Three Quick Questions with Creative Writing Instructor Maggie Pahos
Maggie Pahos is a writer and teacher living in Portland, Oregon. She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Chatham University with concentrations in Travel Writing and the Pedagogy of Creative Writing. She has taught in the Allegheny County Jail, the Orleans Parish Prison work release program, and Our Clubhouse, a cancer support center in Pittsburgh. In the summers, she leads trips for Putney Student Travel and National Geographic Student Expeditions. Her work has been featured in Medium, The Rumpus, Brevity, Bark, Nowehere, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette and elsewhere. Click here to learn more about Maggie. And read on to learn more about Maggie’s artistic journey!
1.) Can you share a story about your early development as an artist? Were there times when you thought you were on the wrong path? How did you motivate yourself to move past it?
When I took my first creative writing class, I was only interested in writing fiction. But we started out by writing poetry, and I really didn't want to. Within a week, I had fallen in love with poetry. I didn't know what I was doing because I hadn't really read any poems, and I got a lot of helpful but critical feedback on my attempts. I kept studying other poets and kept working until writing poetry started to feel more natural. The only way through is through. There are no shortcuts when it comes to learning and exploring our crafts. We have to put in the time, patience, and dedication to try new things and to learn.
2.) How has art shaped you into the person you are today?
Becoming an artist has really made me curious about how things in the world are made. Making art is an instinctual process, but it's also deliberate, and so many decisions need to be considered. What should this character's name be? Where should this scene go? Do I really need this piece of dialogue? I walk through the world now considering man-made constructions in an intense way. Looking at a building, I wonder how the architect or designer chose a specific color of stone. Why a muralist selected a certain subject matter. How a composer came up with a moving theme song. I've become a more analytical person because of my experience making art, more engaged with what's around me. Aside from that, art keeps me afloat. Whenever I am sad or confused or scared, I turn to a book or a movie to show me someone else's life, to remind me the world is bigger than me, and that is always a comfort.
3.) What's the most important lesson a young artist might learn?
You will never be alone if you have your art. You may face rejection in your life over and again, as this is a big part of being an artist. But the act of creation is the most important thing. And finding other artists in the world who understand you and who believe in you is the greatest gift of all.