For Michelle Smolarski, poetry has never felt like work. While longer forms of writing demanded time and structure, poems seemed to arrive effortlessly.
“I think I realized when I found I liked writing short flowy, rhyming pieces that came to me like water gushing or flowing from my mouth like a river very naturally,” she said. “Stories and screenplays were harder. They took so long. Poems I could whip out in 1-2 minutes or more.”
Although poetry became her signature, Smolarski has explored many creative forms over the years. She has written more than poetry and also creates and sells handcrafted poetry books that she describes as works of art.
Currently working as a gig worker, Smolarski has spent about 32 years in Ann Arbor, where her creative journey has continued to evolve.
Fantasy, nature and imagination
Smolarski’s poetry often ventures into imaginative worlds filled with recurring symbols and characters.
“It seems like plants and flappers and mermaids most often found their way into my poems,” she said.
Her fascination with mermaids eventually grew into an entire themed collection.
“I turned [the mermaid part] into a mermaid poetry collection to read in my mermaid outfit and tried to come up with different video ideas for it.”
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When asked to describe her poetic voice, Smolarski paints a vivid picture.
“My voice as a poet is an old English maiden, an artist, an actress, a storyteller and a heartfelt weaver of words.”
She says her style has changed considerably over time. “It evolved from lyrical to monologues to abstract to haikus.”
Writing to rhythm
Rather than following a strict process, Smolarski lets instinct guide her writing.
“I do what feels right,” she said. “I use rhyming often and it’s almost like music or dancing the way I write what feels right.”
Inspiration can come from many places.
“Sometimes it starts with a beat from a song I hear or a simple idea, a feeling I’m trying to express, or it flows out of me like another entity is pushing ideas through me like I’m a flowing river.”
She also describes her creative process as deeply intuitive.
“I use my brain that’s what. It flows naturally from my mouth like God is telling me what to write, but sometimes I stop and try to make sure it makes sense.”
Rather than leaving readers to decipher hidden meanings, Smolarski says she focuses on clarity.
“I don’t really try to leave space for interpretation. I write what makes sense and feels right even to the beat like a musician would.”
Finding beauty through loss
While many of Smolarski’s poems celebrate imagination, others emerge from profound personal loss.
“I wrote often about deathly morbid things for a bit, when a young man I loved passed away in a tragic but eventful car crash,” she said.
More recently, her poetry has reflected the death of her fiancé and business partner.
“I wrote a couple of poems about him… and also of what it felt like after my fiancé passed away last spring.”
Those poems have become part of a larger creative project centered on his life story.
Despite these deeply personal themes, Smolarski hopes readers leave her work feeling uplifted.
“I hope readers can feel fascinated, in a fantasy world, happier, perhaps inspired.”
Poetry beyond the page
For Smolarski, poetry isn’t confined to books. Increasingly, it has become a live performance.
“My poetry has been more performance based this past year,” she said. “I’ve been repeatedly asked to recite it and get paid almost every time.”
She has also incorporated poetry into videos and original skits. “I made a few poetry videos over the winter. I put a couple of poems in a couple of skits I wrote.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to blend poetry with theatrical performance. “I do hope I can recite one or two flapper poems with my flapper phone and dance on a table too in the midst of reading another.”
Looking ahead
Smolarski believes poetry should do more than simply tell a story.
“I think poetry’s role is to entertain, but also amaze and make you think and tap into your emotions.”
She is currently preparing a poetry installation at Bluffs Nature Area and hopes audiences will join her. “I am working on a poetry installation you should all come see at Bluffs Nature Area next weekend. It will be amazing.”
She also encourages people to follow her creative work online through Instagram at Mystical Writing Shop, Facebook, and her YouTube channel, Michelle’s Mystical World, where she plans to continue sharing new performances and artistic projects.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
