Lor Clincy shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Lor, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Growing up, I was almost allergic to the word leader. I was often labeled talented, intelligent, even cynical—and told I had “leadership qualities.” But watching my parents lead exhausted me. I wanted to be anything but a leader. I didn’t yet understand leadership’s benefits or the doors it would eventually open for me.
Looking back, I can laugh at my teenage resistance. Leaders lead, struggle, and grow. They trailblaze and create, and they make room for others to do the same. Now, answering the call to lead feels refreshing—sometimes even fun. I’m proud of the lessons I’ve learned, and I feel a responsibility to expand my own reach and influence.
Sometimes we have to become the change, the force, the spark we’ve been waiting for. Stepping into leadership is exactly that for me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Lor Clincy, a Chicago native and a hyphenated creative professional—I do many things, and I do them with intention. I’m a cofounder of Unwoven, a literary and arts magazine that also functions as a nonprofit offering publication opportunities, workshops, events, and other forms of community for writers and artists in Chicago. Each issue includes an interdisciplinary feature that becomes part of our ongoing docupoetics series, which allows us to blend genres, mediums, and storytelling practices in ways that feel expansive and experimental.
Outside of Unwoven, I work in the nonprofit sector as a case manager and youth mentor in the Austin and Humboldt Park communities. I support girls as they grow into leaders and whole people, despite the structural barriers that often impact women and girls most heavily.
I’m also a poet—a Best American poet as of this year—and a multidisciplinary creative. I love mixing music, exploring photography, and occasionally collaborating with other artists to produce visual work. Collaboration is central to my practice; I’m always thinking about how to build spaces where people can live, breathe, and create together. Poetics show up in everything I do, so I don’t limit myself to the page—I move through different art forms as both a participant and a witness.
Lastly, I run media and tech at my church, where I manage sound, create visuals aligned with our vision and colors, and help organize annual community events, including our back-to-school gatherings and holiday toy giveaways. Community, creativity, and care are threads that run through all of my work.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
My parents. Both of them instilled in me the courage to pursue higher education and to develop a love for something I could sustain on my own and eventually share with others. My mom knew I was a writer long before I was ever published, and my dad recognized my creative thinking and my ability to build things well before Unwoven, college, or any of the titles I hold now. I’m deeply grateful for their clarity, love, and guidance.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes, many.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is a real version of myself—one I choose to share with others. “Real” is subjective, and I’m my fullest, most authentic self when I’m comfortable. Business, art, and work don’t always offer that comfort, so my public self is intentionally shaped to meet the needs and obligations of my life, even when they don’t fully reflect everything I’m thinking or feeling.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I would stop spending time worrying about what didn’t happen or what didn’t work out. I would let go of self-doubt entirely—there simply wouldn’t be time for it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unwovenlitmag.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lor-clincy/
- Other: Instagram handle: lorisanartist
Image Credits
The Columbia Chronicle
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