Assistant Editor Holli Carrell: This week, in our Writers’ Day Jobs series, we feature the poet Rebecca Griswold, whose remarkable poem “The End Times Forager’s Guide” will appear in our upcoming 21.1 issue, available this May. A Cincinnati local and MFA candidate at Warren Wilson, Rebecca divides her time between writing and operating White Whale Tattoo and Gallery, which she co-owns with her husband, Jeremiah Griswold. We were so excited to learn about Rebecca’s work at White Whale and how her position has supported her creatively, as both an artist and mother of young children.
How would you describe what you do for your day job?
I co-own and operate White Whale Tattoo and Gallery alongside my husband. Our studio is home to seven artists, and in addition to tattooing, we curate and sell paintings. As a small-business owner, my job description is wide and ever-widening. I do a little bit of everything including administrative tasks, running our website and social media accounts, taking care of our expansive plant collection, and event planning. Most of what I do is behind the scenes and during odd hours, but I love to go into the studio whenever I can. As a mother of small children, I’m in a phase in my life where my time is not my own, though I’m glad for the flexibility.
What do you enjoy about most about your position, and what are some of its detractions?
I think what I love most is the freedom my job allows me to write and care for my family. I’m grateful to work for myself, and with that comes determining my own hours; I’m often working from home. Though, probably equally, I really love our artists and working with a talented group of people who inspire me creatively. We have plans to offer an oil painting workshop in the near future; we’ve had drawing events in the past that we hope to continue. The studio feels like a living, breathing entity which excites me—we’re always evolving and trying new things.
I think one of the hardest things about my job is on the managerial side. Whenever an artist moves on, it takes it out of me. It’s hard not to take it personally. It used to really gut me, but as time rolls on, it’s easier and easier. I love our studio, but writing is my main squeeze, and it’s helpful to remember that our artists see their work the same way—it’s their true passion and sometimes that passion takes them to other places. It’s a lesson I’m always learning.
How does your day job inform—or relate to—your writing life?
The work I do for White Whale, while not directly in conjunction with my writing life, feels like a welcome shift in pace during the week. When I’m in the studio, I’m fully present, so that when I’m home in my writing room, I can be fully present as well. I’d say that surrounding myself with beautiful art certainly has an effect on my writing, and there’s been discussion around White Whale hosting a poetry reading, so who can say how the two might intertwine further in the future?
What creative projects are you working on right now?
For the last two years, I’ve been in pursuit of my MFA at Warren Wilson, where I’ve been steadily working on a new manuscript. I’m really excited about this project as the poems center on a troubled pregnancy amidst our climate crisis alongside themes of religion, and historically marginalized women. In addition to these poems in progress, I have a novel I’ve been working toward. There’s something about a change of pace that is regenerative for me.
Rebecca Griswold is an MFA candidate at Warren Wilson. Her debut collection is The Attic Bedroom (Milk & Cake Press). Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in The Cincinnati Review, Cimarron Review, Superstition Review, Blood Orange Review, and Still: The Journal among others. She was a finalist for the River Styx International Poetry Contest. She’d describe herself as equal parts Valentine’s Day and Halloween. She operates White Whale Tattoo alongside her husband in Cincinnati.
