Nicola Ward's Journey into the Creative Arts

When you go through difficult periods in your life, when you face things that are hard to deal with, writing is one outlet that can help you cope. It is through writing that you can release all of your emotions, without worrying about being judged or made fun of, or considered an outcast or a freak. It is through writing that you can make sense of everything that is happening in your life.

Writing is a way of healing, a much needed medicine when things seem to be spiraling out of control, when you feel like you are losing the battle with yourself and the things you are going through at the moment.

For some people this is how their writing journey begins...And not only do they heal themselves through their written words, but they also help and inspire other people that may be going through similar situations, may be facing similar problems, or may know someone else who does...

This is how Nicola Ward's journey into writing and other creative arts began...

Nicola Ward's writing journey began when depression took over her life... Finding it very difficult to express herself at the time Nicola sought comfort and release in expressing her innermost thoughts and feelings on paper... It brought her much needed comfort and made her feel safe. She no longer felt completely alone, trapped in a world with no way of escaping.

Writing was her escape, and the journal she kept the keeper of her secrets. And she turned to it on a regular basis, turned to it for moral support, for guidance, for hope and so much more. She wrote poetry, wrote journal entries, and she didn't hold back. Everything that she felt, everything that she was going through made it onto those pieces of paper. And in the end it ended up saving her life...

Writing really helped Nicola Ward cope with the issues that took over her life... It helped her heal. And so, she decided to share what she's been through with others, in hopes that it would help them deal with their problems, inspire them to keep on going and not give up, and help them heal. That is how Hurt - her first book of poetry - came to life.

Hurt is Nicola Ward's debut poetry collection that sheds light on important issues that people face in today's society such as mental health issues, eating disorders, depression, heartache, and moving on. This collection of poetry is powerfully moving and in ways inspiring. It is a big piece of Nicola's life...and a great accomplishment both in her writing journey and in her life... She is not ashamed of what she's been through. She embraces it and doesn't hide away from it. It made her stronger as a person, made her believe in herself, made her believe that anything is possible.

Hurt was just the beginning of Nicola Ward's writing journey and of being an author. Nicola just released her second poetry book. This one is titled Scars Past. In this book she again writes about her life and shares her experiences with coping with mental illness, and heartache and loss. Most of what she writes is done in poetic form but there are some lyrics and short stories in the book as well. Nicola hopes that this book too will help someone who is going through similar experiences that she had gone through herself.

Nicola Ward lives in Dublin, Ireland. Besides writing, Nicola enjoys reading, singing, dancing, music, musical theater, and other creative arts.

She is a writer for Ryl E-Zine and an administrator at Team Outcast Youth.

She is also a member of a band called Enchanted Devilish Girls that she recently put together.

To find out about Nicola Ward's achievements in the world of entertainment (music, theater, dance), more about her writing, and what inspires her, read on for my interview with Nicola below.

1. When did you first start writing and how did that come about?

When I first became ill with depression in 2003, I started writing little bits here and there of how I felt. It was just to help express myself as I found that very difficult at that time.

2. How did writing help you in life?

As I said, with helping me to express myself and my feelings in a way that I couldn't do in spoken words. I have always kept a journal or diary of my life also to look back on.

3. What inspires you to write?

Different feelings and things which happen to me in every day life, mostly related to my mental health struggles.

4. What is your favorite topic to write about? Your favorite style to write in? (poetry, prose, etc.)

Well I write mostly about mental health, depression, self harm, etc. as these are things I have experienced in my life and had a big impact on me. I prefer to write poetry and journal style.

5. What time of the day do you usually write? Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a writing idea or words in your head that you had to write down, work on?

I usually write late at night. I'm a total night owl and sometimes stay up all night writing, reading and listening to music. I often wake up from dreams with ideas for stories but when I think about them they're no good!

6. Having read your work I doubt those ideas were no good. How do you go about editing your writing?

I generally don't edit my writing as that was what I was feeling at the time but sometimes I'll make small changes just to make it flow better. I will just read over it and then think about how I could improve it.

7. Sometimes unedited writing turns out better than when it's being edited. What are your favorite authors? What authors inspire you?

I have a few! Jodi Picoult, James Patterson, Anne Cassidy, Ellen Hopkins, Claire Hennessy, Meg Cabot, Darren Shan...

8. Ellen Hopkins and Meg Cabot are my favorite authors too. Who is your idol? Who do you look up to?

Well apart from all of those authors, my idols include Amy Lee from Evanescence, Bill Kaulitz from Tokio Hotel, Cristina Scabbia from Lacuna Coil, Alice Cooper, Hannah Murray and Kathryn Prescott from Skins.

9. What are some of your favorite books?

At the moment my favourite books are all the young adult supernatural books which are out now such as Twilight, Houe of Night series, Morganville Series, Fallen series, Beautiful Dead series etc.

10. What creative projects have you been a part of besides writing and publishing books?

I played trombone in marching band. I was in a dance troupe and did several shows. I was a back-up dancer for a boy band, and a member of two girl bands. I was entertainer/dancer in Spain. I was in panto and cabaret with a variety group. I won medals in several talent shows, and also won a prize for a short story I wrote.

11. Wow! That is quite an achievement! Surely a lot of great memories to look back on and write about in your journal. Perhaps some of them can even turn into short stories or novels. What creative projects, writing or other, do you have in store for the near future?

I am currently working on my second book, Scars and I really would love to get back into performing.

Update: Her second book is already published and available for sale. It is titled Scars Past.

Now, that's my interview with the amazing Nicola Ward. Be sure to check out her books Hurt and Scars Past and follow her on her writing and performing journey. You can do so by visiting her website below.