Tiny Talks is an interview series with Tiny Spoon’s talented contributors. This week we spoke with Carolyn Ansley from our thirteenth issue.
Tiny Spoon: What kindles your creativity?
Carolyn Ansley: For me, creativity is equal parts magic and discipline. Inspiration might arrive through people, events, experiences, and art, but it’s the act of practicing creativity that truly fuels the process. I write even when I’m not feeling particularly poetic. Working the iterations and edits allow space for the work to breathe before it’s submitted—even if that submission is just to myself.
Tiny Spoon: Are there any artists/ heroines/ idols/ friends that you look up to?
Carolyn Ansley: I admire strong women in any discipline who’ve forged their own paths despite adversity. As a young woman, I was blissfully unaware of gender inequity. I attended university, landed a great first job, and spent a decade at a company that empowered women. It wasn’t until after I had children and moved into entrepreneurial roles that I experienced inequality firsthand. Today, I’m inspired by women like Taylor Swift, AOC, Barbara Kingsolver, Georgia O’Keeffe, and my mother Patricia—who, at 81, is still politically active and successfully advocating for change!
Tiny Spoon: Do you have specific superstitions or divinatory practices that you adhere to?
Carolyn Ansley: I collect dimes as a sign from my grandfather and often turn to poetry and meditation to spiritually connect with the universe.
Tiny Spoon: We love insight into the creative process. Could you share what it is like for you, either with your work that appears in Tiny Spoon or in general?
Carolyn Ansley: My creative process has evolved significantly over the past year. I’ve become much more mindful of the importance of editing. Poems often arrive as if I’m taking dictation from a divine source, but I’ve learned that something always gets lost in translation. Giving the work its space and then returning to it with fresh eyes results in a stronger, more intentional final piece. I’m also a huge fan of prompts—which inspired the creation of Dimes.
Tiny Spoon: Do you have any current or future projects that you are working on that you would like to share?
Carolyn Ansley: I’m currently working on my first novel, which follows three best friends as they navigate middle age and its social, health, and psychological complexities.
Tiny Spoon: What book, artwork, music, etc., would you recommend to others?
Carolyn Ansley: Leonard Cohen is my favorite poet. I’m drawn to poetic writers across genres and love autobiographies about overcoming adversity—Educated by Tara Westover and From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle are standouts. I also love historical fiction that immerses you fully in time and place, like Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, and bold fiction that confronts social issues, like Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead. As for art, I’m captivated by contemporary, tactile, and political works. I have an original pop-art painting by Montreal-based street-artist Stikki Peaches hanging in my dining room—language is integrated into the design, which I love as a writer. And if I could afford an Emily Carr, I’d absolutely hang one in my home!
Tiny Spoon: Is there anything else you would like others to know about you, your creations, or beyond?
Carolyn Ansley: I’m a mother of two incredible young women. In addition to parenting, running a business and home, and writing, I love spending time at our cottage in Muskoka.
Tiny Spoon: Where can people learn more about what you do?
Carolyn Ansley: Right now, my focus is on my Instagram poetry account @wordtobeautiful. I’d love to hear from you there!
