Each one of my books written or un holds a special story with regards to how each of these expressions transpired inside of their private beautiful universe. There is a reason why we allow our crimson plasma to drip all over a nice sheet of thick parchment, where the imperfections of the paper can be felt. With the addition of these materials, we are able to scribe transferring that boring sheet of parchment to a wonderfully eclectic expression. I thought it would be fun to see what provokes collections, so I asked Sonja if she could write about what inspired Shift//Motion. Happy reading.
Rania M M Watts, E.I.C. CCIQ Press
Rania M M Watts, E.I.C. CCIQ Press
What inspired my poetry collection, Shift//Motion. By Sonja Mabel McClure
I first discovered poetry and my fascination with it during high school. I started writing my own poems at that time. Shortly after, I continued to write and study poetry in college. One professor I had, encouraged our class to submit our poetry to the school literary journal. To my delight, I had a few of my poems accepted and I was even invited to read at the release event for the journal. Next, I transferred to a big university and attended more poetry classes and workshops. I was developing a deep love for poetry and literature. Some of the first sources of inspiration for me: Dickinson, Rilke, Shelley, Whitman, and Plath, to name a few.
It wasn’t until the untimely event of my sister passing that I felt a strong urgency to reach out and share my poetry with the world. It was clear to me just how short life really is. I knew it was time to move forward and publish my work. Writing is an outlet for my expressions; a coping mechanism, a way to heal, a way to grieve, a way to share my joy, love, etc.
My poetry collection conveys wanderlust, my connection with travel and with movement as a dancer. The motion of life, nature, love; the different transitional events, actions, and experiences. I’m tremendously grateful for my artist and editor and the collaborative effort we made to bring my vision to fruition. The artist and I established the concept of an aerial view of nature for the illustrations. She created an amazing variety of vibrant paintings for me to choose from. Then we left the interpretation of the artwork open to the viewer. Asking, what do you see: tree branches, rivers, or roads?
CCIQ Press 