This is an interview done with Sophie Diener, read her story below! If you, or anyone you know, would like to be highlighted in The Zillennial Zine, shoot us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram!

Q: Tell us your story! Where did you begin and how did you reach the caliber you’re currently at?

A: I’ve always loved to write, and I started college in the Fall of 2017 with a major in Secondary English Education. In January of 2021, I made the difficult decision to take a semester — what was actually supposed to be my last semester — off of college due to both mental and physical health concerns. I lived with my parents in my small hometown and worked a job with flexible hours as I began my healing journey. During this quiet and slow season, I found myself writing a lot, and I decided to post a video of myself reading an original poem on Tiktok. It garnered some attention, and suddenly I had 10,000 followers instead of 12. I continued writing and posting and got so many kind, encouraging, and thoughtful responses. I ended up graduating college in December of 2021 with a degree in Middle School Education with concentrations in English grades 5-9 and Learning & Behavioral Disabilities grades P-12. I’m currently working as a teacher while using my time after school to manage my social media accounts and write my first book of poetry.

Q: What makes you love what you do? How long have you been writing? Would you call it your passion?

A: I have filled countless journals over the years. I believe the earliest journal entry I’ve found is from when I was six years old. I started then and never stopped. In fourth grade, I began doing some creative writing through songs and scripts and stories. I never really liked reading poetry until college, and in fall of 2020, I tried my hand at writing poetry. I would definitely call it a passion. It’s a tool I use to express myself and de-stress. It’s a great creative outlet.

Q: What are some accomplishments or milestones you’ve reached lately?

A: Recently I reached 200,000 followers on TikTok which felt pretty unreal. I’ve also gotten the chance to communicate with some of my favorite creators that I never dreamed would be following me!

Q: Tell us about your experience sharing your poetry on social media! What has surprised you?

A: My experience sharing my poetry on social media so far has been better than I expected. People are generally really kind. I love when people reach out to me in my comments or my DMs to let me know how my words have affected them. It is so encouraging to me. Occasionally I get a rude comment, but when I see them I just delete them and move on. I’ve learned to not focus on the negativity, especially when it’s not constructive.

Q: Do you have any advice for others wanting to share their art online?

A: If / when you’re ready, go for it! I was initially worried that people I knew in real life would see my posts and think I was “cringey,” etc., but even if that happens it doesn’t matter. Art is subjective–not everyone is going to like you or what you do, and that’s okay. I have respect for those who are brave enough to share what they’ve created.

Q: What do you want our readers to know about you and your work?

A: I think a common misconception about my work is that every poem is a true story. This is far from the case — a lot of my poems that tell stories are fictional. I generally like to use my imagination to write poetry, while I actually prefer to keep details of my personal experiences a little more private.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: If you have read or shared my poetry, thank you so much. It means more to me than I’ll ever be able to explain. I’m grateful you were willing to take the time to read my words. If you have art of your own that you’d like to share, I hope you share it. The world needs your light. 🙂

Go Check Out Sophie Diener!

Instagram: @sophiediener

Tiktok: @sophiediener

Etsy: SaidBySophie

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