Polarities between self
by Brit Marshay
I’ve been wondering the difference between you and I, the distance between us..
The difference between us is when I see a fallen tree in the middle of my path, it becomes a table for two, a footstool for giant forest dwelling trolls and refuge for frogs to safely sing their evening tune, a home for fairies to roam between the hollow wood and fabric of time.
You see that same tree as rotting rubbish, blocking you from a fragmented finish line desperately seeking a “good job” in the end.
Lately, I’ve been wondering about the distance between you and I..
It has become apparent that the distance between us is aching to be understood.
I come back to that fallen tree deep in the wood behind my ribs and I remember,
I am exactly where I need to be.
What are your muses? What gets you revved up as an artist?
This is a great question, I often find inspiration in nature, the beauty as well as the destruction. Death, rebirth, the challenges that cycle can bring forward. I am passionate about creative expression. Oftentimes, the idea of clowns and uncomfortable spaces provoke my inspiration as well as painting my face and dancing to avant-pop or anti-music. A few of my favorite artists, The Space Lady and the great Daniel Johnson influence my naivety. I often pull from my own life experiences such as losing my parents at the age of 15, surviving cancer and living and navigating those losses on my own.
Much like the first question, what really brings me to life is pulling deep from the core of painful experience. Bringing forth unspoken emotions and translating that into art, that’s my jam. I love the duality of life. I consider myself a maker and so collaborations of all sorts whether that’s in conversation, singing, dancing, working on a project with others, that really gets me going. I strongly believe we are all artists so what really turns me on to the arts is when it’s accessible to everyone.
Your poems have strong emotional cores and often feature the fantastic. What’s your relationship like with fairies and other woodland creatures?
I have always used escapism to cope with my life, I am a dreamer, it’s in my blood. I found mystic beasts and folklore later on in life and immediately felt connected to the stories and creatures that I’ve welcomed into my world. The thing with fairies is they are tricky little things, they’re quick and mischievous, they can be bribed with treats, and they play on their terms.
Those are qualities of mine that I have also embraced over the years. We can learn a lot about ourselves by diving into other worlds and admiring the mysterious.
In addition to writing poetry, you have a traveling boutique and Etsy shop called City Pixie Shop. Are there similarities between making jewelry and writing poems?
You know, City Pixie Shop is a passion of mine for several different reasons. just like poetry. It’s sort of a reclamation and celebration of my life lived. When I decided to get sober, City Pixie Shop was my way of working through years of neglect, using my hands to create has helped me work through so much mentally. Similar to poetry, when I write, my goal is to express my rawness, to really be in the moment, it’s meant to give hope and shed light on dark places in hopes to influence others to express and honor their pain/creativity.
What is your process like when that all possible blank page is in front of you?
I love this question, my process is a bit scattered when it comes to creation and writing. There isn’t much thinking when I’m in my flow. I find that I write best when I’m full of unprocessed emotion or if I’m pulling from past experience. I write to heal myself.
If I’m feeling romantic, love, genuine connection, or sensual the words seem to flow out onto my page.. when I’m angry, frustrated, full of fire, these are the moments I can go to my blank page and spill my guts.
Where can readers find more of your work? Check out City Pixie Shop?
I would love to start a website and blog this winter to compile the likes of all my creative outlets for City Pixie Shop and my personal writings. For now, you can check out my instagram @Citypixie_shop and my etsy for jewelry. I occasionally post poetry on my personal page @S.oftdust on instagram as well.
Brit Marshay is a Philly based artist/maker. She has been creating and writing all her life from making earrings out of paper clips and staples in grade school to now owning and operating an online jewelry store based out of her downtown studio apartment. Mixed media and the power of spoken word have healed her in many ways. Art and free form writing are two of her favorite ways to celebrate creative expression and to honor the life she’s lived.
“Catfish” John Wojtowicz grew up working on his family’s azalea and rhododendron nursery in the backwoods of what Ginsberg dubbed “nowhere Zen New Jersey.” Currently, he works as a licensed social worker and adjunct professor. He has been featured in the Philadelphia based Moonstone Poetry series, West-Chester based Livin’ on Luck, Mad Poets Society, and Rowan University’s Writer’s Roundtable on 89.7 WGLS-FM. Find out more at: www.catfishjohnpoetry.com.