Friday Feature: @lucieinthesky

The subject of this week's Friday Feature is Lucie Parker, known here as @lucieinthesky.

She grew up about an hour north of Manhattan, New York. But where is she now and what does she do? we asked.

"I just recently moved back to NYC from DC to be a research analyst with a group focused on effectively and efficiently reducing crime in the city. Although that's my official job title right now, I'm still figuring out what I want my occupation to be," she said.

P: What is your relationship with writing and how has it evolved?

LP: Since before I can remember, I've been writing. My parents preserved books of mine made of scrap paper stapled together telling the story of a young girl (or "gril" as I spelled it then) and her adventures. I remember binding my very own book in elementary school and going to an after-school creative writing club for kids with my neighbor.

As I got older, I found myself spending less time on my creative side and more time on math and science. They didn't exactly go hand in hand, but I always found myself turning to writing when I was going through something big. When my grandfather died, my coping mechanism was to draft a seven page biography of his life from my eyes. I spent days researching his accomplishments and, in doing so, learned even more about him and myself than I previously did.

Writing remained an emotional outlet for me throughout high school and college and into the time after graduation. During these times of great transition and sometimes turbulence, it was always comforting to know my pencil and paper were there waiting for me.

It wasn't until I discovered Prose. that I even considered sharing my writing. My trains of thought and imperfect poems reflected the innermost workings of my mind and revealed some of the most personal things about me. For awhile after joining, I didn't post a single piece and just absorbed all of the wonderful content.

When I realized that I had entered a community of the most supportive strangers I would probably ever meet, I decided to give it a shot and haven't turned back since. It's definitely opened up my writing in an entirely new way and I know it will continue to evolve from here.

P: Briefly discuss the value that reading adds to both your personal and professional life.

LP: Reading had always been a huge source of inspiration and knowledge for me. When I find a book that really resonates with me, I can't put it down until I'm finished (and then I always wish that it would go on forever). Recently, I've been exploring my spirituality more and more, and have consequently been collecting books faster than I can read them.

Professionally, I'm often reading academic papers on the latest economic insights and techniques, and rely on them heavily to advance my own understanding.

P: How would you describe your current literary ventures and what can we look forward to in future posts?

LP: Most of the writing I do now is very free form and somewhat abstract. A lot of my attempts to create rhyming poems and more realistic stories end up sounding forced to me, but they're both genres that interest me greatly.

I've had a very vague concept for a novel in the back of my mind for a few years now, so that's also something I'm working toward.

P: What does Prose. mean to you?

LP: I was lucky enough to be able to join Prose. early on and have since witnessed it grow into something much bigger than it once was. From a handful of users to more posts per day than I can keep up with, Prose. has evolved into a space where everyone is met with loving support and guidance, myself included.

It's rare to find a form of social media today that inspires creativity on a daily basis and remains free of negativity. Also, having met almost everyone on the Prose. team, I'm always in awe of the hard work and dedication that goes into creating such an awesome platform, and it makes it that much more special to use.

P: Where else can we find you and your writing?

LP: Currently, most of my writing either takes place here or in the numerous notebooks I have lying around my apartment. I am on Instagram @lap819 and Facebook, and, technically, I have a Twitter account (@lap819), though it doesn't get much use these days.

__________________________

This #FridayFeature blog series is designed to help you get to know your fellow community members better. Would you like to nominate someone for interview? Have a question you’re dying to ask of someone on the platform? Send us a private message here or visit our contact page to get in touch: theprose.com/p/contact.