How would you describe yourself and/or your work in three sentences or less?
I am a creative realist. In other words, I can create characters, scenes, descriptions, etc. but my work will almost always be grounded in real life rather than in fantasy or science fiction. I focus mostly on the gritty parts of life (pain, loss, addiction, toxic relationships, etc.) so that I can connect to others who may be going through similar struggles.
Who has been your biggest supporter and/or inspiration?
My daughter, mom, dad, sister, brother, and niece are among my strongest supporters, and my husband (though not a huge fan of poetry) gives me plenty of space and time to write. The poets to whom I credit inspiration: Robert Frost, e. e. cummings, Rita Dove, Emily Dickinson, Dylan Thomas, Ted Kooser, Margaret Atwood, and a few writers whom I’ve published in my own magazine, Soul Poetry. Subject inspiration comes from life! Many of my poems, as I stated in my first answer, come from a place of pain. Poetry is therapy and healing for me. It’s my space to cry and vent and give voice to my wounds and the wounds of others. There is almost always at least a grain of truth in every piece I write.
Where is your favorite place to write or create your art?
I usually write either while sitting on my couch in the quiet hours of the day (two dogs by my side) or at the kitchen table. I’ve also been known to get out of bed and write something down, as my muse tends to kick up her heels just as I’m drifting off to sleep or in the early hours of the morning.
If you look back at your writing or art when you first began creating, in what ways would you say you have grown or changed?
I’ve honestly been a poet since second grade, but I wouldn’t dare show the world my lament poems about being dragged to yard sales when I was a kid. But even in the past five-six years, I’ve made tremendous growth as a poet—carefully, methodically, deliberately honing my craft through study, reading other poets’ work, and working with stellar editors (like Rich Soos at Cholla Needles) who have graciously given me valuable feedback to help me create the most impactful pieces with fewer words.
If you could choose any place in the world to write, draw, or paint for one day, where would you go?
I would go to Greece. Having traveled there just this past March, I can honestly say of all the places I’ve been in the world (ten countries in all), Greece left a lasting impression for its beauty, history, and hospitality. I would love to have a little cottage near the sea, throw the windows wide open, stretch out on a comfy sofa, listen to music and birds, eat a Greek salad for lunch, and type away the day.
What advice would you give to anyone just starting a career as a writer?
1. Give yourself room to grow. 2. Never be too much in love with your own words to accept critiques or criticism. 3. If writing is truly your passion then go all out—make writing a daily habit, one you cannot do without. 4. Challenge yourself! If you see a new form of poetry you’ve never tried, try it! Study it. Get good at it. Then get better at it. 5. Do not take rejections to heart. If more than three editors turn down a piece, consider revision. Get in a slump—slug it out by reading and reading and reading other people’s poetry! Then write like a madman or madwoman. 6. Read all of the guidelines before sending in your pieces. Know your audience! Know the magazine!
Are there any funny stories you’d like to share about your artistic journey?
I once read the set of guidelines in Cholla Needles, the magazine I mentioned earlier, and thought I understood the editor to mean he wanted poems about the desert. So, I sat down and wrote out some lovely “desert” poems and, for some strange reason, added a poem I had written about hands and sent them in. The editor, Rich Soos, accepted one poem out of that batch—the one about hands. I thought that was the oddest choice, until he explained he didn’t want “desert” poems, he wanted poems big on meaning, sparse on words. And that was the beginning of a wonderful poet / editor relationship that has transformed my writing!
To read Arvilla Fee’s poems, click here
About the Author
Arvilla Fee lives in Dayton, Ohio with her husband, three of her five children, and two dogs. She teaches for Clark State College, is the lead poetry editor for October Hill Magazine, and has been published in over 100 magazines. Her three poetry books, The Human Side, This is Life, and Mosaic: A Million Little Pieces are available on Amazon. Arvilla’s life advice: Never travel without snacks. Visit her website and her new magazine: https://soulpoetry7.com/
