About The Author

Hello, I’m Elise Barretto! I’m 21 years old & I am a poet.

Currently, I am living in Washington state. I have my Associates Degree in Fine Arts/Studio Arts.

I was born in the stunning San Juan Islands area of northwestern Washington. After living in there for the first two years of my life, my family & I moved to beautiful Orange County, California. We lived there happily in the sun for a year & a half. Then, we decided to move closer to family in Idaho. We stayed in southeastern Idaho for about nine years. There, I lived next door to my cousins, uncle and aunt, & my grandparents on what you could call a small farmstead. It was a very comfortable & peaceful place to do the majority of my growing up. When I was twelve, we moved back to my birthplace of Washington. It has been about 10 years since we moved back to Washington & in those 10 years, we’ve lived in several towns throughout the San Juan Island, Skagit Valley, & Cascade Range areas.

I started this blog upon suggestion of my dad, who said I should get my writings out there. I’ve always loved to write, but my interest really started manifesting itself when I was around eleven & twelve. I grew up with parents who had a deep appreciation for writing & literature. My father is a technical writer & editor, professionally, & he has also penned a lot of personal creative writings over the years. My mother has always been an advocate & lover of poetry/creative writing & has dabbled in poetry at times as well. So, it was hard not to inherit my parents’ interests in writing.

This blog cosists of original thoughts/poems/memos I’ve written, accompanied by photographs I’ve taken. Photography is another passion of mine. So I thought I’d combine the two in my blog posts.

Art is another big part of who I am. I have always enjoyed art of every form, be it sketching, drawing, painting, sculpting, designing, or building. Some of my earliest & most precious memories are of my cousin & I sitting with my gramma at her kitchen table, sketching, painting, & creating for hours on end (along with writing little tunes on her piano). I tried a handful of different hobbies including tennis, gymnastics, ballet, etc. Yet, I miserably failed at everything sports related (I hate competition) & I never truly felt like I belonged until I began taking art lessons. Art has always been a constant source of happiness in my life & that is why I chose to get a degree in Fine/Studio Arts.

Along with the visual/written arts, music is definitely one of my main interests. When I’m not writing or drawing, I enjoy either listening to music, making playlists, or playing my guitar. However, music is an extremely personal form of expression for me & I have never particularly enjoyed performing. I began playing at age 12 & I have taken lessons off & on. Despite the inconsistency of my playing, music still remains a big part of my soul, even when I haven’t played for months.

Last, but not least, on the list of my notable hobbies/interests is hiking & just being outdoors. Growing up on a piece of property in “the country” really instilled a deep love & respect for nature & the outdoors. Along with making art, a lot of my childhood consisted of playing outside from dawn to dusk; our parents would actually have to bribe us with dinner to come inside. My dad also grew up in a similar way. His mother would regularly take him on walks in the woods of New Hampshire & teach him about the earth, the plants, & the animals. So, because of my upbringing, nature definitely is my main source of inspiration (as my writings will indicate) & it always helps me recenter & discover more about who I am.

In closing, I’d like to thank you for reading & visiting my blog. The interest means so much to me. Any feedback or comments is very appreciated! Write on!

Contact:

Email: elise.barretto@gmail.com

Instagram: @letters.fur.elise