Nicole Zwolinski has always had a passion for creative writing. She discovered her love for poetry in fifth grade, went to college for creative writing and has pursued it in each season of life. This summer, her debut poetry book, “Motherhead,” will be published on Aug. 14.
Zwolinski said she didn’t set out to write this book. It was originally going to be a small collection of poems, which is known as a chapbook. While it was out on submission, she kept writing and decided that she wanted it to be a full-length poetry collection about motherhood.
“Motherhead” was written to help mothers feel less alone.
“It’s for mothers, but it’s not just for mothers; it allows the reader to step into the experience of motherhood,” Zwolinski said.
“Motherhead” explores the unique joys and struggles of motherhood, offers encouragement through the hard days, exposes the strength and resiliency of mothers and gives readers a new perspective.
Zwolinski said that while it is difficult to find time to pursue creative writing as a busy mom, it is very important for her. She spent years putting creative writing on the back burner and noticed that she didn’t feel like herself. She slowly began easing back into it by jotting down lines and returning to them when she had time. Her kids started taking parkour and their class time gave her moments to sit, watch and write. Sometimes, she tells her kids to wait a minute so she can finish writing down a line.
“They often will come up with line ideas to suggest for me, but more often than not, they will want to write their own poems,” Zwolinski said.
“One of the superpowers I earned as a mother was the ability to multi-task and maximize time,” Zwolinski said. She explained that the newborn stage can be overwhelming and it takes time to get used to a new routine. However, learning to find time to pursue what you love is important.
“I learned to carve out the time for creative writing because I know that makes me feel like myself,” she said.
“‘Motherhead’ will make you feel seen no matter what stage of parenting you are in while also giving you a new perspective,” said Rachel Beachy, author of “A Tiny Universe.”
“Motherhead” is available for pre-order now at http://finishinglinepress.com/product/motherhead-by-nicole-zwolinski. To learn more about Nicole Zwolinski and her writing, go to https://www.nicolezwolinski.com.
