No matter the creative process or medium, we all write. A musician writes lyrics, sings songs and creates musical accompaniments. Welcome Chloey Rose, who delves into many creative forms.
1. When did you start writing song lyrics?
I started writing songs in my early teenage years and found music enabled me to express myself in a way I couldn’t without it. I feel as humans we are all unique and we should embrace that! I enjoy watching how a song transforms from basic chords on the piano or guitar to something magical. When songwriting, I always maintain mystery behind the lyrics too, their deeper meaning remaining secret within my heart.
2. Where does your inspiration come from for your songs?
With every song I always find myself intending to share a message with the world, my songs attempt to work through significant moments in my life and those of others I have met, they are often reflective learning from experience and reiterate the power in self-belief. I am mainly inspired by the stories I hear, things I’ve experienced and collaborating with other artists/producers. I also draw inspiration from artists such as the very talented Kate Bush, Billie Eilish and Taylor Swift. I was introduced to Kate Bush’s music by my Dad from a young age and when I first heard her I knew she had this magical voice which was unusual and captivating. It’s amazing to see how much recognition she is currently receiving and how her music has been highlighted through the TV Strangers Things Series. And Yes, I’m obsessed with the show too HA! Kate inspires me to strive to create my own sound and style without trying to be like anyone else.
3. Do you start with a melody or the words?
When writing, I usually experiment with certain chords on the piano and what feels right. Then I start humming the melody and the lyrics develop. The beginnings of writing a song are always the most exciting for me because it’s the unknown and I usually just flow with the process and see where it takes me. I try to write songs naturally rather than mechanically, without forcing the structure of a song. Sometimes I choose lyrics that best express what I am feeling or experiencing at that time or words that will best deliver the story and imagery that I am portraying through song. Personally, I feel writing can show vulnerability in the writer as feelings and emotions are shared and depending on whether the content is biographical or fictional. In Hopes and Dreams I was able to reveal my passion for music and personal determination to strive to achieve my ambitions through song. I always maintain a little mystery around each song’s true meaning, which I believe enables people to create their own understandings and interpretations to the songs and what it means to them.
4. Does your English heritage influence what you write?
It has definitely influenced my music, I feel a lot of my songs are inspired from the experiences I had in my hometown and the people I had met along the way. I am a Lincolnshire girl and I live on the outskirts of a historic fishing town Grimsby surrounded by the Lincolnshire Wolds and farmland. My songs such as Butterfly and Sky is Falling have a nature theme within them and many of my photographs include the background of fields and nature. Golden Sun my latest song release, supports a music video set in the beautiful English countryside.
5. Which singers/bands did you listen to as a child?
One of the main artists I’ve been influenced by since growing up is the very quirky Kate Bush, her lyrics and music always tell a theatrical story filled with emotion. I feel her performances are always captivating which always makes her stand out against others, her talent and stage presence gave me inspiration to shape my own style and sound without trying to be like anyone else. I liked and still hold in high esteem many artists, but for me it is ‘great songs’ that show great passion and emotion that I connect with even as a young girl. For instance, the outstanding film Titanic influenced my passion for music and I have funny video footage on my sixth birthday belting out Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On. Other early footage of young Chloey Rose includes renditions of Sting’s Fields of Gold and Elton John’s Can You Feel the Love Tonight.
6. How would you describe your musical style?
I would describe my music as pop, adult contemporary with a theatrical twist and music that you could hear on the soundtrack of a film or television series. Several of my songs have a folk and country feel to them.
7. What message do you want to convey with your music?
I really hope to share messages which help others relate to whether happy or sad and music that is inspirational such as Butterfly. I would like people to feel the emotion within my songs and uplifted by my music. As a performing arts and drama teacher I understand the importance of supporting young people in reaching their full potential and setting and re-setting personal goals and striving to achieve them and I feel my music is reflective of these intentions and holds truth and honesty within. Most importantly I want my songs to be relatable and people to be able to feel the emotions within my song, such as the theme of love and relationships in Hearts on the Line. I consider different themes when songwriting but intend to reflect ‘life’ and its rewards, struggles, fears, hopes and dreams in my music.
9. Will you continue exploring acting and modeling opportunities?
Absolutely! I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to do acting and modelling as well as my music. I was fortunate to be Miss Lincolnshire 2018-19 and my modelling has provided great opportunities to perform charity work. I thoroughly enjoyed attending the House of Ikon at London Fashion Week in September and am grateful for all those who support me. Acting has also been a huge part of my life and I love to perform with theatre and film experience and always feel at home on the stage. I love the excitement and challenge of working on different projects and always try to be as open-minded as possible to whichever opportunity comes along as you never know who you may meet, and these experiences continue to inspire new creative ideas.
10. Do you have a message for your fans?
I just wanted to say how grateful I am for their continued support over the years and how much it means the world to me to hear their feedback on all my songs. Thank you for appreciating my Music and I love you all! x
11. Where can people find you and your music?
The best places to fine me are on:
Facebook @ChloeyOfficial
Instagram @chloeyrose
Twitter @ChloeyOfficial
YouTube @Chloey Rose
Instagram @chloeyrose
TikTok @chloeyrosemusic
Bio:
CHLOEY ROSE is a stunning, talented, and unique Musical Artist, Actress and Model. CHLOEY ROSE’s new single “Golden Sun” is out NOW on Spotify, Sound Cloud and all streaming networks. Her music video for “Golden Sun” was released September 16 on YouTube and all music video platforms.
As an actor CHLOEY played the lead role in the BBC First World War Musical production of GREENFIELDS and BEYOND. CHLOEY ROSE also was Awarded “Best Supporting Actress” in Action Film Challenge for her performance in the film GRIMSBY RV, directed by Rob Smith. As a model CHLOEY ROSE was crowned “Miss Lincolnshire” and in addition was a Finalist in “Miss Great Britain”. She placed 4th in the “50 Sexiest Men & Women in Lincolnshire”. ROSE also placed third in “Miss Northern U.K.” and was a finalist in the “Miss British Isles” beauty pageants
Today I welcome a joint interview with Daivd and Cendrine, authors who collaborate to publish a variety of books and a magazine. Welcome to you both.
David Ellis
1.What drew you to poetry?
I grew up trying to write spoof lyrics for a lot of different songs, inspiration would come out of all sorts of places. When it turned out that my lyrical structures became too big and unwieldy for songs themselves to contain, I started turning to writing poetry because I was drawn into the musicality of playing with words and phrases. I was fascinated by how you could treat words as if they were musical instruments. I began reading lots of poetry written by my peers and in doing so, I gained the ability to write on an emotional level that connected with many different people. This is what forged my love of poetry, being able to communicate with like-minded souls and give them hope, inspiration, passion, courage and kindness in their lives.
2.You embrace a variety of topics in your poetry. Can you explain your process in choosing a theme?
Theme for me is pretty easy, in that I am most interested in writing things that are inspirational, romantic, funny or all three combined! I’ve always thought that when it comes to choosing a theme or topic, it should be something that you are passionate about. You should actively try to combine multiple elements to give you enough drive and material to visualize a project. For example, you may choose to write about snow but that on its own is not very inspiring. However, if you were to then combine other elements of an emotional nature (a first romance in the snow, playing in the snow as a child/with your own children, etc) then this will give you the means to flesh out your piece. From then on, you can continue to add whatever details you need to give enough colour to your piece of writing to interest others into reading it.
3.How does writing flash fiction differ from poetry for your writing process?
With Flash Fiction I am usually thinking of a specific scene taking place in my mind. Whilst this can also be true for poetry, stories tend to unfold themselves when I have some characters chatting to each other. Usually my flash fiction pieces consist of dialogue between quirky characters and action unfolding. I would say that a poem can embrace many different angles but a piece of story writing is focused, concise, every word needs to count when it comes to describing the scene/event. With a poem, you can be more vague when it comes to the overall meaning of the lines and still have a deep message that can be conveyed. Whereas with a piece of story writing, it is important to convey to the reader where they are and what is happening (even if the twists, turns and outcomes are a mystery), so that they can quietly imagine being there themselves enjoying the experience.
4.Who are your writer heroes?
I have tons in different genres! My favourite genre is Fantasy, so I will say that my top two literary heroes are Terry Practchett and Neil Gaiman. Stephen King for horror. For poetry, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson & Maya Angelou are also but a very small selection. I could literally spend all day and night naming people in the literary, TV and film world who constantly inspire me on a daily basis!
5. How did you come up with the title – “TooFullToWrite – I’ve started so I’ll finish”?
The short answer is that I always thought about the notion how writers and artists start things but struggle to finish them. Maybe they lose their creativity or drive, or some other shiny thing comes along to distract them. My philosophy was born out of wanting to finish things that I start because I am not a fan of loose ends and it is satisfying to complete things (no matter how long they take!) for our own peace of mind.
I actually wrote a humorous origin story about the namesake of my website, so if your readers are interested they can read it here:-
6.You have created workbooks for authors. Can you tell us about them and why you created them?
Cendrine & I created our workbooks series at Auroras & Blossoms because we wanted to inspire artists to create more material, to become more professional and to thrive at what they do best. We focus on a variety of different topics, including writing prompts, inspirational tips/techniques, new poetry and writing forms, social media etiquette, social media marketing, marketing your artwork better and many more. We want to keep expanding and evolving what we offer to be on the cutting edge of what inspires artists to show up and produce the best material of their lives! 🙂
7.How, why and when did you formulate the partnership with Cendrine Marrouat?
Cendrine goes into deeper detail in her interview segment below. We crossed paths years ago when I was interviewing fellow authors and artists. We have an excellent creative partnership that we have built a strong platform on. We complement each other with our skills sets and are both a creative force to be reckoned with. She is an excellent business partner and extremely talented too!
8.You have a wide range of skills, including podcaster, lyricist, humorist – do you feel these are all components of your writer life? How do each of these disciplines aid your writing?
I have never wanted to tie my creativity down to just one single thing. As I learn how to do one creative discipline, I become interested in others by way of association and because of my passion in existing disciplines, this enthusiasm carries over to new things that I try out in the artistic world. I do not feel like they are actually defined by a writer’s life, although to be fair, a writer’s life has led me to all of them and so much more. It’s very true what they say about how being a writer means that you can literally be anything you want to be in life! Being involved in many different artistic outlets gives you a much broader palette to paint from. It is not for everyone, since some people prefer to focus on one thing and get really good at it. I have to focus on many things in my life, otherwise I will get bored doing the same thing over and over – variety is the spice of life!
9.Does living in England enhance your writing – if so how?
This is an interesting question. I definitely have a British sense of humour and it comes out in my jokes, quips, puns and writing style because that is an integral part of who I am. I feel like it gives me a unique perspective on the world, one that is endearing, comical and entertaining to read. I embrace these aspects of my own personal character in that I have manners, am well behaved and professional (plus a bit old fashioned) but at the same time I do have an extroverted side, like to be playful and let my hair down regularly as well!
I want to thank every single one of you for your support and interest in what I do. I hope to inspire you, make you laugh or move you deeply in some kind of profound way that connects with you on an emotional level. We live in tough times right now and I would encourage you to spread as much kindness, help and support that you can. Work hard and bear with your struggles, there will always be better things on the horizon, if you weather the storms.
Cendrine Marrouat
1.How long have you been writing?
Like many people, I wrote sappy stuff when I was a teenager. However, I only got serious about writing in 2005. So, I’m just counting the last 16 years. 😉
2.What drew you to combining poetry and photography as artistic expression?
Because both art forms work extremely well together.
Most of us are scared of poetry. In school, we are taught to analyze every word and line of the poems we read to uncover some kind of arcane meaning. The adults we then become cannot pick up a poetry book without over-thinking about the way we should respond to it.
As a former teacher to adults, I know that a majority of people prefer visual cues to written ones. Pairing imagery and poems helps redirect the focus towards enjoyment.
The images I use to complement my poems (all mine) have triggered very positive reactions from people. They realize that poetry can also be very relaxing and fun to read!
3.You are the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms – how did this partnership begin?
A few years ago, I was looking for interview opportunities to promote a new book. I found David Ellis and we instantly connected. I was impressed with his professionalism and personability.
After the interview, we decided to stay in touch. At the beginning of 2019, one of our chats led to sharing our frustrations about the process of submitting work to magazines and journals. We did not like how many of them factored in “who you know” and your number of publishing credits into their acceptance process.
So, on a whim, I suggested we start working on something that would run counter to that status quo. We decided that we would do things differently and give a chance to everyone. And our focus would be on something we did not see enough: positivity, inspiration and family-friendliness.
Within a few days, we had laid the foundations of Auroras & Blossoms. It took us a few months to set everything up properly, and we launched officially in October 2019.
4.What are the benefits of a collaboration with another artist?
In this day and age of fierce competition for visibility, partnerships are pretty much the only chance for artists to be successful.
Collaborations give you the opportunity to tap into other artists’ platforms, build relationships with like-minded folks, and pool resources together to achieve greater things than you ever could on your own.
The key to a great partnership is to find someone who is on the same wavelength as you and shares your values. David and I get along really well because we are both very hard-working, committed to our craft, and professional. We respect each other’s time. Finally, we understand what it takes to build solid projects.
5.Where do you prefer to write and why?
I always write in my office, with very occasional sessions in my backyard. My office is my private space, nobody bothers me there. So I can fully concentrate.
6.Can you tell us about why you created Reminigram, Sixku, Flashku and the PoArtMo Collective?
I wanted to challenge myself and increase my creativity.
The reminigram is a type of digital image that seeks to capture scenes that could have existed in the past. It’s my way to pay homage to early photography (daguerreotypes, tintypes, collodion processes, etc.).
Based on the Haiku, my favorite poetry form, the Sixku is a six-word poem inspired by a photograph. It’s a fun poetry form that any person will enjoy reading and writing.
The Flashku is my latest creation; it borrows from the Sixku, Haiku, and Kindku, another poetry form David and I created (along with the Pareiku). I came up with the idea because I love flash fiction but suck at writing descriptions. The goal of a flashku is to write a whole story in 50-100 words inspired by an image, using 7 words taken from another piece. I like to call that poetic prose!
The PoArtMo Collective was one of my long-time dreams. I wanted to bring a group of artists together to create and release inspirational, positive and uplifting art and artistic projects; the goal being to show that good art goes beyond technical aspects to tell memorable stories.
When it launched in 2019, the collective was called FPoint Collective and focused exclusively on photography. But co-founder Isabel Nolasco and I quickly realized that we needed to be more inclusive. Isabel left us last year to focus on other things and there are now three of us. We have recently released our second project, a book titled Seizing the Bygone Light: A Tribute to Early Photography.
French-born Canadian Cendrine Marrouat lives in Winnipeg. She is a photographer, poet, multi-genre author, and the co-founder of several artistic projects. She is also the creator of the Sixku, the Reminigram, and the Flashku.
Cendrine started her career in 2003. She has worked in many fields, including education (language instruction), social media coaching and training, content creation and curation, translation, photography, poetry, theatre, art criticism, blogging, and journalism.
David Ellis lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent in the UK. He is an award-winning poet, author of poetry, humourous fiction and music lyrics.
David’s debut poetry collection (Life, Sex & Death) won an International Award in the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2016 for Inspirational Poetry Books.
David is extremely fond of tea, classic and contemporary poetry, cats, and dogs but not snakes. Indiana Jones is his spirit animal.
Walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, twice, once in the autumn, again a few years later in the spring, and I wanted to share the beauty.
2. How did you come up with the title?
A Photographer Walks the Camino to Santiago de Compostela, I wanted people to understand that this was a visual journey along the Camino route.
3. Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?
For those who have walked the Camino the book would serve as a reminder, for those planning their journey it would serve as an inspiration, and for many who cannot make the journey the book will be their virtual journey.
4. How much of the book is realistic?
The Camino I walked is the same one walked by hundreds of thousands every year, each of us have our own walk, we have our own journey, affected by our senses and sensibilities. Each walk during different seasons, different weather and even different times of days, each see and experiences, and stay in different places, travel with different people. But we all travel the same road, and the images and stories are realistic.
I have no other plans for another book at this time, we do want to walk another Camino to Santiago de Compostela, so another book is possible.
Please note this book is still in the process of being published. Links will be added at a later date.
7. What is your best marketing tip?
I’m new to marketing, so far, marketing has been about the photographs, as individual images, just recently I have started to work towards putting the images together as a series.
8. Do you find social media a great tool or a hindrance?
For me social media has been tool to share and sell my photography, and sharing stories with family and friends, only recently have I started to make an effort to expand my social media reach, to make connections with others who.
OPTIONAL QUESTIONS
9. What do you enjoy most about writing?
Writing has been a wonderful challenge, and it has been helpful in developing stories related to my travels.
10. What age did you start photography/writing?
I learned about photography, early in life, while in school, while I was traveling I started to write a blog, much before the days of Instagram, to share my photography and tell my travel stories, much later in life.
11. What genre are you currently reading?
I read fiction, at this time I have been reading World War ll fiction with women at the center of the story.
12. Do you read for pleasure or research or both?
I read for both pleasure and for research. Prior to my first Camino I read a lot about the history and architecture of the pilgrimage, and several autobiographical stories. I enjoy reading fiction with strong female characters.
13. Who is your best supporter/mentor/encourager?
My husband is my biggest supporter, my sister-in-law has been helping with proof-reading, and several good friends have been very encouraging.
14. Where is your favorite creative space?
I work at my desk, processing images with the computer. I also have a laptop and can work from anywhere, I write wherever I can find a quiet space, but my favourite space is early in the morning, in bed, with a cup of coffee, before the day has begun.
15. If you could meet one favorite photographer, who would it be and why?
David Duchemin, a strong photographer, who uses his writing to explore and expand his photography, he is a motivational writer, and his work has inspired me to better work, and better storytelling with my photography.
16. If you could live anywhere in the world – where would it be?
I love Calgary, this is my home, while I love to travel, and have a long list of places I want to spend a month or two, Calgary will always be my home.
17. How do you use writing?
Writing supplements my photography.
18. Do you nibble as you write? If so what’s your favorite snack food?
I don’t often nibble while I write, but I do love my tea, Cream of Earl Grey or Chai are favourites.
19. What reward do you give yourself for making a deadline?
Completion followed by a long walk is my great reward.
I first learned the magic of photography while taking pictures for the high school yearbook, and developing images in the darkroom. Since then I have been commissioned for both personal and corporate projects include portraits, architecture, travel, and products.
Master Photographer International
In 2018 I applied for and was awarded a Master Photographer designation for my Travel images.
Alamy Stock Photography: Contributor since 2012
Exhibits
I was excited to have my image of “Getting Ready” exhibited in the world famous Calgary Exhibition Stampede Photo Gallery July 2017
Presentations:
Calgary Public Library – Camino slideshow and talk
Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Company of Pilgrim – Camino Slideshow and talk
Leadership
Camino 101, Leadership team, Calgary Chapter of the Canadian Company of Pilgrims.
Volunteer
Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, Western Living, Art Auction
Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, Western Photo Gallery Committees
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 