Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Carrington.
Hi Adrienne, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started writing poetry when I was ten years old as a coping mechanism for dealing with things I wasn’t comfortable talking to others about. As I’ve grown older, poetry has been a constant outlet for me in terms of my journey with depression and anxiety; it may sound silly, but simply getting the negative thoughts out of your head and upon paper does actually help. Friends and teachers have always told me that I needed to share my writings because they could help others realize they’re not alone. In my senior year at UHD, I had three poems published in The Bayou Review and the feedback was immediate! I realized that outside of helping myself, writing my experiences helped others as well. In the last two years, I have self-published three small collections of poetry through a company called Blurb in hopes of spreading my work to a wider audience, but it hasn’t really taken off yet. A co-worker suggested I reach out to Voyage, so here I am! I want to share my poetry with all who want to read it and possibly make some pocket change at the same time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The life of a writer is anything but smooth. I don’t write fluff poems to fill up space. Everything I write is sourced directly from my pain, or sadness, or confusion. Every time I write a poem, I allow myself to enter that hurt space to find a way to articulate how I feel. It’s a painful but necessary process for healing. If I did not have poetry, I’m not sure that I would still be here today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a secondary English teacher and I love my job. I just graduated college in 2019, so there’s only about a 12-15 year difference between my students and I. Last year, I started a writing club at my campus in hopes of sharing my love of writing and belief that it is a great way to safely express your feelings instead of holding it in. I can honestly say that the small group of students in the group has benefited from having a safe space to write in terms of their mental health and overall happiness. That is what I am most proud of, as well as being a self-published poet!
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
To those of you who have considered poetry but don’t think you’re “good enough”, just start. It doesn’t have to be pretty and perfect, nor does it have to rhyme, nor does it have to be in an ABAB rhyme scheme! Poetry, in the simplest terms, is you and your subconscious having a conversation on paper. It is a tunnel for which you can channel whatever emotion you’re feeling in a way that allows you to process it rather than just endure it. So no matter what, just start writing. Trust yourself.
Pricing:
- All of my books are $10 on blurb.com! Just type in my first and last name in the search bar!
Contact Info:
- Email: carringtonad@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.blurb.com/user/Adriennec21?profile_preview=true
- Instagram: @carringtonpoetry
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