Interview with Poet & Artisan, Ari

No word of a lie Ari (Artemis Skye McNeil) is one of the most organic soulful people that you will ever have the honour of meeting.  Aside from being an overly talented and creative poet, she also designs an air of soulful proportions within her art pieces.  I mean, this beautiful creature takes the time to organise crafty bundles of beautiful blank books, Keys Series, Heavy Mettle or even Mermaid Tales.  What she has managed to do is to create little pieces of one’s soul placed in an elegant keep sake.   And of course, her love and appreciation for Oscar Wilde makes me appreciate her more.  For more information on Ari you can check out her website and give her a follow-on Instagram.

RMMW:   When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?

ASM: The love of words has been a part of me since elementary school. I fell in love with Scrabble when I was first introduced to it around 8 or 9 years old. I have also found short stories and prose of mine from the 4th grade.

RMMW:   What is the fist book that made you cry?

ASM: Little Women. Jo and Amy touched my heart.

RMMW:   Have you ever been creatively blocked and if so, how did you overcome the block?

ASM: Actually no. I’ve never encountered “writer’s block”. I have walked away for periods of time 

over the years to clear my head and get new perspective, but my mind is always churning.

RMMW:   Do you have any artists rituals before starting a new piece?

ASM: No. I wish I did! I’ll leave the rituals to Rafael Nadal. Lol

RMMW:   Do you feel a big ego hurts or helps writers?

ASM: I have a quote in my book, “Never let your ego get bigger than your talent.”  I believe humility is a much more beneficial catalyst to writing. I also believe I am the minority in this. To each his own.

RMMW:   Who is your favourite Author?

ASM: Oh goodness that’s like asking “What’s your favorite song?” It depends on the genre, era, language, mood. Hmmm. Stumped.

RMMW:   How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

ASM: Hahahaha. 7

RMMW:   What is your favourite genre to write in?

ASM: I love free flow rhythmic verse with a play on words.  A lot of my poetry has a deeper 

meaning than what’s on the surface that I bury within the word play.

RMMW:   Please tell us a little bit about your Mermaid Tales endeavour.

ASM: Mermaid Tales was the first collection of poetry.  I started that about seven years ago. It’s about strong women who have learned to adapt and not only overcome but thrive even after some harrowing experiences or challenges in life.

These women are inspirations that we can all learn from.

Some of it is in my current book. But the stories have expanded over the years from some very motivational women that are true heroes.

I have a collection of “Mermaid Girl” items from journals and framed poetry. Hopefully I will be expanding into jewelry soon.

RMMW:   You\’re a creative person, what is the most memorable thing you have created?

ASM: Oh, thank you and yes, my home and business are filled with my creative ideas.

And I take a moment to thank my family and all those in my life that support me through each one. But I must say that it’s my debut book “Her Wilde Heart” that’s the most memorable because it has so many layers, from Oscar Wilde quotes to my photography. It includes Classic poetry, thoughts in life and “witticisms”. I formatted so that the reader could write along with me if they were so inspired. It’s not just a book but a true keepsake.

RMMW:   Please tell us about the merchandise you sell with your books, from what I understand you create everything on demand by yourself?

ASM: All of my poetry comes in merchandise form that becomes a beautiful display in the home and usable. From the “Keys of Love” collection comes beautiful prescriptive poetry on tags attached to keys and decorative books that can be used in many ways. My “Heavy Mettle” collection comes on metal art work. My “Mermaid Tales” collection comes with a hand drawn mermaid tail with each poem and a really really adorable mermaid pendant. My “Poetry on a Bottle” collection comes on hand decorated wine bottles (empty or full). 😉

RMMW:   Do you ever read your book reviews?  How do you deal with good or bad ones?

ASM: Yes, I read all book reviews. I can thankfully say that they have all been very positive. But I believe that I would welcome all reviews so that I could grow from different tastes or perspectives.  I would really love to pick that person’s mind if it ever happened. Lol

RMMW:   If you had a super power what would it be?

ASM: Ooh! I think invisibility. Can you imagine the scoops and info you’d get?