As an undergrad studying creative writing, what have been some of your favorite classes that have especially influenced your writing style? Are there specific lessons, readings, etc. that particularly stood out to you as well?

Some of my favorite classes have been those focusing on writing and all that it encompasses: emotion, syntax, diction, form, and all of the rawness and vulnerability that poetry entails. Last semester I took Intermediate Creative Writing: Poetry and it especially influenced my writing style by helping me come to terms with the truth of poetry: that it all comes from the heart. Although much of poetry may be down to technical skills – enjambment, sentence structure, syllables, meter, etc. – the heartbeat of a poem can only come from within the poet. This class was especially important to the development of my poetic skills because by close reading poems – such as Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath, Red Sugar by Jan Beatty, and Dancing in the Dark by Torrin A. Greathouse – I noted what I loved most about each piece and was then able to apply these elements to my own work, evolving my poetic style and even my approach to each poem. 

When did you first become interested in creative writing? And had you always known that writing was something you wanted to pursue in college and as a career?

I first became interested in writing during my sophomore year of high school when I took an introductory course for creative writing. Our first unit was poetry and I immediately fell in love with it. Specifically, I was fascinated by the outlet of emotion that poetry provides and the incredible feeling it is to weave language around feeling and produce art out of the utterly human experience. 

My first creative writing teacher had an immense impact on me because she helped me discover my passion for writing poetry. She introduced me to creative writing and all of its intricacies which I would later delve deeper into in future classes on the subject. In honor of the deep gratitude I hold in my heart for her and all that she taught me about the art of poetry, I dedicated my first tattoo to her: an elephant, her favorite animal. Every day it reminds me of the wisdom she passed on to me and will serve as a reminder for years to come that I should always prioritize writing and pursue it. 

Almost immediately I knew that poetry was my calling, but I was also hesitant to label myself as a poet at the ripe age of fifteen. While taking Introduction to Creative Writing, I was also enrolled in a full-year science course: Human Anatomy and Physiology. I found myself torn between two very different interests – writing and anatomy – and two very different life paths – author versus doctor. By the time my creative writing class ended, however, I knew that poetry was my calling and an unignorable force in my life. Never before had I felt such a strong tug to anatomy as I did writing poetry; this realization catapulted my writing passion.

Your poem, "Ladybug," explored change and lost connections in a beautiful way. Do you mind expanding on what inspired you to write this piece? What was the writing process like? 

I was inspired to write “Ladybug” by my twin sister. Growing up, we were inseparable and wore matching outfits: her in pink and me in purple. We learned how to talk, walk, and ride our bicycles together. We learned how to live together. However, an undeniable truth of being a twin is that while you’re learning to live together, you must also unlearn this at a certain point. When college applications rolled around, my sister and I found ourselves looking at a larger distance than we’d ever experienced before. I ended up studying at Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and she’s studying in France. The resultant distance – both geographically and emotionally – was difficult for me to come to terms with. Writing helped very much in this regard. 

The process began with me writing about my sister and I’s current distance and then examining our childhood and how close we were. Juxtaposing the contrasting ideas of distance versus closeness became the heart of the poem, whereby I pose the question: “How much has changed since the beginning?” 

Originally, “Ladybug” was two different poems. The first poem focused on the ladybug itself in my bedroom window as well as my mom’s yin and yang tattoo of a ladybug. I used the idea of conflicting counterparts – yin and yang, black dots versus red elytra – to propel my beginning concept of distance into something foundational. The second poem, written two days later, read as more of a direct letter than anything else. After expelling my feelings, I read both poems and knew they would be stronger combined than separate. Much of the process following required whittling the poem’s details to include only the necessary in order to ground the piece as a whole. 

I find the ladybug to be an interesting motif. Why did you choose to incorporate a ladybug rather than any other insect?

I chose to incorporate a ladybug because my mom has a tattoo of a ying and yang ladybug and the image kept coming back to me. My sister and I were identical as children and dressed in matching outfits; it was not until our teenage years that we had differentiating identities at all. I was struck by the idea of opposite halves because of how much it resonated with me, neatly summing up my experience as a twin. Ladybugs are fascinating creatures due to their severely contrasting appearance of black dots on their red elytra; captivated by the images of divide and difference ladybugs provide, I knew that they were the perfect motif to grab hold of in my poem.

Are you primarily interested in poetry, or do you also enjoy exploring other creative or artistic mediums? 

I am primarily interested in poetry and consider it my life passion. When I first discovered my passion for writing, I wholeheartedly believed that I would be both a poet and fiction writer and successfully balanced both mediums. As I began to focus increasingly on poetry, however, I lost interest in fiction writing. Ever since, I have devoted myself completely to poetry – although that doesn’t mean the occasional story idea hasn’t made it into a Google Doc or two. For me, poetry is an instinct as natural as sleeping or eating. Although I have always been extremely grateful for my poetic passion, my inability to excel in both poetry and fiction was difficult at first. At times I felt like a failure because of my inability to balance fiction writing and poetry. Since then, I have accepted that everyone is uniquely talented with their own strengths and weaknesses. I have never been prouder of anything than I am to be a poet. And this semester I’m enrolled in Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction, so I’ll see how I like it! 

I always like to end on this question. What advice do you have for aspiring writers? 

For aspiring writers, I say: if you feel like there’s no way you can live without writing, then there’s no reason you should have to. Everyone lives only once and it’s exceedingly crucial to stay true to yourself, your desires, and your passions. It’s important to be gentle to yourself and spend your days the way you feel you need to. For me, that’s writing poetry. Every day I hone my skills, whittle poems, and write whatever comes to mind, whether it be in my journal full of poetry or a stray napkin. Inspiration, like lightning, strikes without warning. 

Consider yourself lucky if you have a calling you can hear. Consider yourself luckier if it’s a creative calling, as there’s no greater joy than looking at art you made with your own hands. And consider yourself one of the luckiest if you have the means to pursue your passion.

Read Heather’s poem, “Ladybug” in dulcet Literary magazine, vol. One, Issue No. 2, coming this february.