It’s my pleasure to welcome poet Jasmine Farrell to my blog.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a poet and an author. I published two collections of poetry, My Quintessence and Phoenixes Groomed as Genesis Doves. I write for Ayo Magazine and I like to dance to Charles Mingus and lil’ Kim when no one is watching. I am from Brooklyn, NY and I badly want a snow leopard.
How long have you been writing for?
Well, I’ve been writing since I was a child. However, I didn’t begin to take my poetry seriously until I was in high school. I attended Fashion Industries High school and during draping classes, I would be writing poetry instead of my assigned tasks. Probably why I did so poorly during Draping I.
What is your writing process like?
Free writing. I love free writing for a set amount of time and listening to music. Whenever I get inspired to write, I immediately let the words flow and call it a “word vomit” until I polish it up to become a poem.
Do you have a writing routine? If so, what’s a typical day like for you?
Not really. Unless I am writing an article for Ayo, I just simply write whenever I feel inspired to write. Excluding my personal journal writing, of course.
What motivates you to write?
Life motivates me to write. Autumn leaves, heartache, self-discovery, new beginnings, etc!
What was the first thing you did when you found out your book was being published?
I put on a pair of my “good socks” and slid around my house as though I was the flyest thing since clouds.
Are you currently working on anything new?
Yes, I am currently working on a novel. I won’t release what it is about yet.
If you weren’t a writer, what would your career be?
I would have been a lawyer. A bitter, miserable and angry lawyer.
What is the easiest part of writing for you? What is the hardest part?
The easiest part of writing for me is completing the last line of a story or a poem. The hardest part is continuing my poem or story after the first line. Oh, and grammar. Good God, grammar and punctuation are my enemies!
What’s one thing you learned through writing that you wish you knew before you started?
Restricting yourself is for fools.
What is your favorite book or genre? Is there a special book that made you realize you wanted to write?
My favorite book is, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston. There wasn’t a special book that made me realize I wanted to write.
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Write EXACTLY what’s going on in your head. Write down your vividly awesome stories and make adjustments later. Don’t second guess your words before those words reach the paper.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Be yourself. Everyone else is taken and someone needs your weird ass just the way you are.
About Jasmine Farrell:
Born in “the village” and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Jasmine Farrell is an author, poet, and blogger with a Bachelors in Communications. She released her first book of poems in 2014, My Quintessence, about adolescent angst, self-acceptance, love and societal stances. Ms. Farrell’s work has been featured in The Heron Clan III, appeared in the Nyack College’s literary journal, The Fine Print, and she has been a guest blogger for WomenWithGifts.com, GreenNation.Org and FemPotential.com. She writes for Ayo Magazine and dances to Charles Mingus and lil’ Kim when no one is watching. Writing in her late Grandmother’s memo pads is included into her repertoire of writings. She has recently released her second collection of poetry, Phoenixes Groomed as Genesis Doves, May, 2016.
Connect with Jasmine Farrell:
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Buy Jasmine Farrell’s Books:
