My eyes flit back and forth between the empty page in front of me and the long transcript of my conversation with Cheyenne. I can’t help but reflect on our differing writing styles. I sit and type not knowing where my writing will take me. I have ideas, but leave room for my writing to guide me. I allow my imagination to flow free without any known destination. But when Cheyenne writes, she’s my opposite.
“I typically know what's going to happen when I write. I already have something imagined,” she says.
This struck my interest during our interview. I realized how writing is such a personal process for each member of Iris. Cheyenne’s mind appears to always be teeming with ideas for potential pieces she could write.
“[Right now,] there are seven ideas that I have. I just can't write them right now.”
"Being a part of Iris has definitely challenged me creatively, and encouraged me to try writing different formats.”
Cheyenne always lets ideas cook in her mind as she carries on with her day-to-day life.
“I often write things and just let them sit and don't finish them. But being a part of Iris has definitely challenged me creatively, and encouraged me to try writing different formats.”
Cheyenne has experimented with writing in many different creative forms including short stories and poetry since joining Iris. Joining this community of writers has provided her with the structure and constructive feedback to fuel her creative endeavors.
“It's really just caused me to stretch what I can do and what I feel comfortable doing.”
All of our writing draws inspiration from somewhere—and it doesn’t always have to be from somewhere special.
As a writer, it’s important to take risks and experiment to discover new found passions and subjects of interest. Cheyenne and I bonded over the heightened sensibility we’ve gained towards the world since joining Iris. We both pull from our real life experiences and turn them into something new. All of our writing draws inspiration from somewhere—and it doesn’t always have to be from somewhere special.
“I think writing for Iris has made me realize I'm more perceptive of a person. It has made me think about how I observe things in the world around me and how that plays into my writing.”
This is a common thread between all writers. There is a wandering quality to our minds that I personally have never been able to curb. Writing provides a purpose for my crazy weird inclinations, and I think Cheyenne feels similarly. Each theme for a new cycle of Iris encourages a sort of deep dive into the psyche. They’re usually super introspective and take the form of some word or concept that permeates my brain, probing for inspiration.
I’ve never been pushed to my limit by a lack of orange juice in my cup, there’s always plenty in the carton to spare. But that’s it, the absurdity of this instant retains its relevance in the memory.
A detail as simple as the breakup Cheyenne described to me may appear, demanding a spot on the drafting board.
“I was writing a short story. I was thinking…Okay, I need a reason why these characters broke up. Then I remembered, a close friend had told me why he and his ex-girlfriend broke up during their first year of college. And it was like a super silly reason. I wanted something stupid and silly…like over how he didn't pour her enough orange juice.”
Something as simple as orange juice has the ability to cause such a commotion. The split between Cheyenne’s friends is unfortunate, but maybe there was already a crack in the relationship waiting to break. We’ve all had those “last straw” moments that push us over the edge. I’ve never been pushed to my limit by a lack of orange juice in my cup, there’s always plenty in the carton to spare. But that’s it, the absurdity of this instant retains its relevance in the memory. This moment has successfully stuck in the ever-wandering mind of a writer who has limitless avenues to draw insight from.
As writers, we cannot leave little details like this alone. We are the instigators of the world, attributing meaning to everything.
Cheyenne doesn’t view this as a meaningless event. It’s very loaded in context, unlike her friend's cup apparently.
“People rarely do things just because…There is usually an underlying reason.”
Cheyenne continues sharing how she used the detail in her story.
“The main character, she breaks up with her boyfriend, or her ex boyfriend over you know, juice, but it's really her. It's instigating, you know, an argument.”
As writers, we cannot leave little details like this alone. We are the instigators of the world, attributing meaning to everything. Rightfully so, because this is how we get to the heart of issues that matter. Cheyenne uncovers the lingering truth to a mysterious break up that leaves you wondering…what happened there? There is meaning in everything—sometimes it just takes a second to pause and take a closer look.
Every writer for Iris is at a similar place in life. We are all Miss Twenty Something, looking for our place in this world.
Every writer for Iris is at a similar place in life. We are all Miss Twenty Something, looking for our place in this world. We are all searching for a space that may give reason to our developing inquisitive minds. Iris has provided such a space to all of us. No detail is too silly or stupid to bring up during our pitch meetings. We are open to it all, and it’s easy to draw inspiration from one another.
“[Everyone] comes up with…stories and viewpoints that my brain has never cooked up before. So it's always neat to see other people's creative process and how they navigate things. Even just how they write because everybody writes differently. Everybody has a style of writing.”
What makes Iris so great is the ability to share our love for all the little details that spark our interests. Everyone is so different and our unique personalities and perspectives definitely shine through each piece that is written for the magazine—an inside glimpse into each other's minds.
"[Iris is] just a great experience to stretch your creativity and really delve into things and get to know more about yourself as a writer and a person, but also read other people's work and get to know about them too.”
This is a creative experience that Cheyenne and Iris writers will carry forever. Cheyenne intends to go to law school, and she is very appreciative for the skills she has developed through her internship with Iris.
“Iris, it teaches you, you know, just to practice writing. That was my main goal when starting Iris. And now I have my own little portfolio of creative writing and works....that I'm fairly proud of and it's really built my confidence as a writer. It's just a great experience to stretch your creativity and really delve into things and get to know more about yourself as a writer and a person, but also read other people's work and get to know about them too.”
