We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zorina Frey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zorina below.
Zorina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The thing about being a creative for me is that the current project is always the most meaningful because it’s a new and fresh idea to explore.
Creative projects are like being in a relationship, and not necessarily a romantic one. You often think the current…promise is “the one” that’s going to take you there (“there” meaning whatever it is you’re looking for—affirmation, acknowledgment, appreciation, fulfillment…etc.) And when it isn’t, much like a relationship, I either try to make it work or move on. But sometimes, old “relationships” are rekindled, and I’m called back to that project. Other times, it was a project I had to learn from in order to do the next one better. I say all this to say that my podcast is the most meaningful project I’m working on right now.
In my podcast, “My Patchy-Ass Memoir,” I’m trying to tell a story based on prompt responses I’ve written in writing groups. Most of my writing prompts have been about a time in my young adult life when I dated a guy who chose an illegal way to make money. This relationship led me into compromising situations that shine a light on the backdrop of our society. It’s a hard story to tell, and the writing prompts have helped me dive back into that difficult time like a literary time-traveling tool. So why do I even want to go there and talk about it? Simple. To heal and forgive me—and hopefully help others, whether it’s teaching them how to tell a story, cope with trauma, or perhaps make better decisions.
Zorina, 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’m a Digital Content Specialist and educator. My work involves:
-Writing search engine optimization content for websites and social media.
-Designing print and e-book publications as a service.
-Teaching people how to publish.
I am the Poetry Editor for South 85 Journal. And also the Editor-in-Chief of 45 Magazine Poetry Journal—originally a final project to secure my Literary Publishing Certificate from Emerson College. I also earned a Certificate in Web Design, a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and a Master’s in Creative Writing from Converse University. Above all, I’m a poet and spoken word artist.
What makes my technical literary services different is my discipline of poetry. Poetry is a literary art requiring a firm hand to write a meaningful message in as few words as possible. In this age of digital content, it’s needed to capture and retain an audience’s attention.
I’m also an award-winning screenwriter.
Poetry is the skeletal framework for all of my projects and services. Every accolade and project echoes my poetry.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I can only speculate what other people struggle to understand. I believe everyone is creative, and I realize not everyone pursues creativity as a career. I also understand why. It doesn’t always compensate immediately.
For me, before I gave room to my creativity, I was filling that void with other things: food, bad relationships, partying, and even other people. True fulfillment comes from within, using all the gifts we’ve been blessed with. It could be a sport, cooking, gardening—anything we’re good at and makes us happy.
Part of being a creative involves learning something about yourself. For writers, it means revealing oneself’s good, not-so-good and down-right ugly parts with remorse and then forgiving. Not everyone is up for that emotional journey. If “non-creatives” don’t want to dive into the literary pool of self-discovery, then at least dip a toe in and turn it into a hobby. Journaling can be most fulfilling as long as you’re honest with yourself.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The writing, editing, and overall confidence in my work improved immensely when I enrolled in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Converse University in South Carolina. The work I did there won me a Pushcart Prize in Poetry. In the earlier days of my writing, I wish I had Writing Class Radio as a resource because I would’ve earned my master’s degree sooner.
Contact Info:
- Website: My Patchy-Ass Memoir Podcast – podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/patchyassmemoir
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zorinaexie/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zorinaexie/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZorinaExie
- Other: Preaching 2 the Mic, A Collection of Spoken Word Poems: https://amzn.to/3IxKS9h How to Become an Independent Publisher (For Beginners): https://bit.ly/439BG3i45 Magazine Poetry Journal: https://bit.ly/3OAIt1a
Image Credits
All photos provided by IWA Publications