tell us about how you started writing poetry.
I have only been writing poetry for about 2 years now. Throughout my life when I felt like I needed to understand what I was feeling I would often write in a diary. It was not a consistent thing and it was never poetry. One night I picked up a pen just to write down what I was feeling once again, to get it out onto paper and I happened to write a poem. The experience was different than when I had written anything before and the poem I felt at the time described everything perfectly. I enjoyed it so much for the next few weeks I would sit and just write poems. At the time I was making and selling ceramics. I found with the constant orders coming in to make a certain number of bowls or plates to be stifling my creativity. Poetry was new and I found myself wanting to write instead of making more and more.
tell us about your book heart lines.
Heart Lines is a collection of poems about love, loss, pain and self discovery from my heart. The poems are short but have layers of meaning. On every page there is a little piece of nature. I like to think of them as a heartbeat anchoring the words to the page. Heart Lines will make you smile, cry and your heart swell with love. It’s the perfect gift but also a beautiful keepsake or coffee table book. The collection of poems in Heart Lines are very relatable. I hope it reminds the reader to slow down a little, to be in the moment and to know that they are loved no matter what.
where do you find inspiration for writing?
I can find inspiration in almost anything. A song, being at the beach, watching a movie. My favorite thing to do to help get inspired is to sit with nature. I love to write at the beach or out in my garden, and always in the sun. I write what I feel, so anything that can provoke a feeling becomes inspiration.
if there’s one piece of advice you could share with someone who wants to be a poet, what would that be?
My advice would be to just sit and listen to your heart. Writing poetry to me is like meditation. I clear my mind and listen to my heart and wait until a poem comes to the surface, sometimes it might just be a line and the full poem will come later. I don’t think up poems, I write down what I feel. Don’t force it, just sit and wait for inspiration to hit.
what are you working on when you’re not writing poetry?
I’m a stay at home mum, so besides writing I spend my days doing mum things and also taking photographs and collecting little things that I find out in nature. I love to be outside and foraging for shells, feathers, seed pods and flowers. Anything that catches my eye I will bring home and decorate my house with.
how does your photography inspire your poetry?
Photography forces me to slow down much the same as writing. It allows me to see the world differently. I love light and watching how it interacts with the subject. It is also another opportunity to get outside and see how beautiful this world is. They both compliment each other in this world.
how are you rethinking poetry as a modern poet in today’s world?
Poetry seems to be so much more popular at the moment. I think the ease of access through social media has brought it to everyone’s attention again. It’s a wonderful way to express yourself and so great to see so many people writing poetry and not being afraid to share it.
