Meet Roger Powell

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Roger Powell a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Roger, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

I usually like to have multiple projects started and working on at the same time. That way, if I get stuck on one project, I can switch to another. Additionally, I sometimes like to change the modality of my writing to keep my writing practices fresh. Sometimes I will open a new document, other times I will handwrite something, or I will even do speech to text. Both of these practices have helped me overcome writer’s block.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I am writer, college professor, and researcher. My writing primarily focuses on how to teach writing better in college classrooms, but I also am a poet and fiction writer. My poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in Red Flag Poetry, Works and Days, and Middle Mouse Press. I also have a book of poetry Dandelions Aren’t Weeds: Poems on Masculinity, Identity, and Life that I published with the Power Within Her Publishing. I have another chapbook, Let the Love In, under review with a different publisher right now as well. My poetry is very narrative and autobiographically driven, but I play with the poetic form as well. I’m also currently drafting a novel tentatively titled Academic Ghosts. This novel is a found footage/demonic possession novel set in a university. I don’t want to give too much away, but let’s just say there may be a portal to hell involved… I have always loved horror and it is a huge dream of mine to also publish a novel.

You can find me on Instagram @dr.roger.powell where I talk about teaching, writing, and hiking with my wonderful wife Meghan and our dog Banner.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

If I had to list three important qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that I wish I knew before starting my journey, I would say it is important to prioritize, balance, and truly live. There will be a lot of accomplishments that someone can pursue — you have to figure out which ones are right for you and which ones you really want to pursue. I would also say you need to prioritize what matters most to you and not let others shape what you think. I have always loved to read and write and sometimes I would let others convince me these weren’t worthwhile pursuits OR I would prioritize other aspects of life and not focus on writing. It took until my late 20s to really become series about writing — I wish I would have started earlier! But balance is important too. You have to take care of yourself and have other endeavors in your life to take breaks from writing or other creative pursuits. It will be help you be healthier and come back to your work with a fresh and restored perspecive. Lastly, you need to truly live. To quote my favorite author, Stephen King, “Art isn’t a support system for life, it’s the other way around.” Go out and live and your writing or other creative endeavors will be that much richer when you return to them.

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

When I stopped worrying what others think about me and my writing, I was so much freer and less stressed. I stopped comparing myself to others and really focused on being a better writer. I also think it helped me have more empathy for others because I wasn’t trying to think about what they thought of me, but why they thought the way them did.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @dr.roger.powell
• Facebook: Roger Powell
• Linkedin: Roger Powell, Ph.D.

Image Credits

Downtown Poetry
NWA Poetry Connection