Writing therapy leads to poetry

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Anna Skinner with her book, “Rise” (Submitted photo)
Anna Skinner with her book, “Rise” (Submitted photo)

By Mark Ambrogi

 

Mired in a four-month bout of depression, Anna Skinner embraced her own form of self-help.

“Writing has always been a therapy to me,” Skinner said.

Makes sense. Skinner, 21, a Current newspaper writer and copy editor, has been dabbling in fiction writing since she was in third or fourth grade.

“Poetry just made me feel better,” the 2013 Westfield High School graduate said. “I never thought of publishing it. I have a hard time sharing my creative writing.”

Yet her close bond with younger brother Michael allowed her to let her guard down and she shared her poems this spring.

“He’s kind of a creative soul,” Skinner said. “He encouraged me to publish it. I’ve been trying to finish a fiction novel and he said, ‘Why don’t you just publish the poetry book?’”

So that’s what she has done, publishing a 60-page book of poems called “Rise” on June 14. Most of the poetry is fiction.

“But the poems are based on my depression and my struggle with it,” said Skinner, who hopes the poems might help others dealing with depression.

Depression tends to run in her family. She had struggled with it during high school but never as severe as the bout that hit her from December to early March.

Beyond her predisposition to depression, Skinner began to realize she was headed in the wrong direction for her future. She was majoring in English Education at IUPUI. She said at the time she believed it was a more practical major than creative writing or journalism. She dropped out during the second semester.

Along with poetry, Skinner said her depression disappeared as her writing workload increased with Current.

“I have something to focus on that I can put all my hard work into,” Skinner said.

Now that she has her first published book she has been encouraged to finish her novel.

Skinner’s book can be purchased for $9.99 through Amazon (amazon.com/Rise-Anna-Skinner/dp/1511957727) and CreateSpace

(createspace.com/5466472).


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