19-year old Fatima is your average girl with a twist; she loves to express herself through passionate words. Yes, that’s correct Fatima uses poetry as a way of expressing herself, she began writing her poems somewhere between being 12 and 14, and has been writing ever since.
Why poetry you may ask? When asked what motivates her to write, she responded “I personally believe poetry is a wonderful way to transmit all those feelings that some people do not allow to show up often, but that doesn’t mean they all have to be pure sadness or frustration, some are made out of the deepest emotions, that ones that warm up your heart, that make you smile… In my case, being able to express just the way I really want, is enough motivation.”
Writing according to her is about self-expression, her favorite thing about writing is “About writing… probably that it shows so much of who you really are and the thousands of topics you can actually get to talk about, adaptable to everything and everyone. Also, to be able to paint your own world in the confines of your mind and to be able to show clearly what your intentions are, capturing a moment with the exact combination of thought and feel on paper, it’s priceless.”
She says that writing has helped her grow as a person by helping her communicate with both herself, and other people better, “…it has helped me to communicate better with people around me and with myself at some point, because, I realize things while reading or writing quite frequently.” Where does writing stand in her future? Well, she hopes to continue to use writing “as my runaway to freedom still, or probably, to dedicating it way more time, as a vital part of my life, for sure.”
Fatima had a few words to those of you who are interested in writing, she said “I would definitely tell them to try it out; after all, it’s a wonderful way to think about things, usually, writing as words come to your mind is amazing; it really fuels the way ideas flow and the effect it has on them. Writing is just something that each person feels different but that everyone I know has loved equally.”
Her last words during the interview were a simple thank you to those who read her work. “Finally, but not less important, of course, to those people who actually take the time to read my pieces, I would like to give them a huge Thank you, for all their support and for all their love along with all the inspiration they give me. Follow your dreams they might lead you somewhere someday.”
Stephanie Michelle Muncy, started her own photography business “SMMile Photography” just earlier this year, and all ready is having success. Muncy runs and operates SMMile Photography by herself, without assistance for the most part. She does at times have an assistant at photo shoots however.
When asked about who some of her clients have been thus far, Muncy replied, “War Torn Angel, a local band, will always be one of my favorite clients, they are some very talented musicians and i love traveling with them to shows. They were one of the first to ever hire me. I love them to death and thank them for supporting me and helping me get to where I am now. Also I’ve had many seniors in high school, along with couples and children from the area. It started out with friends and family then progressed much further.”
Bradley Moore is a photographer in the making, who has been doing photography unprofessionally for three years now. The imagery he manages to capture with the lens of his camera serve well to show the natural beauty of the environment. Moore took the time to talk about photography, and the effect it has had over his life.
Moore has a bit of advice to those of you who are interested in getting involved in photography, be it as a career goal, or as a simple hobby. He said, “If you see something you like, snap a pic of it. Do it for yourself. All in all, you are always you’re biggest, hardest art critic. When you capture a moment no one else sees, it’s like your own little secret between you and Mother Nature.”
Imagine you’re outside on a cold winter day, snow is falling around you, your teeth are chattering from the cold. You’re freezing when you finally go inside to warm yourself. What’s the best thing on a cold winter day, after being out in the cold? What warms you from the inside out? That’s right, delicious hot chocolate.
The shop Dream Weaver is home to some pretty amazing tea, and you can find nearly any natural tea flavor you’re looking for. This shop makes buying tea as easy as placing a simple order, and waiting! According to Bob, the man who runs the Dream Weaver shop, “I prefer to sell whole leaf teas because they have much better flavor since when you cut the teas very fine to put them into tea bags they lose flavor from being exposed to air.” The tea also comes with a reusable tea bag that can be rinsed out after each use.
Bob’s site offers many options to customers, available for your purchase, he sells; green tea, black tea, chai, white tea, herbal tea, herbs, resins, and fudge. Bob sent two sample fall flavors to the magazine earlier this week, English Toffee, and Pumpkin Pie herbal tea; both of which were very refreshing. The two flavors, which were very different from one another, had a way of warming you after a day out in the cold.
Timothy Hatfield is a name the majority of you will not recognize, but it’s a name you will come to appreciate, and respect after you read some of his poems.
Open Mic at The RiffRaff, an Art Collective located at 865 Mercer St. in Princeton, WV, is an “artistic haven” according to Lori McKinney-Blankenship, where artistic talents of all types are welcomed, encouraged and respected.
Their desire to make a difference in their community was the building block to The Riff Raff. At open mic night, people are encouraged to make their way towards the stage, and to share their artistic talents with people who help form a supportive and welcoming group of people. All types of art are welcomed at The Riff Raff, according to McKinney-Blankenship, “Visual, literary, performing, healing, and theatrical. All types of creativity are welcome.”
If you’re interested in starting or being in a band, The RiffRaff is a great place to meet people. McKinney-Blankenship said, “If you want to find a band, come to open mic. You’ll find musicians to perform with. Once you’re ready to record music, talk to us and we’ll get you started” when asked about how people could go about starting a band, and recording their music at the recording studio at The RiffRaff.
Have you ever found yourself yearning for homemade cookies, but not had the actual desire to make them yourself? Sugar + Spice, a cookie bakery takes the hassle of baking cookies, and makes it as simple as placing an order.
This shop has a total of 37 different items available for purchase. When it comes to paying for your homemade cookies, they accept all forms of payment. When shopping, the price of cookies from sugar + spice ranges from the very low price of $14 for 2 dozen cookies, to $28 for the Surprise Box which includes 4 dozen cookies.
Toast Pop 