Artist Feature | Tanner Olson

Tell us about the moment you realized that you were a poet.

During the summer of 2011, I worked in a small town in West Virginia leading mission trips for high school students. After serving in the community we would gather together for worship in the evening. During one of our evening gatherings, I would read a poem I had written titled, ‘For Us.’

I wrote it the school year before, but never considered sharing it in front of a group. I asked my friend Kris if I could share it with him before I shared it publicly. He cried as I read it, and I knew I was onto something. That night, after sharing the poem with the group of high school students and chaperones one adult leader pulled me aside and told me he loved the poem. I thought he was just being polite, but he continued to bring it up throughout the week. Later on, he told me to keep writing. His kindness sparked something in me and that spark has yet to go out. 

You speak, write, and perform spoken word poetry. How do you decide which poems are recorded on a record vs which poems stay on the page? What kind of overlap exists between these three areas of your work?

Something I’ve come to learn about poetry is that the words will resonate with different people in different ways.
Some might prefer to read, while others prefer to listen.
There are some pieces I have written specifically for recording. The writing style and tone is different for poems I plan to record. These poems often tend to be longer and filled with imagery and storytelling.
For the poems I plan to keep on a page I write them with the voice of the reader in mind.
These poems tend to be shorter and less specific as they seek to put into words what the reader may be going through.

What does your creative process look like?

What works for me is waking up early and turning off all distractions.
My phone is in the other room.
My wi-fi is disconnected.
And then I write until I cannot write anymore.
After I am done writing I go back and edit.
It took me a few years to learn this.
When I first started out as a writer I wanted to edit as I wrote, but this method didn’t get me very far.

These days I try to get as many words down on the paper before going back to make changes. 

 I am currently working on about 5 different pieces. Throughout the day I’ll bounce around from one to another. Sometimes I’ll spend an hour on one piece and 10 minutes on another. Each day I add, edit, and delete a few words as I take steps to bring each piece to a resting place.

What advice would you give a young poet?

Write. Read. Learn. Repeat.

Don’t overthink it.
Put comparison far, far away.
And give yourself time.
All of this takes time.

If you want to become a better writer you must first write.
And if you want to grow as a writer you must read.
And if you want to stretch yourself as a writer you must learn from other writers.

What five books have had the most influence on you as a writer and poet?

Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
All the Hits So Far But Don't Expect Too Much: Poetry, Prose & Other Sundry Items by Bradley Hathaway

What are you reading right now?

Psalms and Proverbs. About a year ago I was taught to read at least one Psalm and one Proverb a day. I’m really good about doing this about 10 times a month, but I’m getting the hang of it!

I am also making my way through Seculosity by David Zahl and To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins.

Tell us about your forthcoming book.

As You Go: Words for the Unknown is a book filled with hope as it uncovers the simple beauty of life that is right in front of us. This collection of more than 100 poems and writings was written for your heart, soul, and mind. The words riddled throughout this book will remind you of the hope that has been inside you all along. These words are easy to remember, for it is always good to have a few words in your back pocket as you go into the unknown.

I think you’ll enjoy it.