About Avril … About SomerEmpress

About Avril (aka SomerEmpress)

Avril is a writer who writes candidly from her varied experiences as a Black woman immigrant wife momma daughter lifelong learner and spirit servant. (She occasionally breaks from convention as she sees fit, hence the lack of commas in the previous sentence.)

Avril is the author of A Journey Of Life On PURPOSE, which tackles, through poetry and prose, the intersectionality of creativity, womanhood, sisterhood, race, motherhood, activism, and identity politics. A Journey Of Life On PURPOSE is available on Amazon.

Born in the Commonwealth of Dominica, Avril is a first-generation college graduate of Swarthmore College where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, and of Pennsylvania State University where she received her Masters of Business Administration. She has also lived in New York City, New Jersey, Virginia, and Chicago. She now lives with her family in Pennsylvania.

In Her Own Words:

I find joy when using my gifts to affirm, encourage, and inspire others. Rendered in love, these gifts have the ability to facilitate personal transformation along our Life journey.

I believe that in order to thrive as a writer, I must engage authentically with others. This requires the ongoing and deep-soul work of confronting my whole entire self—my uncomfortable truths and wiring, my imperfections, and my limitations). This is the business of living intentionally and artfully; this is the underpinning of living Life As An Art Form.

My writing celebrates community and love. I know that my words will outlast me, therefore, I take great pride in my work. Good writing is resonant, timeless, and always relevant. Good writing leaves an indelible imprint. Regardless of genre or style, good writing is remarkably powerful and ridiculously transformative. Good writing makes intimate the universal and makes understood the seemingly inaccessible. My responsibility as a writer then is to harness this power in order to touch readers at a deep soul level. My prayer is that this space, Life As An Art Form, serves as both testament and legacy of my responsibility as a writer.

What fuels me, you ask? Having a wonderful family is a blessing, but I am nothing without “My Tapestry of Women,” my sisterhood circle of kindred spirits with mutual love, tenderness, and adoration for one another. We know that we are better when we acknowledge our need for one another and corral our collective energy and beauty.

Life As An Art Form is my corner of the virtual Universe. It is just one of the references for my Life’s work and calling as a writer. I invite you to chime in when something resonates with you or even if you just have a clarifying question. As you navigate the rest of this blog, I ask that you remain civil and truthful. I welcome your comments, even when we disagree. 

Welcome to my virtual table where we can share our truths, lives, love notes, breakdowns, and breakthroughs. Perhaps we can even occasionally laugh as we row our virtual lifeboats; perhaps together we can create some more Life As An Art.

To book Avril Somerville aka SomerEmpress for Transformative Talks, author readings, or guest blogging opportunities, click here.

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