Acclaimed poet Morgan Harper Nichols uses her artistry to welcome readers to find comfort and inspiration for inevitable trials in her new book, You Are Only Just Beginning.
“The book mirrors my own life, as I found myself entering a new space in my own life, embracing a move back to my hometown, and sinking further into my art. The lessons within the pages were inspired by and created with those who may share a similar sense of fear for what’s ahead, those who look like me, mothers, women of color, adults with autism, and artists. This is for them,” explained the Wall Street Journal and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author.
Nichols is also the author of Peace is a Practice and All Along You Were Blooming, two poetry books that touch on stories submitted by her friends and followers.
How has your autism diagnosis impacted your career?
I was diagnosed with autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder at age 31. That came as a result of me having struggled with many things, and it was through social media that helped me see my doctor was dismissing me. It was like, “I need to be able to work less.” Working less in our society means your income changes. I believe it was a diagnosis process, and learning all that language that helped me make those hard decisions [that] allowed me to adjust and make room for change.
What is the story behind the title of your current book?
I tend to be more on the pessimistic side; I tend to ask myself, “am I only just beginning? How do I know that?” It takes me a lot of courage to live this. I needed to have a title that would go out into the world. I am right there with everyone trying to look ahead with hope amidst everything going on and explore what it means for us to say individually and collectively we’re only just beginning. There’s so much more to come.
Where do you find the inspiration to write?
I try to pay attention to … moments when I notice things throughout the day, and my mind is just going and going about it. It’s like, focus on just writing it down and practice doing that regularly.
