Interview With Poet & Artist Ellen Everett
Ellen Everett is an artist, in every sense of the word. An author, visual storyteller, and poet, she seeks to bring beauty, depth, authenticity, and meaning into all that she creates—and that, she certainly does.
Ellen’s two poetry books, I Saw You As A Flower (2018) and If Hearts Had Training Wheels (2022), are packed full of haunting yet lovely poems, peeks into Ellen’s beautiful inner world, captivating illustrations, truths that are universally true, and feelings that are universally felt. Her poetry collections don’t read simply as pretty words on a page, but as an emotional experience—which will keep you returning to them again and again.
And we had the pleasure of interviewing Ellen recently—read below.
Q: Do you remember the moment you first fell in love with words? Or the moment you decided to dedicate your life to writing poetry?
I have always loved words. There is something so magical about arranging words and bringing a new perspective to feelings we all experience. When I really like a phrase, or song lyric, or line from a poem, I almost feel like I adopt it and carry it with me throughout the day.
So many words have become a part of my everyday experience and walk in life. As if I store them in my back pocket for a moment in need. I hope my words are like that for others. I hope my poems are a source of comfort and something that other people can “carry in their back pocket” as well.
Before I began writing poetry, I wrote songs. I grew up playing the piano, so putting my words to music felt most natural to me— but I could never sing. As I got older, I realized that writing poetry was very similar to songwriting and was a way for me to share my words with the world. It became my own way of “singing.” I really began writing poetry though in my later teenage years. Writing poems became my way of understanding my experiences and processing life. I almost felt like I couldn’t move forward from an experience or situation unless I had dissected it and pinpointed my feelings with words.
Once I felt like I had captured how I was feeling, I could let that feeling go. And in a way, it has been a way to document my life and immortalize my experiences. I can give permanence to a feeling that is temporary. I can look back on my poems and remember how I felt in different phases of my life, and it's so special being able to “scrapbook” my life in that way.
My nineteenth birthday was actually the exact day that I decided I was going to write my first poetry book. I vividly remember sitting at the kitchen table and thinking about all of the things I wanted to do before I turned twenty. I knew that I wanted to write a book at some point in my life, but turning nineteen had freaked me out a little and made me feel like my time was running out. I decided then that I wanted to write and publish a book while I was in my teens.
Since this was my last year as a teenager, I knew I would have to work extremely hard to make this happen—especially because I was a full-time college student at the time. About seven months later, I self-published my first poetry book, I Saw You As A Flower, and am still in awe of the positive responses I’ve received about this book. I’m so grateful that God has allowed me to have experiences that I have been able to share with others in poetry.
Q: Which writers/poets/artists have inspired you the most?
There are two poets in particular that have had a lasting impact on my work: Erin Hanson (@thepoeticunderground on instagram) and Mary Oliver. Erin Hanson was truly the first poet whose work I fell in love with. She has a gift with words and rhyme that leaves me breathless at the end of each poem.
Mary Oliver has become a more recent favorite of mine; I only wish I could begin to describe her writing. Her poetry is timeless and her words come alive on every page. Her poem “The Journey” is one of the poems I “carry in my back pocket.” It affects me almost daily.
There is also an artist and poet, Colby Sandford (@colbyasandford on instagram), whose paintings and poetry touch my soul every time they come across my feed.
Q: What are the places in your life where you find the greatest inspiration when you’re embarking on a new piece?
Most of my poetry is inspired by personal experience. When I approach a new poem, I am always seeking a new analogy or metaphor to convey that experience. I often find myself gravitating towards using comparisons in nature because the cycles in nature are also the cycles that we experience as we grow and change. There is death, new growth, and rising.
Sharing that with others and using it to describe how I’m feeling comes the most natural to me. I also love using comparisons in nature because I see God everywhere when I am outside. He reveals Himself in the little things; in the flowers, in the trees, in the clouds. I am reminded that He is with me in every season. In the winter and spring. The wilting and blooming. My poetry explores both the hardships and the times of peace, so seeing His hand in all of it is special to me.
Q: Here at Wallflower, we always ask our interviewees what their favorite book is — what’s yours?
I actually just graduated after six years of college, so with work and school, I haven’t been able to dedicate much time to reading. So honestly, I don’t feel well-read enough to choose a favorite at the moment.
But I have kept up with reading poetry. Anything by Mary Oliver leaves me feeling rejuvenated and nourished. I love Madisen Kuhn’s poetry book, Almost Home. And many others.
Q: Tell us about any new projects you’re currently working on or have recently released.
My newest poetry release is called, If Hearts Had Training Wheels, and is a five-part journey — beginning in The Gravel Driveway and ending with The Downhill Coast. In this collection, I relate maneuvering through life’s obstacles to learning how to ride a bike.
Through falls, unexpected turns, and uphill climbs, the reader embarks on this journey of self-discovery with me, resulting in a powerful transformation of the mind and heart.
This book is special to me for so many reasons, but especially because it is the first poetry book I’ve illustrated and designed from the cover to the interior pages. I’m so excited to be able to express myself through both words and art.
If Hearts Had Training Wheels feels like a complete creative expression of myself and my experiences over the past five-ish years. I’m thrilled for it to be out in the world and hope it brings light and love into the lives of everyone who reads it.
Find Ellen’s books here:
Connect with Ellen further:
Ellen’s Instagram (@elleneverettpoetry)
Ellen’s TikTok (@elleneverettpoetry)