Today we’d like to introduce you to Clara McGowan.
Hi Clara, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, which is such a cliche, but it’s simply the truth. When I was 8 or 9, I used poetry to process my parent’s divorce and other big heavy things that I couldn’t wrap my brain around yet. As I got older, the big heavy things just got heavier, so I never ran out of things to write about.
In college, I joined a slam poetry team and got to compete nationally in Austin, TX at the College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. That whole process was super enlightening, and I was able to really define my voice as a writer and discover what kind of poetry I wanted to be writing.
In 2019 I began sharing my work on Instagram and became a part of such a phenomenally talented community of writers and poets. Sharing my work online has allowed me to establish myself as a poet, grow in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and meet some of the best people in the world.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has absolutely not been smooth, but I think that’s kind of the point! Without the bumps, I wouldn’t have had nearly as much to say!
But seriously, sharing my work and being vulnerable in front of an audience was super hard at first. I went to school for theatre, so I was used to performing, but getting on stage and reading your own work in front of people is the most vulnerable thing. If people don’t like the poem, it’s almost like they don’t like you, because the poem is just an extension of yourself. There was a period when I stopped sharing my work altogether because I was so concerned with what other people thought.
There’s also a learning curve when it comes to being marketable and being honest. For example, I prefer to write longer-form pieces, but they aren’t as popular on Instagram, where I share most of my work. There’s a sweet spot that exists where I can say want I need to say and still find an audience that wants to read it, and finding that spot has taken a lot of fine-tuning and patience.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a writer! I specialize in both written and spoken word poetry. I write a lot about love and loss and grief and growth.
I think making a name for yourself as a writer can be really difficult, but over the last 3 years I have taken the time to write and share relatable, honest poems online, and in doing so I’ve amassed a following of almost 16 thousand wonderful humans. Talking about Instagram statistics almost seems silly, but the community I’ve found online is so supportive and active and it truly means the world that so many people take the time to read and engage with my work.
The work I’m most proud of actually hasn’t been released yet! My full-length manuscript is forthcoming, with details TBA. Writing a book is hard and cool and I’m proud of myself for doing it.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
As a writer, the thing that matters most to me is showing other people that they are not alone.
Brene Brown, a writer I absolutely adore, once said, “The two most powerful words when we’re in struggle: me too.” I couldn’t agree with this sentiment more.
Sometimes, it can feel like whatever we’re going through has only ever happened to us, and that can feel so isolating and lonely. In the past, I’ve been totally crushed by the weight of that alone-ness. My goal as a writer is to wear my heart so far out on my sleeve that everyone who reads my work can see it for themselves and find themselves there. By showcasing my heartbreak, fears, and regrets, I can hopefully show someone else that not only does pain exist outside of themselves, but it truly does get better.
Contact Info:
- Email: claramcgowan17@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claramcgowan/
Image Credits:
Kayla Simon Photography
