Behind the Blogger

My Story

It's funny how we sometimes can't see the passion that was always right in front of us. Knocking on our door, there in every memory, yet, they remain unnoticed for years and years like the abandoned umbrella underneath the bus seat As the daughter of an art teacher, I was always surrounded by expressionism. My mother proudly recounts my ability to scribble as soon as I could hold a pencil. I would like to think this can be attributed to my desire to write words instead of making shapes.

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It wasn't until college that I recognized my old friend, writing, as a passion I had always nurtured: I have kept a diary since the fourth grade, and I was so thrilled when I discovered the genre of creative non-fiction.  I wrote "songs" in middle school, but was, not-so-ironically, never good at the music part. I just wanted to write lyrics. I have an intense need to document everything, maybe because I am afraid of forgetting. I have always written poetry when I'm sad, and now I'm working on writing poetry when I feel happy, too. As most of my writer-friends know, it's most difficult to break away from real-life with enough clarity to write when we are at our happiest.

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I grew up in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee. I love writing about nature. If I'm ever stuck in life, you may likely find me driving familiar mountain roads. This is my peace.  I am currently a student at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga, and I couldn't be more thrilled to pursue this passion.! I am currently working on a BA in English, with a focus in creative writing and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sex Studies.  I have been a member of the Chattanooga Writer's guild, and I'm currently serving on the board of leaders as secretary for the UTC Creative Writing Club. 

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I am passionate about social justice and educating people on the power of compassion and humanity. I strive to take better care of the planet and inspire environmental-accountability in my peers. I love to garden and to create. Some of my favorite creations include: baked zucchini bread (a family recipe), Van Gogh paint-by-numbers, embroidered plus-sized clothing, vegetarian enchiladas (not a family recipe), and this blog. My writing reflects my belief that life has a wide range of possibilities just waiting to engage us as humans. As a true Libran, I seek to appreciate the the balance of good and bad in life in my poems. Often, I am most inspired by nature, art, and strangers in coffee shops.

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My dream is to live in a house on a cliff  on the Upper-East Coast with approximately 13 cats, give or take a few, (I've already gotten a head start) and a library that includes the scores of books that I've published. I hope to always want to learn more, create more, and love more. 

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xoxo,

Courtney

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