The Prescott Valley author and artist explores mental health in her work and brings local writers together through Prescott Valley Writes
Writing often begins in solitude. For Prescott Valley author Tinamarie Cox, it has also become a way to reach other people—first through the poems and artwork she shares, and now through a writing group she founded close to home.
Tinamarie has loved writing and art since childhood, though she began pursuing publication only within the last several years. Her work has since appeared in publications around the world. She has published two chapbooks and two full-length collections, along with A Letter From August, a self-published work of poetic prose and artwork.
Much of her poetry explores mental health. Tinamarie describes writing and making art as therapeutic parts of her own journey, giving her room to examine difficult experiences and express what can be hard to say aloud. Her creative work extends beyond poetry to visual art, including painting, drawing and photography. tinamariethinkstoomuch.weebly.com
Creating through the hard parts
Tinamarie lives in Prescott Valley with her husband, two children with special needs and a small pack of rescued cats. Family life and creative work both have a place in her days. When she finds time to create, she may be writing, making art or thinking ahead to what she wants to explore next.
Her interest in mental health gives much of that work a deeply personal starting point. Rather than setting difficult feelings aside, Tinamarie makes space for them on the page and in her artwork. She hopes readers encountering those themes can find a sense of recognition and feel less alone.
Her work has found audiences well beyond Arizona, but Tinamarie prefers to stay close to home. That connection to place helped inspire her next project: Prescott Valley Writes.
Making space for local writers
Tinamarie founded Prescott Valley Writes to bring writers together to learn from one another. Writing may be something people do alone, but she believes writers benefit from peers who understand the process and can offer support.
At meetings, she introduces a topic for discussion and examination that is relevant to writers today. The group is still getting started, and Tinamarie hopes it will continue to grow as more local writers find it.
The idea is welcoming in its simplicity: people who share an interest in writing can come together, exchange perspectives and leave with something new to think about. For Tinamarie, helping create that space is another way to contribute to the community she calls home.
Her writing and art invite connection with readers she may never meet. Prescott Valley Writes gives that same spirit of connection a local gathering place.
Explore Tinamarie’s books, writing and artwork at tinamariethinkstoomuch.weebly.com or find her on Instagram at @tinamariethinkstoomuch. Her online shop lists A Letter From August among her available books.