Issue 5 Writer Spotlight | Dagne Forrest

C+B: Tell us about yourself, Dagne!

DF: For the past twenty years I've worked in website development and marketing with my husband. I feel so fortunate to be home-based, as it allowed us to be much more available to our children when they were young, and it's work that engages us with other small business owners and creatives where we live.
It was only after my kids were mostly grown that I returned to writing for myself, to create, and for me it has come at the right time. It's very much an activity that I fit in "here and there," but I have the confidence to do it that way and don't stress when I don't have time to write. My list of ideas to explore simply increases when I have to take short breaks.
I've also recently joined a much loved literary journal (Painted Bride Quarterly) as an editor and a member of its podcast team, and am so grateful for the opportunities this affords. It's an amazing team to be a part of, and it gives me a very different perspective on the writing and editing process that I wouldn't otherwise have.

C+B: How has your relationship with your work changed since you first started creating?

DF: I think that trusting myself has been huge. I used to think I needed lots of well defined, protected time (and space) for writing, but I don't. It's always lovely to get spells where I can just commit fully to writing, revising, editing, or whatever stage I may be at in a piece, but realizing that most of the process of creating can happen dynamically, alongside my life, has been revelatory.

C+B: Share some details about your process for creating.

DF: If I wake up with an idea, that's the very best time to get it down, which I think is true for many writers, but it's often very cursory at that stage. I have to sit with it for some time, allowing it to bubble up on my daily walks or as I'm engaged in other activities.
In terms of the actual writing process it's frankly ad hoc, and I don't commit to a routine, which is pretty reflective of my life as a whole. If I found I wasn't writing anything as a result, I'd address that, but I'm happy with my output and the fact that I'll have small, intense bursts followed by very quiet or fallow periods.
I don't write in the same place all of the time. I use a notebook a lot, make notes on my phone, and for some pieces I move to the computer immediately, because I just need to. I trust my instincts and am always experimenting. I have done one writing retreat so far, and I loved it, but the big a-ha in life for me was to discover that I can write anywhere under most circumstances, and that was so liberating. If I could have discovered that when my kids were little...but who knows. I think I loved just fully living in those years, the good and the tough, and I read voraciously with my kids as well as for myself.

C+B: What is something exciting that you're looking forward to in your life or creative life?

DF: After a couple of false starts, I think I finally have an idea for a chapbook that makes sense for me, and I'm having fun pulling it together and creating pieces that will be in conversation with and yet very distinct from each other.
I'm also trying to arrange to meet up with my Painted Bride Quarterly colleagues. I'm based in Canada, while they are in the US and the UAE, and up until now I've only worked with them remotely, which I think is not uncommon for many people these days.

Find and support Dagne here:

Website: DagneForrest.com

Dagne Forrest

My ideal creative retreat would be: A few dedicated days on my own in a small, quiet place with good light, with access to the pleasures of town (good food, outdoor music, interesting book stores), and amazing walking, and couple of great online workshops lined up. That's something I was able to do for the first time in 2022 and it was perfect for me. One of the workshops was with Gabrielle Calvocoressi, whose work I adore, and I still pinch myself that I had the chance to take part in one of their workshops.

My ideal collaboration would be: I would love to pair poems with the work of a visual artist in a collaborative chapbook. Not just a cover, but visual art throughout, with the words and the visuals in conversation with each other.

I would love to be able to share my work with: I've honestly never thought about that until now. I suppose that it would be pretty neat to know that the incredible Polish poet Wisława Symborska could read some of my poetry that's concerned with physics and the existence of the universe, though it will never happen on this earthly plane. I return again and again to "Pi" and "Miracle Mart" by Symborska.
I mostly think of ordinary readers, the poets and non-poets alike. I have an older stepdaughter who has an impressive career and cultural life in London, England, and when she tells me that she sometimes shares my work with friends, it really moves me.

If I didn’t work in my current medium, I would like to try: I'd probably just return to the kitchen, where I spent so much time when my kids were small, baking and creating good things to eat, and listening to the work of other poets and writers, as well as a lot of music! As it is, I'm often torn about creating anything new when there is so much in the world I have no hope of ever experiencing as we are now so rich in art in so many genres by so many different voices.

My hope for those viewing my work: A sense of slow (but not too slow) consideration.