go on all sorts of adventures - shooting bad guys to save the school from terrorism, rescuing students from a fire, fighting his rival, the evil principal (what would a psychologist say?). I remember it being a lot of fun to create; seeing what my friend came up with and showing him my own work was exciting. Collaborating with him was always a giggle-fest. Oh, what I would pay to have a single page of a Mr. Fucker comic now…sadly, they are all long, long gone. I doubt many of those originals ever made it out of my grade three classroom.

Unfortunately, we were not like George & Harold from Captain Underpants; our classmates did not celebrate our comics. My friend was unpopular, often the butt of the joke, etc. In hindsight, he was likely on the spectrum but never diagnosed. Together, we didn’t have the collective sway to make our comics ‘cool’ to the others.

When our teacher found out, he punished us with detention, but did not tell our parents. I think he was proud of us for being creative, but did not like the language we used. I cannot blame him.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I took English and Philosophy as my majors in university, but have never taken a creative writing class. I applied for writer’s craft in high school but was not placed in it due to maturity issues…the class was in a neighboring school, so my school only wanted to send our best; I did not make the cut. The experience soured me on writing classes in general. Now, 15 years out of high school, I still find myself with a bias against them…if I read, read, read, I should be able to write well enough for me to be satisfied with my results. Right?

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I genuinely am not good enough. This is more of a fact than a doubt. I am an awful speller, I do not remember definitions well and need to look up the same words over and over again. I think my ideas are unique and my angle is sometimes interesting, but in terms of technical writing…oh boy. Amateur.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
All of my work is a new exploration. However, you may notice common themes arising through my work because although I aim to explore something new each time, I am a limited person with my own biases, and I often write about the same things over and over again. For example, I often find myself using cycling as a metaphor of some sorts, and I often use my late father as a character. But I never sit down thinking, “I need to write another poem about my dad.” They just come out of me as I write.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would still be writing ;-)

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I have dabbled in visual art and photography. I have also spent a lot of time in the theatre as a performer and director. But I currently put most of my creative energy into writing.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I think I was in sixth grade when I first submitted a poem for publication in a regional newsletter. It was accepted, and I remember feeling proud but also a little overexposed. When I was much younger, I wrote and told stories to entertain family. In second or third grade, I began competing in creative writing competitions through annual academic fairs. It was around this same time that my grandmother gifted me a leather portfolio with my initials embossed in gold on the cover. I kept most of my writing in this portfolio until I got my first computer in college.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
This is a hard one. When I first read this question, I immediately started thinking about my favorite first lines in fiction, so to help me narrow my choices, I am going with that constraint. My knee-jerk answer would be to quote the first line from Kafka's Metamorphosis: Als Gregor Samsa eines Morgens aus unruhigen Träumen erwachte, fand er sich in seinem Bett zu einem ungeheueren Ungeziefer verwandelt,” which according to Google translates as, "When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself transformed in his bed into a monstrous vermin." Kafka's sentence sticks with me because I remember my German professor explaining how difficult it is to capture all of the nuances of this line in English. This was the first time it occurred to me that language influences what and how we think. Other favorite sentences of mine include the two that make up Auden’s poem "Musée des Beaux Arts."

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I think, or so I am told, that lots of us suffer from imposter syndrome. I'd say that is my biggest creative doubt.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
When I was a freshman in college, an upperclassman I looked up to told me that writers should keep their stories to themselves until they are finished writing them in order to build steam, so to speak. Sharing a story too soon, he thought, prematurely released the pressure needed to write it. To a certain extent, this became a self-fulfilling prophecy for me. After sharing a new idea with someone, I would tell myself that I didn't need to write about it anymore because I had already given it away. For the longest time, I took this as evidence that I was more of a storyteller than a writer. Now, as a writing teacher, I'd call it bad advice that springs from a perspective of writing as a singular rather than discursive practice.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
If I had unlimited time (and resources!), I'd like to take on travel as a serious hobby. I'd also love to learn more about making movies. If unlimited time and resources could lead to unlimited talent, I would choose to be a rockstar.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
Writing poetry is definitely my main artistic outlet these days, but half a decade ago or so I was a total theatre kid. I dance, I sang, I acted, I played instruments, now I do all those same things behind closed doors in my apartment (and finally get to play the male leads I was always envious of!) I always found that writing allows you to be messier than theatre did, and I appreciate that. I ran a slam poetry organization all through college, and hosting those shows allowed me to be a person while also a performer, not just a performer. I think a lot of the places I find joy are in the "messier" sides of things. I love to cook and bake. I love to garden. I also ironically love cleaning, but "cooking" and "gardening" were definitely pushing it on what art is and I think "cleaning" might be a bridge too far.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I've always been wanting to tell my truth and tell stories, even before I could actually write. My dad would bring me to his chunky blue iMac G3 so I could dictate picture books (which were mostly retellings of the 2000s barbie movies with the characters' names changed to my family members') for him to print out and for me to later draw on. I'm sure they're still somewhere in my parents' basement. My family has always been a huge part of my poetry, as seen in "With Love, From נִינְוֶה", and that comes from their initial push for me to start telling stories. I nannied a little while ago, and I would transcribe this three year old's ramblings so she could make a story of her own. Maybe if she becomes a writer, she'll think about that.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
The final line of Kamila Shamsie's "Homefire" has haunted me for years. It's a retelling of Antigone so you think you know exactly how it'll end, but I'm intentionally going to not cite it here because it's not quite how you'd expect it.

What is your most evocative memory?
I was a college freshman in 2020, and I lucked out to have a dorm room with a million dollar view of Boston, Massachusetts. My current roommate, who didn't live with me at the time, would come over, sit on my then-roommate's bed, and watch the new Marvel TV shows as the sun went down over this stunning view of the Boston Common and State House. I think that's the only reason I liked some of the episodes of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I think no matter how much external validation I receive, I will never really perceive myself as "good." I work hard. My submissions spreadsheet is insane. People who were in classes and workshops with me have told me they wished they worked as hard as I do. So whenever I publish, I always say that it's because of the work, not because the piece is inherently good. Rationally, I think talent is a myth. Internally, I'm worried I'm not actually talented enough.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
I'm somewhat envious of poets who can write with structure, but it's not for me. I hate rhyme scheme. I only sort of get meter. I care more about how things sound and look than the systems that they fit within. Anybody who tries to prompt me with a form isn't going to work with me.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I wish that things were generally more transparent and demystified. One of the best experiences in my writing career was an old mentor submitting a short story right in front of me, on a complete whim. I'm pretty sure that piece got rejected immediately, but it made me realize how easy it was to engage with a writing community and I think it shaped me. The whole industry needs a lot more work to make it more accessible, but I think that taking the publisher off of the pedestal and giving people the confidence to just start would help a lot.

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
I got stuck in an elevator and missed my ninth birthday party as a result. The girls I invited ate my cake without me.

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own?
This question is so scary to me because I don't want to set myself up to make you think I'm better than I am! My gut instinct says Claudia Emerson. She grapples with a lot of the same issues of grief and illness that I do in a lot of my poetry, so I think it's not a completely unfair comparison. Also, she introduced one of my mentors, Mary Kovaleski Byrnes, to poetry, so I'm sure there's some influences that she's passed down through the generations.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
So many. I want to play piano again, I haven't since I was a kid. I want to learn how to speak Yiddish or Irish Gaelic to keep my ancestral languages alive. I want to sew my own clothes and embroider everything I own. I want to do more hot sauce making and candle making, I've done both a handful of times but not enough to really count them as hobbies. I just honestly love learning and making things, so most hobbies in that realm are things I wish I could do.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I may be an outlier, then… I write and I write and I write. Everything outside of that is a form of recovery rather than an additional output.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
When I was young I liked typing as much as I liked inventing stories – I used to transcribe my favourite short stories I’d read using my mum’s typewriter. I wrote Doctor Who fan fiction when I was 11, and printed it as a fanzine and sold it to my teachers at school. I don’t remember the critical response, but I made decent money.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
I’m going to cheat and pick three consecutive sentences, from the children’s book Not Now, Bernard by David McKee:

Bernard went into the garden. “Hello, monster,” he said to the monster. The monster ate Bernard up, every bit.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
No, none. I read a huge amount when I was growing up, and I still do. When I decided I wanted to write seriously, I read a lot of creative writing guides but found them motivational rather than of much practical use. In my day job I’m a fiction editor, and I’ve never had formal training for that either. Reading and paying attention is everything.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I’m terrified of stopping writing. I guess that means I’m terrified of any setback that might prompt me to stop. Ultimately, that comes back to simply not being good enough, or becoming totally out of touch with readers’ tastes.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Write every day. Don’t get me wrong, I do write most weekdays. But the idea that continually writing is the only way to succeed is madness. Some days, the decision not to write is the best possible creative decision I can make.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
Faster turnarounds. It’s an impossible wish, I think, but I’m impatient and the speed of publishing novels, in particular, can be glacially slow. One appealing aspect of short fiction is that publication is much faster and there are fewer people involved in the overall process.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
Identity and responsibility. The second part I understand – I began writing seriously when my wife was pregnant with our first child, and most of my fiction has been indirectly about fears of parenting. The first part… I don’t know. Identity is just interesting.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I note down ideas constantly, and I rarely sit down and try to generate a new idea from scratch. Instead, two or more ideas seem to draw together over time, developing and interacting when my mind’s idling, so that by the time I’m sitting at my desk the story already has a vague shape or feel.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
Some sort of field recording or sound design. I write about sound recording a lot, and I’m fascinated by the processes and technology. But it would be a huge time sink, and I’m afraid of neglecting my writing. I’m saving it as a hobby for my retirement.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I like to work with textile crafts: embroidery, weaving, sewing, crocheting, etc. I also enjoy costuming, cosplay, and making my own clothing. Handicraft runs in my family: my grandmother would make these wonderfully intricate quilts—she had a knack for conveying images and designs on fabric. Her quilts could’ve been pieces in a museum; instead, we used them to decorate the guest bedroom. I think crafting in general is an underappreciated art form, historically diminished as “women’s work,” but it can be amazingly creative and technical, with the added benefit of being practical and useful.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was in fourth grade, I think, when I started writing in earnest. The first pieces I wrote were horror stories. I was scared of everything as a kid, and maybe writing horror was a way of trying to wrestle back control. I wrote a piece called “The Octopus Tree” about a haunted tree that lured children into its twisted branches, never to return. There was also a story called “The Laughing Cat” about an evil cat who lured children into abandoned buildings, never to return. I am sure these were shrewd commentaries on the satanic panic of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
Oh my gosh, I couldn’t pick. I have a revolving door of meaningful quotes I keep pinned to the corkboard over my desk. The current one is from James Baldwin’s Another Country:

“Perhaps such secrets, the secrets of everyone, were only expressed when the person laboriously ragged them into the light of the world, imposed them on the world, and made them a part of the world's experience. Without this effort, the secret place was merely a dungeon in which the person perished; without this effort, indeed, the entire world would be an uninhabitable darkness; and she saw, with a dreadful reluctance why this effort was so rare.”

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
Not really. I’ve always wanted to get an MFA, but I’d been repeatedly told that was a waste of time and money. I ended up with a law degree that’s currently collecting dust in the back of my closet. So, that’s awesome. But I’ve been lucky enough to have access to some great local resources in the Pacific Northwest for writing classes and camaraderie—shout out to the Hugo House and Chuckanut Writers!

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
As a neuro-diverse writer, I feel like a lot of the prevailing writing wisdom doesn’t quite fit with the way my mind functions. For example, popular advice about writing routines and daily habits don’t necessarily work if you struggle with ADHD or executive function issues. Trying to implement seemingly arbitrary or rigid rules can actually make things more frustrating, leading to less writing. Writing every day or writing to a specific daily word count may not be possible or desirable for some of us. Personally, I’ve found greater success in allowing myself more flexibility and grace, in recognizing I have natural periods of productivity and natural periods of rest. I try to capitalize on these periods of hyperfocus, making time to write as much as possible when the writing is working for me, instead of constantly feeling I need to push against my natural tendencies and force productivity through a rigid schedule.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I would say that my writing almost always engages with trauma, one way or another. This does not necessarily mean cataclysmic, single-event Trauma with a capital “T.” Many times, my writing centers around quiet, small hurts that are woven into the fabric of daily life. My first book, “It’s No Fun Anymore” (forthcoming from Apprentice House in 2025), is a collection of short stories that dissect this everyday sort of trauma in women’s lives and the implicit violence that operates in the underbelly of power dynamics and societal structures.

My current work in progress is similar in that it tackles themes of trauma, but on the familial level. Last year, I lost my younger brother to suicide. In the wake of his death, I’ve been thinking a lot about generational trauma, the legacy of suicide, and mental health within family systems. I think about my brother all the time: what he might have gone through, what he left behind in the wake of his death, what could have gone differently. I hope that writing frankly about these topics widens the door for increased dialogue on how we engage with trauma and mental health.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would learn how to draw comics so that I could make my own graphic novels. In my mind, there’s nothing more powerful than words and images telling a story in tandem.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
I was twelve years old then. I penned a poem in my mother tongue, Malayalam. More than delighted, my dad and teachers were surprised to see my creativity.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
No, though I am a postgraduate in English literature. I grow with my editors, reading and writing.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Try to establish rapport with the eminent writers.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
Yes, it’s life on the bank of the Canoli Canal in Kerala, India.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I feel it is a natural process. Sometimes, the last line flows out first.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
In addition to making mixed-media art, I enjoy inspirational and inquisitive writing along with poetry and intuitive dance. I also make instructional and encouraging videos to nurture other people’s curiosity and creativity.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
My mom said that I started singing along to music before I started talking so I think that was probably my first form of artistic expression. When my son was a toddler, he said he was painting a song. That seems to be what I do now as well and many of my paintings have their own playlists!

What is your biggest creative doubt?
That’s such a great question. I gave up art for too long because I thought I wasn’t “good enough” and didn’t have that special talent people talked about. Drawing didn't come natural to me and I didn't realize how many ways there truly are to get creative. I’ve since learned to embrace the beauty of imperfections, trust the process, and play with possibility. I also love encouraging others to do the same. There may be obstacles, whether that be skills, perceived lack of talent, limited access to supplies, or physical conditions (such as my own wrist injury or my children’s color deficient vision), let’s make art anyway!

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I would like to see more encouragement for authors and artists to share their work freely without fear that it won’t be considered for publication if they share it on their own personal websites or social media. There is a movement for shifting to “curation” and requesting that work be previously “uncurated” that seems like a nice way to keep the value of traditional publishing as respected curators while also supporting artists, poets, and writers in a healthier way. This is especially important because so many submissions are rejected or take a long while to find an appropriate publisher. It takes courage to share something so intimate and that is something to celebrate, especially since it can have the power to touch others in meaningful ways. I would also like to see the vocabulary changed from “declined” to “completed or reviewed” or something more representative of the fact that there is often not enough space to accept much of the work that is shared. I’m an advocate for creative connections and think we need to encourage people to make time for creative explorations and use their voices in as many ways as possible.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
Both, I think. Much of my work is inspired by the wonder of the natural world and the mysteries of life. Yet, each piece takes me on a journey of discovery. I often refer to the magic, medicine, and messages that can be found in art and the creative process. It’s quite potent!

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I will often write a positive intention, invitation, or word on the canvas in pencil, charcoal, or chalk to begin. Then, most of the time, I try to let myself make a marvelous mess! I rarely have a visual goal in mind and prefer to be open to letting the paint or ink take the lead. I love to watch ink flow and see the colors mingle. It’s quite liberating to let go of expectations and see what evolves. I also enjoy using bits of collage in early layers and I’m often surprised at the symbolism that comes forth.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I would love to travel more. I’m not sure that qualifies as a new hobby since I’ve been fortunate to visit several countries already, but it’s been a long time since I’ve ventured very far from home. So, I suppose it’s a hobby that I’d like to renew. I’d love to visit more cultures and amazing places on this spectacular planet. It would be wonderful to have the time and funds to spend extended periods in various places to really get to know the people and lands. I’d also like to lead creative retreats that combine exploration with education or volunteering. I’ve regretted that I didn’t study abroad in college. I’ve been looking into ways that I might serve students in such programs in the future.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I have been active in the arts my whole life. I was a professional belly dancer for over twenty years, and have also done aerial silks, pole dance, butoh, flamenco, Martha Graham modern, poi-spinning, fire dance, and contemporary. I was a figure model and fashion model for over thirty years. I competed in fitness competitions, obstacle course races, and mountain-/trail-running. I was also a martial artist and practiced Hung Gar kung fu, Goju-Ryu karate-do, Wu-style t'ai chi chu'an, wing chun, Thai kickboxing, Irish pugilism, European fencing, boxing, southern mantis-style kung fu, and rapid assault tactics training. I worked in the music industry as a goth/industrial DJ (radio and clubs), opera chorister, throat singer, mezzo soprano, and music promoter. I've been a sound tech, actor, and playwright for theatre. I've done costume design for theatre, dance, and LARP. I’ve played flute, classical guitar, and lip harp. I studied metalsmithing and lapidary and was a jeweller for a while. I am also a visual artist who works in traditional media such as porcelain painting, acrylics, watercolours, ink, pencil, collage, assemblage, and more. I transitioned to writing full-time when I lost access to my art studio because of COVID lockdowns. These days, I'm primarily a writer, though I also do storytelling and voice-over work on occasion.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
When I was nine years old, I entered a national essay competition on the topic of disability rights and won. The second writing contest I ever entered was sponsored by my school district. My prize-winning story was extremely emo. It centred on a donkey being beaten to death by his owner. I guess the judges liked it, because I won that contest, too. I was twelve when I wrote that. Decades later, I’m still chasing that glory. Ha!

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have a BA with a double major in English (Drama) and Classics (Civilization) and a minor in Fine Arts (Creative Writing) from the University of New Brunswick. I studied craft/design at the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design, and design at Conestoga College. I am an alumna of The Writers Studio at Simon Fraser University (Speculative Fiction and Poetry), the Banff Centre for the Arts (Fiction), Roots. Wounds. Words. (Speculative Fiction), and the Let(s) LEAD Academy at Yale University (Memoir). I was the 2023 Yosef Wosk Fellow for the Vancouver Manuscript Intensive. I have studied a wide variety of art forms with private instructors, as well. I am currently studying horror with Alex Davis Events and Crystal Lake Entertainment, and am beginning a novel intensive with GrubStreet.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I want to be self-sufficient as a writer, but have doubts that I will ever make enough money at this to survive. I seem to only excel at things that the world does not deem worthy of a living wage.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
My work meanders between the natural, supernatural, mythological, folkloric, and blasphemous.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
The question isn't so much one of time but of energy. Ever since passing the menopause threshold as well as suffering the effects of COVID, I no longer have the energy of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. These days, I spend the bulk of my time sitting at my desk creating new worlds with my keyboard. If it weren’t for gardening, the occasional hike, or my twice-weekly stints at the gym, I’d be mostly sedentary. Oh, for the energy of my youth! If I still had that, I wouldn’t get nearly as much written.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I certainly won't profess to be adroit at drawing or pottery, but I am a professional church organist. I perform around Virginia mainly, and I've also played in Canterbury Cathedral in the UK when I was over there for university.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
Though I wrote an unfinished novella about a boy and his werewolf brother when I was in the 8th grade, my first finished piece was a poem about a ship in the sea, and it was published in my high school's literary magazine, The Educator, my sophomore year.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
"The far-off lake, visible at street-corners and between the houses as a faintly shining, grey expanse, lay smooth yet lithe as eel-skin, and somehow suggestive of multiplicity, as though composed of the innumerable, uneventful lives spent near its shores—long-ago lives now fallen, like autumn berries and leaves, into the peaceful oblivion of time past, there to exert their fecund, silent influence upon the heedless living." (p. 199, The Plague Dogs; Richard Adams)

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Not being understood or appreciated.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I would like to see more chances/opportunities given to aspiring writers, especially those from minority and underrepresented communities.

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
I got to hear my favorite singer, Joni Mitchell, perform live at the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize ceremony.

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own?
Though I'd like to say my favorite author Kazuo Ishiguro's work is akin to mine, the works of William H. Gass or John Banville resemble what I write and what I aspire to write.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
Unlimited time is nothing unless you have money and a room of your own; if I had time, a room, and money, I'd do what I already do, play the piano, make flower arrangements, read, and write.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I'm a visual artist as well as a writer, and I illustrated my debut chapbook. I'm a bit of a generalist, because I like learning new visual media. I work in pen-and-ink, acrylic, watercolor, collage, polymer clay, and fiber arts.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
It's pretty common to hear the advice that a writer should write every single day, and that's good advice in theory, but I don't think it holds up to the realities of living in modern capitalism. Most writers have full-time jobs to pay the bills, plus daily reproductive labor like grocery shopping and cleaning, that drains most of our time and energy. Add in the daily drain of being disabled/chronically ill, BIPOC, or LGBTQ+, and the demands on those of us who have children or elders to care for. Taking the time to write 1,000 words a day, or whatever the recommended writing session is, would destroy a lot of us physically, mentally, and financially. I think the only way to maintain momentum as a marginalized writer is to expand the definition of what "writing every day" means. Editing is writing. Doing submissions is writing. Sending work to beta readers is writing. Research is writing. Grant-writing is writing. Going to a museum and getting inspired is writing. Giving your ideas time to percolate is writing.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
Spirituality, in its ever-evolving and expansive definition, is a recurring theme throughout my work. I've had some form of spirituality or religion my entire life, although what that means to me today is completely different from the beliefs I was raised with. For me, the value of spirituality is not whether it brings me to a list of factual assertions, but whether it helps me to understand myself, treat other beings with respect, and healthily process the challenges of life. Poetry, and art in general, where we're able to move beyond the literal and concrete and into the realm of the intuitive and interpretive, is a really natural way of exploring spiritual experience. Art takes us both deep into ourselves as individuals and beyond ourselves to something greater. Spirituality does the same thing. To me, those two aspects of my life are intrinsically linked.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I have an ongoing fantasy of being in a punk band — sometimes as the drummer, sometimes as the guitarist, sometimes as singer-songwriter. The truth is, as much as I've tried to learn, I can't play any instruments and I can barely even read music. I'd need a lot of time and instruction to be able to play a song, much less perform in front of people. But oh boy, the concerts I have given in my daydreams.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received? 
At the age of 7 I wrote a cutesy little rhyming poem about playing in the snow in winter. I remember I was rather proud of it. Unfortunately, now I only recall not-terribly-impressed teachers’ faces. That said, the reactions can’t have been all that discouraging overall, given that I’m still writing. 

What is the single best sentence you've ever read? 
“Between life and death there is a library.”

What is your biggest creative doubt?  
Often the story is so clear in my head that I think the reader must see the ending coming miles off. I’m always thrilled and astonished when somebody tells me they ‘did not see that ending coming’.

What historical time would you most like to live in? 
Tough question. I consider myself a history magpie. There are quite a few times or historical events I’d like to experience first hand. It’s probably why I’m drawn to vampire stories - just the possibility to live through all that history as it happens appeals to me. At a push, let’s join Boudicca’s fight against the Roman Empire - I know where the Celts’ tactics went wrong, I can help!

What's the last book you didn't finish reading, and why did you put it down? 
I very much persevere with book and almost always finish them, just in case there is something on the last page that changes my experience. That has happened too many times to give up on most things for me, though admittedly, this strategy means I’ve finished a fair few books I did not enjoy. The only 2 I actually know I did not finish are King Blood (lend it unfinished and never got it back to re-visit) and 50 Shades of Grey. The latter was on purpose. I wanted to give the book a go so I’d know what I’m talking about, given the controversial content. The writing was so poor I gave up 2 chapters in. 

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
I was walking with a friend in East London. We were just passing the pub owned by Sir Ian McKellen and I was about to point out the pub to my friend. At that precise moment Sir Ian McKellen walked out of the door. 

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own? 
Not sure I can answer that myself. I have been privileged to have my (German) crime novella compared to the grande dame Agatha Christie herself. I’m not sure I’d make such a claim. I like to think my writing style is not dissimilar to Anne Rice, where you get a lot of story to lure you in before the big bang. 

What does your creative process look like?
Like many other writers, I tend to have far more ideas than I can feasibly write at any one time. I do, however, like to have 2, sometimes 3, different projects on the go at any one time. This allows for a process I like to call ‘productive displacement activity’. So when I feel a little stuck or out of energy while working on my novel manuscript or the latest research paper and I have an idea that works for something shorter, I start on that bit of flash fiction or short story. It means my brain gets a break from thinking about the thing I’m struggling with at the time but I’m still writing, still producing something I can later submit in its own right. 

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I create digital content in the form of video essays, mini-documentaries, video ‘loops,’ and digital art. My project [unhurried] {witness}, a digital archive of Black American cultural play, can be found here: https://unhurried-witness.aadhum.org. In addition to my fiction writing, I write non-fiction in the form of essays and criticism; I am also a screenwriter and filmmaker.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
One of my earliest childhood memories is being named ‘Miss Georgia Ave’ in my hometown of Washington, D.C., for a short story that I wrote. I was in elementary school and can’t remember a thing about the story, but I remember I got to ride down the street in a parade in a blue convertible with Big Bird! I’ve been hooked on writing my entire life as my primary mode of expression.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
'I always thought insanity would be a dark, bitter feeling, but it is drenching and delicious if you really roll around in it.’

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have a BA in Journalism that is mostly useless. Ironically, I wanted to major in Creative Writing (CW) and Journalism was a ‘compromise’ with my mother, who felt CW was not a ‘real’ major. I did learn excellent sentence structure, research methods, and how to talk to people while in school, which are tools that still serve me well. I am constantly reading, watching, observing, and learning through trial and error and experience to continue my creative education. I refuse to attend film school, grad school, or any other type of higher creative education because I think it is morally wrong and a scam that knowledge is gate-kept behind a monetary tuition.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Every artist/writer’s biggest creative doubt is wondering if their work actually sucks. Even Stephen King threw away the first draft of ‘Carrie’ because he thought it was terrible, his wife rescued it from the garbage!

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
“Go to grad school.”

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I write both fiction and poetry. In another life, I was a trained choral singer. I still love to sing. Music is my only other art.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
In second grade, we had a book-making unit and I wrote/illustrated about a dozen little books. That’s how I started writing. The first thing I ever had published was actually a one-act monologue play in college. That was a wild experience, seeing someone else perform my words. I think it was received well. The actress was great.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
“What’s magical, sometimes, has deeper roots / than reason.” –Mary Oliver from “Such Silence”

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have an MFA from the University of North Carolina – Wilmington. I read a lot and listen to tons of audiobooks. There’s a lot of “craft” that can be picked up via osmosis, by reading and listening to stories.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
I always struggle with plotting. I get caught up in the sentences. This probably makes me a better poet than fiction writer, but I love stories. I also struggle with having more ideas than time to get them onto the page.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
A professor once told me that he never let anything get in the way of his writing. On the surface, that sounds great. He was dedicated to his craft. In reality, that was one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard someone say. There are plenty of times when life needs to take precedence over art. I have four kids, a wife, and a full-time job that has nothing to do with writing. The art comes from the living, not the other way around.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I still think there’s a lot of work to be done in terms of accessibility, especially for BIPOC and other marginalized groups.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I don’t think there’s an overarching theme to all of my work, but most of what I write is either speculative in nature or dealing with the magic of everyday life.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
I often start with a concept, either of a situation, place, or character. Then I free write, which works incredibly well for poems and flash fiction pieces. For longer stories / novels, I usually have to stop the free writing process after a couple pages to work on plot. It’s a lot messier / harder if I just let myself write and write first. That being said, I always save those early pre-writes because there are usually some gorgeous sentences amid the garbage.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I minored in French in college and took a couple Spanish classes, too. I’d love to take up Spanish again and become conversationally fluent.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
Recently I’ve been crocheting Amigurumi (small, stuffed crocheted creatures), working from patterns. My favorites so far are a cat and a turtle. I’ve also been drawing cartoons/short comics.

What is your most evocative memory?
One of my most evocative memories comes from when we lived next to a tobacco farm. There was a big, tawny draft horse named Sandy that pulled the tobacco “boats” up and down the rows while the primers picked the crop. At the end of the day, sometimes the primers would let one of the kids, like me, ride Sandy in to the stable yard (Sandy was quite tame and generally didn’t go much quicker than a shambling trot, particularly after a hard day of work). I can clearly remember the rough texture of the binder-twine reins, the smell of horse sweat and hot leather from the harness, and the dust from the farm road stirred up by Sandy’s massive hooves. And, of course, the thrill of riding so high above the world!

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Perhaps like many writers, my biggest creative doubt is wondering whether anyone will “like” my work or find it interesting. I have a tendency toward perfectionism, sometimes I fiddle with things too much before sending them out.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Many sources say you should target to write a certain number of words per day. I tried this for a while, and found it too cumbersome. In addition, I felt it just added stress to the process. It may work for some, but not for me. Perhaps that’s partly because I write a variety of things: poetry, articles, fiction, book reviews. A specific word count isn’t always relevant for me.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
I’d like to see stricter requirements about distinguishing AI-generated work from human-generated work. There should be transparency around what was written by humans, and what was not, so that people who want to support human-generated work can do so. Right now, some venues are transparent about this and some are not.

What is the most unbelievable thing that has ever happened to you?
Maybe not “unbelievable” but really cool was being able to watch my niece, as a member of Canada’s national softball team, win a gold medal on Canadian soil in the Pan-Am Games. There were a lot of family members there and we were able to share in the experience. Pretty much everyone in the home team stands sang the national anthem before the game, and it was a moving moment.

Whose work do you feel most resembles your own?
Perhaps I would put this another way and say whose influences show up most in my own work. When I was in my teenage years, I discovered Andre Norton’s novels, and when I am writing fiction, I can sometimes detect Norton’s influence in some of the phrasing. I was also a fan of Piers Anthony’s pun-based humor, and that tendency has also crept into my own work from time to time.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
I’ve always been intrigued by carving, and I think with unlimited time that is something I’d love to learn about and become proficient at.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
I create collage and I am a photographer. I’ve attached a couple of images for you in case you’d like to use them with this interview. My favorite subject matter is my daughter.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
Oh! That’s hard to say. I wrote a terrible poem for a spelling test in 8th grade. That same year, I started writing for the school newspaper. So let’s say middle school. I first won awards for my writing as a high school senior.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
I have an M.A. in literature and writing studies, but not an MFA. I take workshops with other writers because they inspire me and help me grow my craft. Marj Hahne and Christopher Citro are two of the best poet-teachers I’ve ever studied with.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Write every day to just get the “junk” out. It’s not an approach that works for me. I write when I am deeply moved by my emotions, or when I am curious about something. For me there’s a joy in making beautiful things that does not need the practice of sloppy writing. That said—the revision process is real. Art is a craft and most of my work needs revision before it’s ready for publication. I just don’t think every thought of mine needs to be put on paper.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
I approach each piece as a something. I like to try out new forms, new content, and new language as well. This led to a lot of difficulty when it came time for me to assemble my first full-length collection. Now, a few years later, I can say that there are themes that my work concerns itself with: family, grief, a sense of place or home, language itself, spirituality and identity.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
Often a word or phrase assembles itself in my head and I begin from there, sometimes with dictation. My first love of poetry was through sound, and that’s still often a starting place for me. I also enjoy starting from prompts offered by other writers, because they ask questions I am not already ruminating over, which can lead to delightful new writing for me. I am also easily drawn in to writing ekphrastic poems, as the poem in this issue implies.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
If I had unlimited time (and money!) I would love to pay a patient, kind and talented mentor to teach me to sing. It’s a heartache of mine that I have the words, but not the melody.

Many artists and authors are creative in multiple disciplines. What other types of art do you create?
Other types of art I create include acrylic and watercolor paintings, mosaic tiling—mostly on coffee tables aching for a second life, and I like to believe I can still play the violin. I simply cannot toss food on a plate. It must look like a piece of art that tempts my guests to indulge.

How old were you when you produced your first work? How was it received?
My first work of art, that I clearly remember, was prompted by a Reader’s Digest drawing exercise. The subject matter was a leprechaun, which turned out exactly like the image before me. That piece of art was well received. As far as writing is concerned, I wrote poems during my high school geometry class. As you can imagine, my geometry teacher preferred that I pay attention to his equations and subsequent examples.

What is the single best sentence you've ever read?
We come in peace.

Why? Four words that hold either truth or a catastrophic lie for inhabitants, whether or not the location is Earth. Even if peace is the intention, everything changes. If a lie, everything changes.

Did you have formal training in literature/art? What ways do you continue your creative education?
Formal training in literature/art was included while studying elementary education and graphic design. I thoroughly enjoyed teaching. Participating in creative opportunities with my students was part of our daily routine. Few things compare to when a child realizes the joy of creation. Art, music, writing, and theatrics were used while exploring various subjects and made each day sizzle with a sense of awe.

I continue my creative education by researching interesting topics to learn about different perspectives, and mysteries of the Universe fascinate me. I also make it a priority to appreciate the splendor found in our world, which then inspires my paintings and writing.

What is your biggest creative doubt?
Quite a bit of my writing takes place in speculative realms. Sometimes, I ponder…Have I traveled too far from reality, landed in a domain beyond surreal, so that what I’m trying to say makes zero sense? The answer to that question is yes, but what a rush. All is not lost, because bizarre stories and poems influence works in progress.

What piece of creative advice have you received that sounded good, but was ultimately not useful to you?
Write every day.

That sounds like a dream come true. Being creative is important, a crucial part of my existence, but life happens. Sometimes, allowing a piece to take a backseat for a few days, allows me to view it with a fresh set of eyes. Instantly, I recognize what needs to be altered. Even if I do not write every day, ideas simmer, and then it’s an awesome feeling when I return to writing mode.

What change would you like to see in the publishing world?
A change in the publishing world I’d like to see is more publishers being open to simultaneous submissions. This topic comes up often, and I understand why all publishers cannot do this, but as a writer, when I see “simultaneous submissions allowed,” the joy is real.

Is there an overarching theme to your body of work, or is each piece a new exploration?
At this point in my writing endeavors, I’d say new exploration wins. Some of my work involves human nature. The saying you’re only human is terrifying, because I cannot make sense of us. I love placing characters in jeopardy to see how their decisions and the outcomes affect their state of mind. Do they think about what motivates them? Will they dare to look deep inside their conscience, if they have one? Beginning a piece based in reality and then allowing it to take a dive into the unknown is also a literary adventure.

When you begin a new piece of work, where do you start?
Most of my work happens around 2am, inspired by dreams or something I’ve encountered during the day. I know! Ridiculous. I’ve always been a night owl, so if a phrase, or plot…even one, little sentence sparks that I cannot silence, I write. Once a few phrases or sentences have emerged, the rest of a piece follows with less energy being utilized. Without fail, the beginning is the hardest part, so I take the idea and write different versions of it.

If you had unlimited time, what new hobby would you take up?
Unlimited time granted to me would result in space exploration.