Ali Sorenson, SWAYE Artist, created a piece called “Flames” for the SWAYE November Issue. Matthew Chen (Founder, Editor-In-Chief) interviewed Ali to learn about her artistic process, inspirations, and goals.
Q. What kind of art do you do?
Ali: I write! I usually write prose for fun, but my SWAYE projects are usually some form of freeform poetry.
Q. How and when did you become interested in it?
Ali: I’ve honestly been interested in writing for as long as I can remember. Writing stories in my head has always been an outlet of mine, and I started putting them to paper pretty much since I was old enough.
Q. How do your family and friends play apart in you pursuing your writing?
Ali: My family and friends have always been really supportive!
“They let me ramble to them a lot about story ideas and unfinished characters, and that’s helped me grow a lot as a writer.”
Q. Why did you join SWAYE Media?
Ali: I joined SWAYE because it seemed like a really cool way to express myself and meet other like-minded artists!
Q. What memorable responses have you had to your work?
I read a poem to my grandfather aloud at a family dinner, and teared up, told me it was amazing. To this day he still brings it up.
“It was really meaningful to me, and gave me a lot more confidence in that branch of my writing.”
Q. What is your process like for writing a piece?
Ali: I usually think about the theme for about a week before trying to write anything.
After that, whenever I get a spark of motivation, I write until I’m tired.
It usually takes four or five trashed concepts before I pick one, but the writing process once I’ve chosen is actually pretty quick.
Q: How is writing special to you?
Writing’s been a creative outlet and an escape for as long as I can remember. It’s definitely helped shape me into the person I am today.
Q. Describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
Ali: Sharing my writing with close friends and family is always so good for whatever project I’m working on at the moment. Bouncing storylines and plot holes off of my sister over the summer influenced me a lot, and I think it really inspired me to keep working hard.
Q. Who or what are your greatest inspirations?
Ali: My greatest inspirations are honestly a whole assortment of the games and shows I’ve watched and played growing up.
They’ve taught me how to develop moods and characters and conflict, and that’s something that’ll always have a lasting impact on my style.
Q. What is your ultimate goal as an artist?
Ali: I want to go into video game development, and writing plays a pretty huge component in that. I want to be able to tell these same stories through that different
Check out Ali’s project from last month: “Flame” here!
Ali’s Social Media links: