Tyler Lemley

UIW Student

Do you have any projects on which you’re currently working? If so, what are they?

I’m currently working on a chapbook for my poetry, I’ll then send it to some chapbook competitions to try and get it published. 

What influenced you to work on this project?

I have wanted to collect my poetry in a book for a long time, so a chapbook felt like a great start for an emerging poet like me. 

What does this project mean to you?

It means a lot to see all the work I’ve done the last few years beingn collecting into one place. 

What made you choose to major in theatre and creative writing?

I love collaborating in art, so theatre and creative writing workshops were the perfect place for me to pursue that side of myself. 

Do you have any advice for first year students who are pursuing the same major? 

Take time to look for inspiration in the world around you, and try as best you can to avoid going into “auto pilot.” You must be present in life in order to write about it.

What are your methods for getting into a creative headspace?

I have a journal. I have daily “noticings” where I take note of interesting images throughout my day. I listen to music that I find very creative. I watch artist interviews, noteworthy movies, and shows. I also read, of course.

What are some challenges you have faced while in college?

I  am a  double major, and it definitely comes with a lot of stress trying to exist in two head spaces at once. However, they inform each other and go hand-in-hand, which becomes very beneficial. 

Do you hope to contribute to a broader conversation?

I have a lot to say about the intersection between queerness and poverty. I also strive to tell the realities of being a gay person from a small, conservative town: the trauma, internalized hatred, humiliation. What does it mean to yearn for a place you aren’t welcome? I explore that questions quite a bit.