Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Seelman.
Hi Hannah, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
From a young age, writing was a subject I was strong in during school. I struggled in math, which led to insecurity and self-doubt, so whenever I got a good grade on an English paper, it was a small light that brought my chin back up and kept me going. Despite my natural skill in English, everyone in my circle made it clear how math was the subject that would really get you places—land important and world-changing jobs with high salaries. So even when I did score well on an English paper, I tended not to be as proud as I really should have been. The value of math over writing has been so ingrained in my mind that I still have days when I feel as though my work is useless.
Eventually, I went to Western Michigan University and majored in Spanish with a minor in English, emphasizing creative writing. I wanted to major in Spanish because it was a subject I thought was useful and one that smarter people tended to take, while the minor was just something I thought I would add on because it would be easy. In one of my required classes for my minor, I took a poetry workshop. I didn’t really think much of it at first, but after a few classes, I realized how much I loved poetry. I didn’t realize until that class how writing could be used as an art instead of just research-based papers. Writing in this form sincerely brought me joy, and even if it wasn’t something I thought was worthwhile, it was fun. I studied abroad in Burgos, Spain, where I wanted to document my adventures. I had a journal that I wrote in, but my journaling soon turned into writing poetry, and from that point on, I started routinely writing.
After graduation, I did not have a job lined up (do not go to college unless you have a degree that can earn enough money to pay back loans) and settled with working as a paraprofessional at an elementary school. While teaching students how to read and write, I understood that I enjoyed teaching and helping others.
I ended up applying for WMU’s MFA program in the hopes of getting my Master’s in creative writing in poetry. There were fully funded positions that would allow me to take classes without having to pay for them. Higher education is criminally expensive, so paying for the entire degree myself wasn’t possible. The first time I applied, my application was declined. The second time I applied, I was miraculously accepted into the program, but due to personal reasons, I could not accept the position, and I devastatingly turned down the offer. I stopped writing and chucked my poetry books in the closet after turning down the offer and didn’t start writing again for a long time.
After my daughter was born, I was extremely stressed due to her screaming constantly. She had really bad colic, and hearing your child in pain for months on end has a negative impact on you. I was absolutely miserable, forgot who I was, and didn’t really have enough energy to try and find myself again. After about six months, my daughter began to stop crying for as long and would occasionally take a nap for an hour or so. During this time, I was hollow and didn’t even have enough energy to make food for myself, but for some weird reason, one day I decided to pick up a pen and write something. It was a terrible prose poem, and I knew as much, but what was amazing was how I felt a tiny bit of myself again.
In the fall, I was at my computer and found myself on WMU’s website and thought to myself, “What the hell? I’ll give it another shot.” I applied again and eventually received the news that I was accepted into the program again. Last school year was amazing because I was surrounded by people who loved to write and saw value in it. I was able to learn my craft as well as teach an English class, which I also ended up loving. Last November, I began writing poems about parenting. I was reflecting on how difficult my daughter was as a newborn and, honestly, how hard parenting is in general, so naturally, my emotions came out through my writing. I then decided I want to help fight the taboo that parents must always dote on their children while being serene and content—otherwise, there is something wrong with them or they are bad people. The misconception that parenting should be natural and graceful is harmful for parents because it creates a sense of self-doubt and isolation. I wrote my book to reflect what being a mom is actually like, and through my vulnerability, I am hoping to make parents feel less alone. I submitted my manuscript to the publisher Kelsay Books, and they recently responded to my submission wanting to publish my book, Milk, Mess & Magic. My book should be published in about nine months, and I am very excited about it. I would be so thankful if my audience would read my work! For updates on when the book comes out follow Kelsay Books and myself on Instagram!
Kelsay Books: https://www.instagram.com/karenkelsaydavies/
Hannah Seelman: https://www.instagram.com/hannah_e_seelman/
That’s basically my story… it’s not super exciting, haha.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
In any writing program the competition is brutal. Applying to funded programs and submitting your poetry is actually terrible because 99.99% of the time you just get rejected. You put your heart in your work so after being told you aren’t good enough again and again it begins to wear on you. The struggle is constant.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write poetry that I aim to make relatable and reaches a wide audience. I fell in love with poetry because of the poet Mary Oliver. She wrote poetry that was not overly complicated and spoke to me in a way that brought me peace. Mary Oliver’s words calms when stress distracts me from life-how beautiful would it be if I could give the same peace to others? Although we of course write differently in many ways (I love to throw in some swear words), we share the similarity of writing poetry that isn’t overly complex and pair it was strong imagery to capture beauty. My goal is to create poetry that reaches people in a way that can positively impact their mindset…even if it’s just for a brief moment. I think that’s why Milk, Mess & Magic is so important to me, I want to make parents feel seen and hopefully lift their heads up a bit when struggle weighs them down. Gaining money from my words isn’t what drives me; having a positive impact on others (even if it’s just a single person) is the biggest “profit” I could ever earn.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
You have to grit those teeth and keep going.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hannah_e_seelman/
