Chocolate Mint Poetry
Behind the Blog
"Chocolate Mint" is a leafy green plant that, whenever I see it, always brings me back to the garden of my elementary school. After catching butterflies and biting into crab apples, my friends and I would pick the waxy chocolate mint leaves and giggle in delight at our satisfied sweet-tooths.
Now that I am in my twenties, I know many people who carry a similar gentle fondness for their memories from that age. I think poetry and writing is so much more than remembering the past, it is a nostalgic examination of ourselves and our thoughts. Poetry, prose, and the genre of Creative Nonfiction are all examples of the ways in which we examine our unique interpretations of the events that shape us. The same word can be written a million times, but a word will never be written by the same author twice. We are, as individuals, a constant evolution. Writing, not only documents the change, but helps to discern where it is going.
Moreover, chocolate mint, to me, is a playful set of words that indicates a balance of sweet (the chocolate) and sharp (the mint). I chose this name not only for the fond memories of childhood meddling, but also for the symbolic meaning of represented equilibrium. Understanding the humanity in the villain is just as important as understanding the complexity of the hero, and I hope to see both the villain and the hero in myself. The contrast is everything I hope to see in my writing.
I've been writing prose and poetry for many years, but I only started to consolidate the collections of my writings after learning how to bind books. My mother, an art teacher, taught me how to book bind. I spent hours learning the stringing, binding, shaping, and cutting. Art teaches patience, undoubtedly, but one of the greatest gifts of art is individualism. I am proud to have often found new ways of doing things and forged my own paths in life.
Creative writing as an art form has so much value as a tool to celebrate individuality and perspective. In this way, writing remains a safe haven to me, just like so many forms of expressionism do to so many individuals. Art is how we celebrate ourselves. I created this website with the intentions of creating an accountable space for the free reign of my creative expression as I commit to self-discovery. I can only hope these words can be a positive tool for you, on your individual journey, too.
