Today we’d like to introduce you to Oak Morse
Oak, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Somewhere between seeing John Singleton’s Poetic Justice and immersing myself in R&B and hip-hop music while living with my aunt at an early age, pieced me into existence, which led to me being quite enthusiastic in seventh grade when we were asked to make a poetry book project. My spirit assured me that I would excel, especially when we had to perform one of our original poems. You might have mistaken me for an American Idol auditioner, however I had Nelly’s “Hot in Here, “ background music playing,a jazz instrumental from the days when bootleg CDs were popular. I was leaving an impression as I was jamming, almost floating, and rapping out my poem in front of the class. Since then, I have become obsessed with using words to impact myself and others. Like many others, I often juggled the responsibilities of a daily worker or student, sometimes both at the same time, but above all, I proudly embraced the fulfilling role of being a writer.
I carried the fulfilling responsibility of being a writer, like a badge of honor throughout it all. Through a series of writing cultivation: reading CD book song lyrics for pleasure, obtaining my Bachelor’s in Journalism, minoring in Telecommunications, portraying different characters in stage plays, becoming a spoken word artist, producing a spoken word CD, performing poetry across the southeast, getting signed out of an acting agency, becoming a teaching artist, moving to Houston to become a full-time writing and theater teacher, becoming an extremely well-published poet in journals and magazines, winning awards for my work, earning my MFA from Warren Wilson College,and currently going for Library Science, and now spearheading my own custom writing business, Ink Motifs!
Without words and music, I am an invaluable asset in my own right. It goes without saying that words and music inspires and sends me over like a spear piercing the sky.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Has it been a smooth road? Hell no! I hate to admit it, but my health has been my greatest sacrifice as I strive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. I don’t know where the ammunition came from—it’s a gift and a curse. Sometimes, my dreams overwhelm my body, causing anxiety, tension, sleep loss, and other health issues if I don’t exercise restraint. With awareness, balance, and a let-it-flow attitude, I can say that at this point in my life, I have recovered tremendously.
I would say patience is my biggest dilemma now—waiting to see the fruits of your work. My professor once told me, “Writing is a long game; I will continue to write poems until my knees give out.” I say that to say, there probably is no rush, but for me, writing high is like no other, and I want to get as many hits as I can! That is one of the reasons why I created my business, Ink Motifs, where I create personalized poems for you or your loved ones and place them on a beautiful canvas. This idea was sparked by the impact of words and the emotions they evoked in me, which I wanted to share with others. The canvas I create will last forever and you will be passed down from generation to generation. That is the power of words and beautiful art, and I am the poet who understands that.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
To sum myself up, I am an award-winning poet, teacher, and fellowship recipient with a strong publication record and a demonstrated history of growing arts programs, developing effective curricula, driving student engagement, coaching theater improv and poetry teams to success, and bringing arts innovation within librarianship. At my core, I am a poet, possessing a distinctive voice that draws inspiration from music, and I am unafraid to explore the challenging and intense emotional facets of the Black experience. Like writers, musicians often have a profound influence on emotion. At times, my work prioritizes music over meaning, allowing my poems to resonate with both readers and listeners on a sonically, somatically, and phonetically deep level. My dad’s side of the family are all musicians and my aunt is a book reader, so I like to consider that I create my music with words alone. What distinguishes me is that I recognize the profound impact of music in a poem, regardless of its volume and its physical effects, even when readers are unaware of the experience. This is a value I uphold in my business. When clients purchase a poem from me, they do not understand why they enjoy it so much and want to continue reading and rereading it. This is a huge source of pride in my life. When people come to me for a poem for a loved one, for any occasion—birthdays, weddings, funerals, anniversaries, retirements, baby showers, business mottos, graduations, or anything else you can think of—they understand how easy the process is, which is why they keep coming back. They fill out the questionnaire, select the canvas size and background, make the payment, and voila, you have the ideal gift for any occasion. www.oakmorse.com
What are your plans for the future?
The future is packed with new discoveries and milestones, but what it is going to be mostly packed within the next few years is, of course, peace of mind, a sense of calmness, and the idea of working smarter, not harder. However, above that will be Ink Motif spearheading, and I am able to write for people in their voice through my poetic skill to really touch their loved ones. This sort of wall art is moving; it does a number on you every time someone reads, just like poetry does for me. Entrepreneurship is at its best when you are so in love with what you do. Spreading the word like a disciple!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oakmorse.com
- Instagram: @Oak_Morse
- Facebook: Oak.Morse
- Twitter: @OakMorse
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/OakMorse
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/oakmorse
