Florence Niven | TELL(h)ER

Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Words by Florence

Here's to the oddballs and misfits, the artists and dreamers.

What does being part of the Teller Community mean to you?

Creative pursuits are often solitary practices. It's so important to connect with others who feel compelled to follow similar paths. A writing community like TELL(h)ER understands and supports what we do, and knows why we do it.

Why did you submit this particular message? There's always a story behind our writing, what is yours?

It's part of a longer poem that I wrote about honouring the gifts of the rule-makers and problem-solvers, of course, but championing also the rule-benders and star-gazers. Those of us who colour outside the lines, and redefine boundaries, without hesitation or apology.

Who would benefit from receiving this message?

Anyone who has felt, at some point in their life, that they didn't fit in. So - anyone.

Are you an aspiring writer, poet, or artist?

I've always been creative. My background in graphic design and illustration led to my becoming a full time glass artist for 22 years. When my father died in 2019, one of the books I read as I was finding my way out of my grief, asked the question, "What would you most regret if you knew you only had one month to live?" I knew I would regret not having written more. I have always written, but never as an intentional practice. I started writing every day as a way of coping with the loss of my father, and I've continued this practice throughout the pandemic. I love the clean look of beknown's pure white cards. the understated elegance. I have written over 100 poems since the beginning of the pandemic. I looked through them to find my submission.

If you had to leave me with something about you, that makes you different, unique, special, what would it be? 

I've learned I don't have to be the loudest person in the room to be heard. When my words fail me, as they sometimes do, I can make my point through my art.

How do you want to beknown?

As someone who loved and was loved.

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