Welcome again to the very talented Michael Garvey

Welcome to ‘The Spotlight’ Michael. I appreciate you taking the time to sit down with me to give all your fans an update on what’s different in your world since our interview last year.

You’re a talented musician, an artist and a poet is there one medium that appeals to you more than another?

I never considered myself a good enough guitar player. Also had a couple of brushes with the ‘music industry’ when younger which also ‘put me off’ going down that route. I also found much more personal freedom as a fine artist and a writer, being in a band is about compromise. Where as being a fine artist i have complete control over my work, that’s very important to me.

You have an obvious love of words and language and you use it very evocatively in your poetry, when would you say your love of words first developed?

I was always a big reader, that started when I was very young, maybe as early as seven or eight. I was already, at that young age, reading books much older than I should have been. I loved HG Wells, "20,000 Thousand Leagues Under The Sea". I also loved Charles Dickens. I think I must’ve read "Moby Dick" at age eight.

And what was it about words and language that spoke to you so strongly?

I was a solitary child and my mum got me all these books to give me something to do ha ha ha. My favourite book is "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, I still think it's the greatest book about human nature ever written.

In to my teens I started to be influenced by the great rock and pop writers. People like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pete Townsend, Ray Davis. All these are amazing writers that I consider to be our generations poetry.

You have been quoted in the past saying you preferred to maintain some personal distance with your poetry. However, judging from works like the poem ‘Smile’, you seem to be moving in a very personal direction, almost as if you’re becoming a part of the work. Would you agree with that assessment?

Yes I did try that Tracey, but I realised that for my poetry to develop I had to change that approach, and my life was also going in a different direction. What I mean by that is that a lot of my first poems were written from the point of view of having a real physical distance. I started writing a lot of those earlier poems simple because I missed England as I was living in America at the time. That made me very nostalgic as I was missing certain things. Whereas now with the latest ones I am ‘living them’ much more in the moment.

Without becoming too personal it appears that you’ve experienced some fairly significant ups and downs in your life over the past few years; what kind of influence has that had on your poetry?

Well like said I before Tracey, leaving the country and then it all going wrong and having to come back and pick up the pieces when I didn’t intend that to happen. It was a big shock to the system!! And all of it has influenced me creatively. I've written some VERY DARK poems that I don't really share.

I think we can all relate to that Michael. I've had some dark times of my own which has often led to some of my best work. I've been informed that you’ve been doing some volunteer work in your community recently, could you tell us a little bit about that and if you feel that the volunteer work has impacted on your poetry?

I've been working with multiple sclerosis sufferers as a bus buddy. That entails me going with the individuals on the ambulance as well as picking the people up from homes so they come to the centre and then dropping them home. Most of the people I work with are wheelchair bound so they really need the help with transportation. I also do my Art Therapy classes at the centre on a Thursday. I also help out at a homeless charity. Really you can't help but influenced by the characters you meet. Most of these people have physical and mental problems that the so called 'normal people' could never understand. But they fight though it, with smiles and joy and refuse to be down about their lives. It kind of puts life into perspective really.

And would you say that the same is true in your work as an artist?

I was already working on a project about communication when I started to volunteer. But I would say that rather than influencing my art in the way it's influenced my poetry it has shown me that my artistic skills can be also used in a very productive useful way. So my art can give something to people rather than just be used as a selfish vehicle to earn money.

You’ve actually had your painting displayed in galleries which is quite a feat to achieve in the art world and congratulations on that. Do you feel that art is perhaps overtaking your poetry?

Oh no, I hope that doesn’t happen. In fact my dream is still to combine the two in someway. Either using the art to illustrate the poems or the poems as art pieces in their own right. I have many more projects up my sleeve and I don't think I'll stop finding things to be influenced by.

It’s not often mentioned but you are, in fact, an equally talented musician; is music taking a backseat to poetry and art?

At this time it has too really, but I have melodies that I'd like some to record, that would amazing. I've had various people listen to them but that's kind of gone cold for the moment. But its always there...

How would you best like to be remembered; as an artist, a poet or a musician?

I think as an artist that writes rather a writer who paints. But to be remembered WOW. Can't comprehend that at this moment.

Well, with your talent I have a feeling that you will be remembered. Thanks very much Michael for sharing all of that with us and for coming back into ‘The Spotlight’.