Meet Brady Bove, a passionate poet and creative soul who shares her journey from the bustling city life in the South to finding solace and inspiration in a quiet Midwest town. In this insightful interview, Brady opens up about the challenges of transitioning, the birth of her poetic project “Dear Lo,” and the profound lessons she’s learned along the way. Discover how nature, faith, and personal experiences intertwine in her work, and gain valuable advice for navigating creative endeavors and overcoming self-doubt. Join Brady on her poetic journey and stay updated on her upcoming events and projects through her Substack newsletter at https://bmbpoetry.substack.com/.
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Can you share a bit about your personal journey from living in a major city in the South to settling in a small town in the Midwest?
When I found out I was moving to the Midwest after graduating from Georgia Tech in Atlanta, GA, I was pretty scared. I had just spent 5 years in a large city where there was always noise and things happening, and, in college, there were so many people in the same phase of life with the same interests for me to befriend. I’m sure most people experience that loss of community after graduation, but being 10+ hours away from family plus the total population of my new town being less than half of the student body magnified that effect for me.
How did this transition impact your sense of community and belonging?
I really struggled to find a community at first. I questioned whether or not I really belonged. It was so tempting to run back South with my tail between my legs, but I knew that finding your place takes time and I had to at least try.
What inspired you to start your creative project, “Dear Lo”?
I was starting to spiral in these feelings of negativity surrounding my lack of community. I knew it wasn’t healthy, but I wasn’t sure what I could do to change it. So one day I pushed myself to go on a run and just observe the town. As I was running I started writing a poetic letter in my mind that allowed me to express all of these emotions I was feeling. This poem ended up being “Dear Lo” which is the first poem in the collection. I got home and wrote it down, and then more poems started coming and I realized that I was giving myself space to transform through my poetry.
Could you elaborate on the struggles and challenges you faced while pursuing your creative endeavors?
I think the biggest challenge that I face on any project is wondering two big things.First if I can even finish it and second if it will be good enough. With Dear Lo specifically, I was also anxious about sharing it with the world, because I knew that it was a highly personal project that exposed my emotions in a very raw way. While there are some fictionalized elements, the narrator’s voice is my own, and the fear of putting myself out there was a big hurdle I had to overcome.
What are some key lessons you’ve learned from navigating through these challenges?
The biggest lesson I learned in poetry is that you are writing for yourself. Your poetry is a tool to help you. Once it achieves that you can make the decision to share it, because if it was able to help you, odds are, it will help someone else. That is, at least, what I am hoping is the case for Dear Lo. This book has helped me combat the loss of community and feelings of loneliness, and I hope that is the case for others, as well.
How has your background and experiences influenced the themes and messages in your work?
A pretty heavy theme throughout Dear Lo is nature. I have always loved being outside, hiking camping, and I am so influenced by the beauty (and solitude) of nature. I also am influenced by my Catholic faith. For Dear Lo, while I did not want it to be a “Christian” book, I couldn’t not mention God in something so personal to me, so there is one poem where I touch on my faith.
Can you share a specific moment or experience that profoundly shaped your creative process or outlook on life?
I wrote a poem about this and you can find it in my first book, A Day of Humanity, but when I was studying abroad in France, I was getting into my own head while on a run around a lake, and I kept passing these women, lap after lap. Each lap, I would give them a small smile, and then on the last lap, I was exhausted physically and mentally, I couldn’t smile. As I passed them, they shouted to me “SMILE!”. It was that moment where I realized the importance of human connection and the positive power we can hold over each other. Many of my poems are inspired by this sense (and lack of) true human connection, and I think that event helped put so many things into perspective for me.
What advice would you give to others who may be going through similar experiences or pursuing their creative passions?
Remember, you are not alone, even when it may feel like it. Read poetry and odds are you will find something that resonates with you. Use this to inspire you and to help push you through the blockages your own mind puts up to limit your achievements. I believe in you.
How do you stay motivated and inspired during difficult times or periods of self-doubt?
If I begin to doubt myself on a specific project, I do whatever I can to get outside and go on a walk. When I get back, I write a poem about my walk. It usually has nothing to do with my project, but I think of it as a palette cleanser. Sometimes I’ll take the day full day away from anything else poetry related after that. Then when I am ready, I re-read my walking poem. I might hate it, I might love it, but I know that I wrote it in a moment when I was feeling low, and if I can do that, then I can work on this project.
What are your future goals and aspirations for your creative journey and business endeavors?
I am currently focused on events and promoting Dear Lo at the moment. I am super excited about my upcoming poetry readings and also am getting into events (creating live poems for guests) and commissioned work. As for publishing, I am not 100% sure what my next project will be, but I find myself writing a lot of poems about motherhood so it may be related to that! You can keep up with me via my Substack newsletter for details on my current projects and events: https://bmbpoetry.substack.com/
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