Meet Ben

We recently connected with Ben and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Being the founder and editor-in-chief of a literary magazine while also being fifteen is a delicate duality, especially considering how most of the people who submit to my magazine, Vellichor Literary, are years, oftentimes decades, older than I am. Thus, it is inevitable that at some point, impostor syndrome will sink in. I was hit hardest by it during the submission window for our first issue, which was my first ever professional editorial experience. I found myself thinking, “What gives me the right to judge the work of people who have years more experience under their belt?” I think after a while, though, you settle into a rhythm that those inner noises aren’t part of. Sure, I’m still growing as a writer, reader, and artist, but at the end of the day, who isn’t? I’m a firm believer that in order to be a better writer, you have to actively practice being a better reader. What better way to sharpen your literary eye than reading new submissions every day?

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am the founder and editor-in-chief of Vellichor Literary, a multimedia magazine, and the co-founder of Youth Peace & Language Association, a language exchange program and peace activism group. Outside of those projects, I am an award-winning, 43x published poet, as well as a graphic designer, musician, and aspiring novelist. I have a wide array of interests and creative passions, so what’s been exciting me lately is the art of combining multiple disciplines. I have been increasingly inclined to multimedia, whether that be meshing my passions for poetry, graphic design, collage, and photography to create zines or combining my budding interest in film with my love for crafts to try mixed media animation. I never fail to find inspiration by the sea, especially my beloved California coast. I’m also heavily influenced by Stevie Nicks, Joni Mitchell, and Billy Joel. Lately, I have been exploring more experimental themes with my work and getting inspired by resistance art and queer punk subcultures.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Time management, marketing, and recognizing my boundaries. Juggling schoolwork, extracurriculars, and standardized testing is a lot. When you add running a literary magazine and a nonprofit organization into the mix, it turns into chaos. I learned very quickly that you have to turn that initial chaos into solid time management skills in order to stay sane and avoid burnout. Speaking of burnout, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of understanding and setting your boundaries. In our digital age, for better or worse, creatives have to market themselves and their projects on social media. While there are valuable skills to be learned, the internet is essentially an unregulated wilderness for everyone, including creeps, bigots, and trolls to roam. That’s not to deter anyone from using social media to network themselves, since there are lovely people on there, too! It just means that it’s okay to take breaks, give yourself grace, and take a step away from the ever-consuming algorithm that’s all too easy to get trapped in. Reconnect with nature, talk to your loved ones, and don’t let miserable people on the internet bring you down.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I’m always down to collaborate with cool creators, small businesses, brands, and artists across disciplines, including writers, visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, graphic designers, photographers, poets, and more! If anyone has inquiries or ideas, I’m open for emails to [email protected] and DMs @written.by.ben on Instagram (which will most likely yield the fastest reply).

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @written.by.ben
• Other: Substack: @bensdigitalarchives

Image Credits

Meena D-F