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

Hi Aaron, 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?

There are really four things that taught me how to write. The most important part of the journey was writing a lot. I tend to want to experiment with my prose and poetry, and that leads to a lot of mistakes- or lessons depending on what spot of the depression spectrum I am on at any given time. With all those risks being taken, I also had to get comfortable and slightly enjoy, critiques. I am not convinced that there is good or bad writing. There is writing that connects and writing that does not connect. Through critiques, I started to learn how to connect better with my audience/readers. Then there is reading. I am not sure anyone can perfect their craft without learning from others who excel in it. Whether through the Beats, southern classics, or sitting in awe of Steinbeck, each book or poetry collection taught me the art of connecting through words.

I am not sure anything could have sped up my learning process. A life lived can be the best character in a book or poem, not just for the narrative but also for the empathy and nuance needed to write in a convincing fashion. If I sped up the process, then I would have missed a lot of people and voices along the way that made me a better writer.

A great writer must be an expert listener- a listener of people, society, environment, and inner voice. Learning how to listen taught me how to be more intuitive and free with my writing. There is linguistic and stylistic growth all writers go through, but learning the art of listening transforms a piece from a simple story into art.

My inability to listen and to be in the moment cost me a lot of incredible relationships. So many people along the way had brilliant things to say or lives lived, but my immaturity did not let me slow down enough to listen properly.

Aaron, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a Chattanooga-based writer driven by an unending commitment to building community. I find myself inspired by the mad, rad off-kilter moments of life. Influenced by William Faulkner, Jack Kerouac, and Sylvia Plath, I constantly wade into the dark hope of the South, leading my fiction and poetry to center on creating a snapshot that lingers and haunts.

My journey into the publishing field was a long one. I did not start writing until 25, and jumped right into writing fantasy without realizing that my voice would be best expressed in other areas. Through the end of my 20s into my early 30s, I worked everything from sandwich and coffee shops to nonprofits to long periods of joblessness. At 37, while working at an emergency shelter for families, I started to think that my dream of pursuing publishing and writing as a career was dwindling until my friends asked for help formatting a book. One conversation at an Irish Pub led them to ask me to help them build Walnut Street Publishing. They have been amazing owners, letting me have creative freedom over the culture of our publishing company.

We started the company in February 2020, and then the world stopped. Luckily, that gave me plenty of time to talk and listen to other writers and creatives. One thing became apparent- we all needed/wanted community. In 2023, WSP emerged with a new vision: We are going to reimagine publishing as community.

Great books? Of course. More than that we were determined to meet writers and creatives where they were in life and create space for them to thrive. Our innovative approach to publishing includes:

1. Discord creative community: we understood that not everyone could meet up regularly, but most people can stumble onto the internet every once in a while.

2. Creative Spaces: bi-weekly meetups on Fridays where local creatives get together to connect and share their works in progress. On the first Friday of every month, we go to an art exhibit opening in Chattanooga.

3. Field Trips: We believe to be a community means to support each other. We use field trips as a way to let others know of events that support the local arts.

4. Art Fusion: 3 times a year, we invite as many types of artists as possible into one space without charging them a table fee and invite the community in for free. This has turned into some of our biggest nights of connection for artists and the community.

5. And more- including monthly DND nights with a local coffee shop, Pop Up Art Galleries, and an online market.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

No doubt! The most rewarding part of being a writer is being able to cheer others along the way. Do not get me wrong, I am beyond depressed when I cannot create, but there is something even more invigorating about cheering others on. I know how lonely the journey can be, especially with writing. It is almost impossible to create without being alone. To be able to counterbalance that with community and lifting others up is something I will always cherish.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

It is hard for non-creatives to understand that creativity/writing is not just a hobby. It is a must. I can remember being sad (as I would word it when I was young) or depressed since elementary school. Nothing in life ever took that sadness away except writing. When I write, I am whole. When I cannot write, I am a shell of a human that lacks the ability to function. I tend to hyperfocus on things anyway, but my hyper-focused creativity is as much about survival as it is about enjoyment.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.walnutstreetpublishing.com
• Instagram: MusingHobbit
• Other: Discord: https://discord.gg/fCCeyknE5F Email: [email protected]