Why I Write Wednesday: IUWC Participant Lydia Johnson

IUWC participant Lydia Johnson grew up loving the connections she felt to characters when reading. Along with the positive feedback she received about her writing abilities at a young age, Lydia was motivated to create pieces that others could connect with the way she had as a child. Being able to impact another person on an emotional level and make them feel seen is what motivates her to write poetry.

Lydia loves poetry because “it brings [her] back to [her]self and teaches [her] that the smallest things, like a space or a word or a breath, can matter so much.” Everyday life, music, and capturing the small moments ultimately inspire her poems. Her favorite book is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston– a novel about a Black woman who searches for and finds independence. The tragic love story incorporates self-acceptance, folklore, and friendship. Lydia shares that she finds “a new thing to love and/or understand more deeply” each time she reads it.

Lydia’s main takeaway from IUWC is simple: “The ways that you grow as a human help you grow as a writer. Curiosity and study are important and necessary in both areas.” She has also found that her ability to learn independently (and in groups) continuously hones her writing skills. She shares that watching others express themselves in new ways inspires her to keep going and keep learning.

Lydia teaches poetry workshops for the Indiana Writers’ Center focusing on revision and writing poetry about family/family history. She is currently looking for new ways to make her workshops even better. Hear more from Lydia’s experiences with IUWC here!