WSU Vancouver alum, poet and author, Krysten Ralston will be self-publishing her first collection of poetry this spring. After graduating with a major in English and a minor in creative writing in spring of 2021, Ralston is continuing to develop her craft and style. As an artist and a mother, she writes with purpose to relate to readers, expressing the ebbs and flows of life.
“You just have to shut that part of your brain off. The imposter syndrome, the doubts. Nobody knows what they’re doing. You don’t really know how it’s going to be received until you take that step. So that’s what I’m doing.” – Krysten Ralston
When she was young, Ralston explored an interest in reading and writing, and was always found practicing her literary skills.
“I was probably 7 or 8 [years old] when I was reading a book, and then it just dawned on me, there are people who do this, right? And I just thought that was the coolest thing,” Ralston said. “So, I’ve been writing stories for novels… since I was about 11.”
Ralston writes with emotion, made clear by the stacks of manuscripts she has collected over the years. By the time she was 18, Ralston had completed her first novel, but despite finishing the piece, she says doubts surrounding the daunting publication process crept in soon after.
“You just have to shut that part of your brain off. The imposter syndrome, the doubts. Nobody knows what they’re doing,” Ralston said. “You don’t really know how it’s going to be received until you take that step. So that’s what I’m doing.”
Her writing ventures into the realm of personal experience and intimate feelings, discussing themes of burnout, depression, motherhood and healing. Throughout her journey of becoming an author, Ralston says she had to overcome obstacles related to fear of inadequacy and self-criticism. Although feelings of insecurity developed, Ralston was able to persevere — even when she was unsure where her writing would take her, she worked to put herself, and her work, out into the world.
Taking baby steps, Ralston found that a slow progression through her writing method could overcome feelings of doubt. She tackled the creation of her poetry collection by breaking it down into small, attainable goals every day, and says personal ac- countability was critical to her process.
Wanting to stray away from traditional publishing methods, she instead was drawn to the idea of self-publishing. As her own publisher, Ralston was responsible for the entire process. She edited the entirety of her work, from proofreading to formatting, and utilized programs such as Procreate and Canva to design her collection, all while maintaining complete creative control over her project.
The poetry collection, titled “Ink Blots” tells the story of a breaking and healing process. Ralston takes the reader through three main themes, “shattered, mending and whole.” Ralston’s work speaks to feelings of failure, depression and defeat in the beginning of the collection, which then transitions into poems of recovery and hope. She describes her poetry style as a mix of traditional and contemporary, finding inspiration from the work of Billy Collins, Joy Harjo and Natalie Diaz.
“I don’t follow a lot of rules with my poetry. So [I like] authors like Rupi Kaur, Amanda Lovelace,” Ralston said. “I tried to blend that traditional poetry with a little bit more of this contemporary, modern poetry style.”
Ralston’s experience at WSU Vancouver also contributed to her love of writing. Through the university’s English program, she developed and honed her skills, as well as gained confidence in her talents, all while working as an editor for the Salmon Creek Journal. These opportunities allowed her to make connections with the people who helped guide her writing process.
Through her journey of self-publishing her own poetry collection, she acknowledges the struggles that so many people face in their lives; Ralston hopes, through her work, to offer an example of personal growth.
“Whatever you’re feeling, other people have felt it too. You’re not alone in those dark times, and you’re not alone in doing the work to heal yourself and to find peace and happiness and contentment,” Ralston said.
“Ink Blots” is available now and can be found on Amazon, as well as via Ebook stores such as Kindle and Apple Books.
Sawyer is a senior studying anthropology at WSU Vancouver.