We recently connected with Alyssa Smentek and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alyssa, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In recent times, the most meaningful project I’ve worked on is joining and preparing for our local, just-beginning open mic here in town. I feel like I’ve worked on a lot that is meaningful to me in the past few years, such as making my debut music video and learning how to hand sew faces, but the facet that stands out most in being a creative person for me is the projects that make me feel alive again. Every time I make art, a little bit of that energy comes back to me. So, the first poetry/ prose open mic at this new venue truly made me feel seen, heard, and connected when I decided to prepare, attend and read for it. I felt refreshed after having been in a hard head space. And hey, I think that’s really important.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I live a quiet life fueled by passion. As of late I have been gravitating toward poetry and collage a lot of the time. I have found myself a natural when it comes to the abstract. Painting, word, expression in general. I also write songs despite not being able to tune a guitar, take photography on whatever camera I have at hand, and aspire to be an artist in every aspect of my life. Which, that may sound extreme, but I believe a lot of creative people would know what I mean. I am always seeking out ways to be a part of it all, together with other artists, and on my own.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative person is constantly having ideas. Ideas are like magic to me. There’s always something to write. There’s always something to talk about. There’s always a way to connect.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I’ve had to unlearn is that the path we take can derail where we’re meant to go. In life I have not had an easy route per se, there’s plenty I’ve failed at, like trying the conventional route of going to school years ago and then finding out the hard way that I was not prepared in the slightest. The things we avoid in life tend to come around in one way or another, those lessons are going to get learned, but one thing is for sure– the path you’re meant to be on will always find a way. If I want to create, it’s best I create in every phase of life, because everything else is going to happen anyhow.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @unclockwise
• Other: I would like to attach my music video if possible