Interview: CWPoet

by Danielle Holian

For our readers, please describe your writing background.

I’ve always written since I can remember. There’s always been something soothing about taking a pen to paper, to me. Very cleansing to my soul.

Who or what influences you?

I write a lot about pain and depression. I feel like you cannot really know love without pain and vice versa, so although a lot of my work seems dark or sad I feel happy to express it.

You have a great following on social media, does this affect your work? And how do you deal with criticism?

My following definite provides positive reinforcement for me to continue to open up. Criticism reminds me that we are all different and have different perspectives. I just read it and move on.

Tell us about the true basis of your inspiration when writing? Do you plan your ideas, or are they spontaneous?

I can tell myself that I’m not going to write for a while and then the next thing I know I’m grabbing paper and a pen to put thoughts down so I’d say most of it is spontaneous. I also love to run and that usually creates an idea that I grab onto until my run is over and I can get to where I can write.

How important is it to you to have a meaning behind your work?

It’s very important for me to have meaning behind my work because it’s all of my personal experiences and all of those have meant so much to me, they have taught me who I am and who I need to be and who I am not and who I shouldn’t be and I value that wholeheartedly.

Where can people view your work?

For now, I have a large group of poems on Instagram. I have a page on Facebook called CWpoetry and then I just started a Twitter today.

How has your life in general influenced your work?

I write mostly about personal experiences so my life obviously gives me material to write about them, it definitely has taught me about a lot about love and loss.

Do you have any advice for fellow writers?

Just let it all out. I need to be better at doing that myself. But it just feels so much better, such a cathartic release to put all of your thoughts down on paper!!!

What writing goals do you hope to achieve in the near future?

I’m actually working on a poetry book right now it’s going to be all about love, loss and depression so that’s what I’ve been working on lately.

Any last words?

I feel like I have made so many connections with so many great people and I just hope that I continue to do that.