Why do you write/what purpose does writing serve for you currently?

It's part of my identity at this point. I was the little kid who read through the library and wrote letters to my grandparents with poems and stories in them (thankfully I have stopped trying to illustrate). I'm not particularly good at anything else, so writing for me helps me feel like I'm creative and worth something and can produce something that someone else may possibly like or be affected by, even if it's just a little bit.  

How do you usually start a poem, story, etc?

Outlandish images in succession.

How do you know when a piece is finished?

Most times, my work could be objectively better, but I'm just done writing it. After I read through it 5 million times, I'm either throwing it out because it can't get better or I'm going to keep changing things until I feel like it flows correctly. Rhythm is important to me.  

What writers/artists are influencing you right now?

I just finished Marcos Giralt Torrente's The End of Love and Rebecca Dinerstein's Lofoten. Both were wonderful. I love stuff that has a translation component; it's amazing to me how something can still sound beautiful even after changing languages.

What do you want people to know about your work?

Most times, there isn't anything to get.

View Chelsea's Works Here