As a child, I created many short stories (almost on a daily basis) that were full of emotion. My first attempt at poetry was sloppy, but I stuck with it. I never had any education in poetry -- I was just drawn to it. As I continued writing, my style became more sophisticated and I learned to say what I wanted to in fewer words. I am still teaching myself, but I'm happy with how far I've come.

I started writing poetry when I was about 14, so it's been over 10 years now. Sharing my thoughts with the world gave me new energy and inspired me to write. I wanted my words to have meaning and to make people feel something. I always believed that poetry should be shared, and that it's part of my life purpose to share mine.

Creativity has always been a part of me. It is like breathing. I can’t live without it. It gives me motivation, passion, and hope, and it’s how I connect to my spiritual side. I believe that we can uplift the world through appreciating the color and life that we have around us. Too often, people are consumed by rushing from one thing to the next. Creativity enables us to pause and challenge the notion that we always need to be fitting into society’s boxes. From that, we can produce new forms of life.

I studied English Literature at a tiny college in Ohio. My school specialized in English and has produced many famous authors, including John Green and Ransom Riggs (two big names of our day!) – but the list is much, much longer. I entered college thinking I would study Psychology, despite my lifelong passion for literature and writing poetry. I got to my first Psychology class and it was all about neurons and biology -- at the time, it felt way over my head! Meanwhile, I was taking a class on global literature. I completely fell in love with it and declared my major the following year. By junior year, I packed my bags to Oxford, England for a year-long study abroad, where I fell in love with writing even more. Years later, I ended up pursuing my Master's degree in Organizational Behavior from LSE. My love of Psychology never died. Rather, throughout the years, I had learned to see psychology through an English Literature lens. Today, I'm so grateful to have seriously pursued both of my passions. They truly speak to each other and inspire me daily.

I have always been fascinated by human psychology and why people do the things they do. From a young age, the differences between people enthralled me. I would sit for hours and ponder them, trying to put myself in others’ shoes. Many of my poems and short stories have come out of these imaginings. It has deepened my compassion for others considerably. Though I will never know exactly what others are going through, I can’t say that I haven’t tried. Like many poets, a lot of my inspiration comes from my own vulnerability. As humans, we are fragile. A constant theme in my poetry has been turning pain into power. Writing allows me to take control, reason with difficult situations, and move on. Even if I’m not going through something challenging, I can always call upon two things: my memories, which are vivid, and my appreciation for the beautiful, tiny moments in life. Everything has a deeper meaning for me -- it’s just how I see the world. Things like dreams, creativity, and spirituality are a constant source of inspiration. They are an expression of our soul that is completely pure.

Yes, of course! I've kept journals ever since I was young. They're absolutely full of poems -- some that work, others that don’t work at all, and some that have potential, but I have yet to touch. If I'm not connecting with a poem, I've learned to put it aside for a while, and return to it later. Sometimes all we need is time and reflection, and we can return to our previous inspirations and make something great out of them.

I don’t really have a favorite poetry style -- I draw inspiration from many types of poetry! I'm in awe of e.e. cumming’s whimsical language, William Wordsworth’s connection to nature, Rupi Kaur’s raw honesty, and Hafiz’s mastery at distilling profound lessons into just a few lines. Each of these writers helped me understand the power of words. Their influence has encouraged me to share my heart and vulnerability with the world.

It has always been my greatest desire to help others grow into leaders, feel in control of their lives, and channel their energy towards a greater purpose. In all honesty, I'm already doing the work I love. In the next 10 years, I hope to publish a few more books (both poetry and fiction) and continue to help others trust their intuition and get in touch with their spirituality.