A few months ago, I met Jared Meland. He’s a poet, and the owner and curator of a popular poetry feature account, Poetry Rise. He’s friendly, personable, and passionate, making him stand out from many of the other interactions you have online.
After working with him a few months, it was clear that the From Whispers to Roars community should know about him and the community he’s creating with Poetry Rise.
1.) How did you start on Instagram? As a poet, or as the Poetry Rise owner and curator? What drew you to the platform?
Poetry Rise preceded my personal writing accounts.
What drew me to the platform was the desire to connect with people.
2.) Tell me about the vision for the community you’ve created. What are your goals for Poetry Rise in 2021? How are you different from other feature accounts?
The idea is to be a social collaborator with poetry, prose, and creative writing twists. The specific form that “social collaboration” takes will be shaped by the situation. To provide examples, Poetry Rise is in the early phases of collaborating with a non-profit peace-building organization to promote the non-violent resolution of social conflicts through poetry and creative writing. Poetry Rise is also a very low-cost option for serious writers to grow their readership and generate revenue through book sales.
My main goal for poetry rise is to be helpful and to do social good. If you’re reading this and would like to collaborate in any capacity, feel free to reach out.
3.) Tell us more about you, the poet behind the account.
My name is Jared Meland. I grew up in South Florida—Miami Beach and Pembroke Pines. I have on and off engaged in poetry and creative writing since about 1997. Currently, I reside in Weston, Florida, with my 4-year-old daughter and wife. In September of 2020, I finished my active-duty service commitment as a Weather Forecaster in the United States Air Force. In January of this year, I started my Master’s of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at Nova Southeastern University. My family remains my prime focus, but at night when everyone is asleep, poetry beckons.
4.) You read and review a lot of poetry. What is one piece of advice you can give to aspiring poets on social media?
This advice is specific to the purpose. For example, I’ve seen many accounts dedicated to expressing trauma, dealing with heartbreak, exploring mental health, etc. To those people, some of whom may be aspiring poets, there is nothing I can say because their expressions are gorgeous as they are.
To serious writers looking to build a career as a poet, my humble advice is to hone your craft.