My book, the dark side of the (m)e, is a self-reflective poetry chapbook delving into the deep side of spirituality. Light necessitates dark; vice versa is true as well. It’s a work navigating the shadow side of myself, one we all have, as I strive towards a revelation that will help me see my path forward. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when walking through penetrating dark, but my book attempts to do so by examining the void itself.
The dark side of the (m)e is a collection of poetry that caught me off guard, both in how quickly I was able to write it, and what inspired it. I dabble in tarot card readings as a method of getting a clearer view of my own motivations and the paths I tend to go down. During one reading, I found myself (unusually) stumped; the message seemed even vaguer than what I was used to. It clearly had multiple faucets trying to add up to a larger truth, but I couldn’t make sense of it no matter how hard I tried. And so, I took to writing down my thoughts as poetry. The entire book was written within a fervent hour. I’m happy to say, by the time I had all my thoughts in one place, I felt I had a much clearer view of myself and how I could achieve what I wanted to in life.
The people I most wish to reach with my book are those struggling to seek a greater truth within themselves, and who aren’t afraid of the dark. We all have our own personal struggles we deal with, all seeking answers to what will make life a bit easier. Those who are scared of losing themselves while on the path to success, those who want to delve deeper into their psyche, and those who are willing to be daringly optimistic when things get hard, will get the most out of this collection of poetry. It targets spiritual questions like: who am I? Who do I want to become? How do I get there?
I plan to expand on this train of thought with my future collections of poetry – my next upcoming book, sunrise // sunset, will tackle some of the struggles that come with the passing of time, how I view myself during periods of change, and ruminations on where I might go next. I want to continue down the path of examining spiritual concepts through poetry, a medium that allows readers to read between the lines and get their own unique answers out of the text. The only way forward is to keep going, after all. To continue on my writing path, I am also working on a YA fiction novel. I can’t divulge too much about it yet, but it will involve faeries, magic, and all the drama that comes with navigating relationships as a teenager trying desperately to grow into adulthood.
I am a writer, poet, and musician on the side. I love to be out with nature and have a continual goal to keep connecting with my inner self. Yoga, meditation, and a good ol’ cuppa tea while sitting out enjoying the day are all favorites of mine. When I’m not writing or working on my next song, I love to read –mostly YA fiction– and get lost in others’ stories. My cat is my little helper when it comes to living the good life; that’s certainly the thing she’s best at, so she’s a great teacher. Above all, I’m simply someone trying to reach my goal of becoming a prolific writer who’s able to help others with my words.
As a last note, thank you to Author’s Lounge for giving me the opportunity to share more about my work! If you would like to learn more about me and my writing, feel free to check out my Twitter or Instagram pages.
-CC W. Schultz
