We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashley Wagner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I credit a lot of my writing know-how to my formal schooling: the grade-school teachers who noticed me filling pages and pages of notebook paper with stories and suggested me for Honors English; the doors that opened up to me in college; those educators who supported me to graduate school and beyond. Of course, my heart overflows for them a thousand times over, and I would not be where I am without them. But the best way to learn is by doing. And with writing, unlike with so many other disciplines, all you need in order to get started is one wonderful idea (and perhaps a pen to jot it down with).

My advice to those learning to write, especially young people, is always this: Just write. The rhythm of a piece is in the moment of inspiration, so write without fear of how the words may sound. Then write more. Then read – after all, reading, especially aloud, helps improve your ear for language. Then write some more, apply what you’ve learned. Then scrap the lines that you hate. Then write them over again.

The biggest obstacle I face in my writing is myself. I get into my head worrying about what I “should” write, what I “shouldn’t,” what’s considered “literature,” what “isn’t,’ and, worst of all, what other people will think of me for what I write. These concerns have left me in a slump on multiple occasions, which in turn led to a plateau in my progress. Over time, though, and as I’ve written countless more pieces – only a fraction of which anyone will ever even see – I’ve learned that none of those expectations matter more than self-expression and the practice of exploring the world and our place in it through language.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I like to call myself a writer, collaborator, and occasional photographer. Above all, I am a poet and a friend to anyone who loves the arts. My debut chapbook, EAST COAST BLUES, is an ecopoetic meditation on my home state of Maryland and what it means to truly belong in a place. I am currently working on a second book exploring the isolating effects of mental illness.

My ultimate goal is to uplift everyone and anyone who is looking to try their hand at writing. I have spoken to groups of aspiring wordsmiths from the ages of twelve to sixty, and always with the same message: you too are a storyteller. I am part of several writing workshop groups around the DMV intended to provide inclusive spaces for writers of all levels to hone their craft. Apart from these more structured workshops, I am always available to anyone who would like constructive feedback on their work, information on the submission process, or any other support in their creative practice.

I am also the Poetry Editor for the Baltimore-based online literary magazine LIGEIA, in which I am proud to curate excellent work from beginning and established poets alike as well as review the newest collections from small presses.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It may sound corny, but so much of what creatives do is simply for the sake of doing it. No side hustle, no scheme, just the love of the game.

Sure, there’s this grand, capital-R Romantic image of the starving artist, pouring all of himself into the work, but in reality, most of the artists I know are everyday people who come home from their very productive and very important day jobs to spend the money they made, and the rest of their valuable time, creating extraordinary things that – regretfully – no one will ever see.

Most magazine work is unpaid. And yet gorgeous new lit mags are sprouting into existence every single day.

Most books go unpublished. That doesn’t mean they should go unwritten.

As human beings, we need beauty, and we need meaningful connection. Though the lack of these things is not as damning as a lack of food or shelter, it is damaging nonetheless, and we will continue strive for them. Art is just one way we foster those necessities. Through art, we create lovely images; we request comfort from the depths of our earliest fears.

Yes, the journey of a creative is an uncertain one, full of blind turns and exploitative positions and unpaid work, but as any artist will tell you, the lessons learned from the process are just as valuable, if not more, than the product.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My mission is to help people find their voice and use it.

In grade school, we learn that we are special.

In the working world, we learn that no one is special. In fact, there are lots of people like us and maybe some that are that much better. They get offers. They get promotions. We get nihilistic.

As we get older, we find ourselves and the ones we love falling into patterns so predictable that we wonder if free will exists at all. For older generations, there was a mid-life crisis. For my own generation, it’s a whole-life crisis.

But here, in art, I want creatives to remember: even if you’re tired, if the world has handed you too many rejections, if you don’t feel as “special” as you thought you were, your perspective is still – always – unique.

No one else has lived in your body, in your mind, behind your eyes. You see things in a way no one has ever seen them before and in a way that no one will ever see them again. So, speak that truth to power, no matter if someone has said it before with more gusto, or more flair, or more fancy words. Your way will suit things just fine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ashleywagnerpoetry.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashen_dawn/
• Other: Book: https://bottlecap.press/products/east LIGEIA: https://www.ligeiamagazine.com/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22948158.Ashley_Wagner?from_search=true&from_srp=true