Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Bullock.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My story is long so I’ll focus on a chapter. It begins in 2010 at 19 years old. I was a freshman on a softball scholarship to FSU, making new friends and figuring out what life was like away from my family when my younger brother died.
He was trying to save his friend.
He was 14 years young.
His name was (is) Jacob.
It was then when I felt what it feels like when “life happens”. That was the first time in my life that some of my light dimmed. That was the first time I went inward with my relationship with God. The first time I went inward with myself. I was always writing in a journal as a kid but after I lost my brother my daily writing took a turn in the subject matter. My writing was no longer about how I was navigating the world but how God was navigating me, how I was trying to navigate myself and why my route seemed to be the only one with a huge pothole.
In school, I was majoring in marketing or at least trying to. In the end, Accounting 1-0- whatever the hell won by literally 2 points on the final grade forcing to change my major due to not having the credits or time to get into the school of business… thankfully. My academic advisor suggested English and I scratched my head wondering why I didn’t start with that. My creative writing and literature classes took me to a place where writing was normal and practiced. My junior and senior year I wrote a blog on seminoles.com for the Seminole softball team. Through the failing of Accounting and abrupt change to my major I found my writing style, developed a voice through words and allowed the shift to not break me but make me.
After graduating with my degree in Creative Writing, I got married to my college sweetheart.
Two years in we experienced a still birth.
My heart is still broken.
Two years later we divorced.
Leaving me with poems and tear stained pages filled with my feelings.
I read over my poems seeing deep connection with my faith and myself.
It was then when I looked around and realized that my journey wasn’t the only one with ups and downs but everyone’s is. I compiled all of my poems and thoughts into my first book titled Moon Fruit. The title stems from the moon being dark until the Sun shines through it the same way that God shines through me. While times may be dark, to bear fruit in the midst of your darkness and on infertile ground is something that is possible if you look to the light.
Since self-publishing I have felt liberated and accomplished. It was a moment of realization that I can do anything. My innate desire to encourage others leads me to tell you that you can do anything too! My hope is that through my words I can help everyone see the light around them and within themselves.
My story is a culmination of “life happenings” and me navigating through them refusing to let them defeat me but more so allowing them to strengthen and equip me for my next chapter.
Has it been a smooth road?
Can confirm, life has been a bumpy ass ride. If there was a competition for the roughest road award between my life road and the actual Atlanta roads… Atlanta would still win but I think my road would be pretty damn close.
I think my biggest struggle through my losses and detours was the question of “why me?” Getting over that hump of accepting my story as my story and not wishing I had it as easy as someone else’s life seemed on the outside was hard. Digesting the fact that everything happens for a reason and sometimes the reason has nothing to do with me is difficult for anyone to realize. I believe that struggling through these realizations has been helpful for my growth. Understanding and defining my emotions has been difficult but necessary. These struggles and challenges have truly made me the woman I am today. I’ve learned to love my story and love myself because of the bumps and potholes in the road. I know that because of the bumpy ride people know they can lean on me with their problems. Throughout all of my losses I just wanted someone to actually understand the pain I was feeling. I felt so alone. Now, I know that others don’t have to feel alone because they can see me being open, come to me for questions and have Moon Fruit as a friend.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a Poet, Author, Speaker and Spoken Word Artist. I’m known for writing and performing words that encourage and uplift others.
I curate words to touch hearts, minds and spirits. Written or spoken mending the broken.
I do book readings, event performances, school visits, speaking engagements, etc.
I also write an advice blog called Hey Morgan, on morganbullock.com. For years I’ve been a voice of reason for my friends, family and work as an HR Manager. I started this because I want everyone to feel like they can come to me for help.
I’m most proud of the texts, DMs or in-person, gratitude of people telling me that my words helped them in any way. I’m most proud when my friends come to me for advice trusting me to care for their feelings.
As a writer, I think my conversational tone sets me apart. As a performer I think my spoken word is a little more on the light-hearted side making you rethink something seen as negative about yourself and I help you see the positive.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I believe over the past couple of years poetry has transformed, at least on social media. With Instagram being a platform for artist to share their art people have taken a liking to poetry and finding comfort and representation with how someone curates words. Based on how lucrative some of the top poets have become I don’t see this industry slowing down at all. From albums like “Eve” – Rapsody, billboards quotes from Cleo Wade and spoken word performances at the Trumpet Awards by Theresa Tha Songbird, poetry is here and is becoming larger than before. If they bring back Def Poetry Jam it would be a WRAP!
Contact Info:
- Website: morganbullock.com
- Email: mrgnbullock@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/morganbullock_
Image Credit:
Allie Jest, Monique Harris
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