We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Claire Thom. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Claire below.
Claire, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I think the best way to keep creativity alive is through connection and community. When I founded The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press in 2022, my main objective was to connect with other poets, writers and creative people and to offer them a platform to get their work out there. Our creative community is international, diverse and inclusive and I get so much inspiration from the different people I connect with. I am a curious person and I also think this is key to keeping creativity alive. We have to go through life with our eyes wide open. One of my favourite things to do in my free time is walking. I am lucky that I live by the ocean and I find a long walk on the beach is great for getting the creative juices going. I love observing nature and what it´s up to and that is something which often appears in my own poetry.
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?
As founder and editor-in-chief of The Wee Sparrow Poetry Press and host and producer of The Wee Sparrow Poetry Podcast, I am so proud of all that we have achieved in the last couple of years. We are a small press with big ideas which aims to showcase fantastic poets from around the world and give them a platform to get their words out there. We do not believe in charging submission fees and all the team are volunteers. We are a creative community trying to make wee ripples of kindness in a crazy world. Our main focus is making themed paperback anthologies with all proceeds going to charity. We also create free digital zines, run regular Ekphrastic Challenges, have a monthly Haiku Nook, and offer poets the chance to have their own books reviewed. I am so proud of The Wee Sparrow team – Colin, Marc, Mirjam, John, Stu, Katherine, Giorgia, Jane, Ellen, Romina, Emily, Sarah and Nitika. The podcast is my own project and in each episode I chat to poets from different backgrounds, both well-known and emerging, about their collections, their creative process, the inspiration behind their words and much more. At the press, we are currently looking for anthology proposals for our fifth book and this opportunity is open to all. It will be a supported role and while previous editing and publishing experience is a plus, we welcome newbies too.
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?
My full-time profession is as a teacher of English and an examiner. I have 20 years experience in this field and I have transferred these skills to my role as editor-in-chief and podcast host. I love working with people and consider myself to be a good team leader. My love of languages is behind everything I do both in my day job and at the press and podcast. Finally, I consider myself to be well-organised and able to work to deadlines.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
My top tip for dealing with overwhelm is making “to do” lists. Writing down everything you need to do and making a realistic schedule is key not only to keeping calm but also to achieving your objectives. Another piece of advice I would give is ask for help when you need it. Don´t put too much pressure on yourself and make sure you have a strong team of people around you. Finally, remember to stop and breathe and take time out. Listen to your body and mind when they tell you to pause. We live in a fast paced chaotic world and often we feel like we should be constantly achieving but there is a lot of power in saying “no” to something when you feel like you have too much on your plate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theweesparrowpoetrypress.com
- Instagram: @the_weesparrow_poetrypress and @theweesparrowpoetrypodcast
- Other: https://theweesparrowpoetrypress.substack.com/
Image Credits
All watercolours and illustrations are by Scottish artist Colin Thom.
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
