Interview with Budding Writer and Social Media Infatuate, Geri Oh
Rian: Welcome back Geri! Your poem “20Something Growing Pains”, which seemingly tackles the pressure we face in our twenties, was published on our site a little while ago and it’s had a great response from readers. We love to see that kind of reaction. Was there any particular inspiration or push for you to write it?
Geri: I wrote “20Something” after graduating college and witnessing the whirlwind of my whole life changing - in and out. It was a weird position of feeling grown yet stuck in confusion of what career path to take, what friendships to nourish, and how to reconcile with being on my own.
Rian: That sounds like a lot to handle just coming out of college, but very relatable for many of us. As for what else has inspired your works, you’ve previously listed love, spirituality, evolution, and social commentary. How did you find yourself writing on these topics originally?
Geri: By following my emotions. I’ve been writing since the age of 10 and it’s always been about following my emotions. What awakes me? What inspires me? What do I have to say about what I’m experiencing or witnessing in others? That’s usually where the inspiration comes and then I just … write.
Rian: That’s beautiful, makes the work feel all the more genuine. Now, you’re settled in Decatur, GA, and grew up there too, but you’ve lived in different cities over time. Do you feel that your environment influenced your poetry at all? And did that change with the different places you moved to?
Geri: Yes. Especially as a child. Poetry was one of my escapes. As I grew up, my environment became the one thing influencing how I chose to string my words together. Living in other cities didn’t change much as I had already formulated my voice and designed my pen before moving out of Georgia. If anything, the different cities widened my perspective of the world.
Rian: Speaking of growing up, we’re a pretty young magazine that’s mostly in the digital realm. What draws you to online publishing rather than traditional print publishing nowadays?
Geri: I’m a digital baby. My relationship with the online/digital world started when I was 10 also. The more tech-savvy our society becomes, the more I see it as a promising way to show my work. On the flip side, the process for traditional print requires more steps and obstacles than digital. I see print publishing as a goal I can achieve with a longer-term plan.
Rian: That’s a pretty sound goal to have. In conjunction with online publishing, you’re very active across social media platforms, do you feel this serves to amplify your voice in the poetry world? And do you feel there’s much of a downside to having these platforms?
Geri: Yes it serves it. Now to what level? I’m not yet sure. For me, the downside to these platforms is having people who know me in real life watch whatever I post without really engaging with me or my content. That’s actually what drives me to focus on poetry. If people are going to watch without engaging, I’d rather them witness my vulnerability in art form.
Twitter/Instagram/TikTok: ThisisGeriOh
Facebook: Geri Oh
https://ohtillawrites.wordpress.com/