Jacqueline Whitney, poet, writer and Instagram Influencer has gained popularity by using her poetic tongue as a means of conveying words of wisdom and hope, to the many people struggling from their own personal issues. Whitney takes her poetry quotes to a new level, as she delivers handwritten notes to her readers daily. Whitney’s interest in her readers comes from her own personal experiences with life’s unfortunate trauma.
Whitney has created a connection with her readers as she believes, “it helps her readers feel more like I’m a friend rather than just a girl they follow on Instagram.” To Whitney’s readers she is a voice rather than a face. Whitney has kept her personal life including her age private, leaving her life to the imagination of her readers. With the few pictures of Whitney that are public we can assume she is in her early 20’s. One thing that is certain is that her readers don’t need to know her personal life details to know that her writing defines her natural talent.
A Journey Into Poetic Inspiration
The year was 2015 when Whitney first discovered her interest in writing; thus igniting a goal to help others who suffer from physical or emotional ailments, such as herself. Whitney as a child had suffered a brain injury that sparked the need to have an outlet to release her anger and pain. Whitney’s mother had gifted her with a journal with hopes that Whitey would have a place to express her feelings.
Before realizing that writing can be therapeutic, Whitney admitted that she “never enjoyed writing,” but that her feelings had changed since her trauma, and now she feels that “writing wasn’t a want, rather a need.” Whitney’s growing understanding of anxiety and depression encouraged her to create a website, “Finding my Verse.” In Whitney’s words, verse is defined as, “a purpose, a passion, a path, and an absolute fulfilled of life.” The website created such a large audience that Whitney closed the site and started an Instagram page. Whitney’s Instagram page currently has 35k followers.
Whitney has shared in many interviews how she prepares herself for a writing session. While focusing on a quiet place in her mind, “she relaxes in natural sunlight, or at night with a dim light and a candle.” Once she finds her comfortable space she must take a minute for meditation. One piece of writing that she seems to circle back to in her reflective writing is, “you are not supposed to have it all together, or feel motivated to be the best version of yourself all of the time.” Whitney has sent this quote to over 2000 reader hoping to instill an acceptance of self-love.
A Community of Friends
During a Podcast interview with Morgan Harper Nichols, Whitney elaborated on how she feels about her readers, that they are not just her audience, but a “community” of people that she provides emotional support, and when have in turn helped her to “feel less alone.” Whitney feels her connection with her community us a priority and commented that, “at the end of the day we are all going through something.”
When asked why she uses poetry as her preferred genre of communication, Whitney indicated that “using poetic language reaches people deep within themselves where they are trying to find emotional support,” and that she has a “passion for making people feel less alone.”
One of Whitney’s greatest accomplishments thus far is her poetry collection book, “Beyond Worthy,” that includes many of the quotes that posts and send to her readers. Among the many reviews of her book one reader commented that, “it’s like a warm cup of hot chocolate or a smile encouraging friend.” While one person my not find solace in Whitney’s words, another finds a way of coping another day.
Whitney’s plans are to continue to create daily themes to coincide with her post, focusing on “healing, worthiness, forgiveness, processing past pain, and mental health;” all of which Whitney is challenged with in her own life. Although Whitney shares most of her intimate thoughts she believes strongly in, “not sharing everything, some pieces are only for you.”
