Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachel Wylie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The most meaningful project I have worked on would be my most recent poetry collection, Not Your Average Fairytale. The book chronicles 11 years, from ages 14-25. It guides readers through a coming-of-age journey and what it was like growing up, the discomfort and unhappiness that accompanies conforming to other’s expectations rather than prioritizing myself and my needs, and coming to terms with my true identity. This project shaped how I share my story, I’m proud of the journey it put me on.

Rachel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Rachel Wylie, I’m a 26-year-old writer, poet, and author from Westchester, New York. My journey was a bit off the beaten path. I grew up struggling in school because of my Dyslexia and ADHD. I was told from a young age, I’d never succeed with writing. I think in part, that encouraged me to learn how to master the craft. I always had a passion for the arts as it serves as an escape for me when I felt misunderstood. I began my involvement in creative writing in my junior year of high school and fell so deeply in love with it, that I went on to double major in English-Creative Writing and Psychology. I ended up getting involved with the Instagram writing community at the beginning of the pandemic to combat a large degree of loneliness I was struggling with at that time. I love to write to connect with my readers. I have a voice to share my experiences in a way that is meaningful to others. There is nothing more rewarding than that for me.

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

Give a voice to those who haven’t felt represented before. I write for those who have been deterred from their dreams because society has told them they were less than. I want to be the role model I would have benefited from when I was growing up.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My universe and my sense of self-worth came crashing down after experiencing a sexual assault during my senior year of college. That chapter of my life was tinted in a way I wish I could let go of. After encountering the misfortune of what happens to a survivor when they attempt to seek closure from the title ix process, I discovered that’s rare to achieve. It was one of the most dehumanizing and earth-shattering processes I’ve ever gone through. Healing from something like that is like trying to untangle a ball of yarn. Sometimes, you’ll make progress and then end up tightening the string more, sending you back a few steps. In a way, I think that experience provided me with a foundation to feel motivated to use my platform to seek justice and offer a voice for those who were failed by the system.

Contact Info:

• Website: in the process of setting it up
• Instagram: @the_paranoid_writer
• Facebook: the_paranoid_writer
• Linkedin: Rachel Wylie
• Other: my book Not Your Average Fairytale can be purchased anywhere books are sold. My first two collections: Diagram of a Fragile Mind and Tickets to My Mental Breakdown are available on Amazon.

Image Credits
The Artwork for the covers of Not Your Average Fairytale And Diagram Of A Fragile Mind were created by Kelly Emmrich. Her art Instagram account is @art.kve