Meet Catherine Putt | Writer and Poet

We had the good fortune of connecting with Catherine Putt and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Catherine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
It wasn’t so much a thought process as it was a sudden smack of inspiration.

Writing has always been my passion but for the past year and a half, I have been trying to make it big on Instagram because I also love traveling and sharing my expereinces with others (@catherineputt). Toward the end of July 2021, I traveled to Kenya to meet with a group of fellow female travelers and 4 IG influencers. The purpose of the retreat was to learn how to change to yourself, how to collaborate with brands, take photos, negotiate, understand rates and so much more. But during the trip, I realized that I actually didn’t enjoy brand collaborations and being a content creator as much as I thought.

I sat down with one of the influencers, Candy King (@candy_and_the_king), and we dug deep into what I wanted to achieve with my life, what my passions were, what was my “why”. And it was like I always knew but in that moment when I was able to talk it out and have Candy’s full support, it became so clear. In that exact moment, we came up with a brand name, later designed a logo and it took off from there.

Within 1 more week she designed my website, and now I can proudly say I’m on my way to becoming a fulltime freelance writer looking to work for brands around the world so that I can travel fulltime. My goal is to partner with hotels, tourism boards, sustainable brands and other rad companies as I travel from one country to the next.

You can find me at @ink_and_dash on Instagram or check out my beautiful website “inkanddash.co”

Along with with writing for awesome companies, I also enjoy writing poetry but have never shared with anyone. Poetry is the most intimate way I express myself. I may not like to talk about how I’m feeling or ask for help but writing poems is the best way for me to cope with whatever is happening in my life.

So, I’ve also decided to share my poetry through @ink_and_dash. I don’t get nervous about too many things but this. THIS makes me nervous. If all goes well, maybe I’ll be a published poet one day. But for now, I’m focusing on freelance writing and sharing my poems with anyone who will listen.

Sometimes there isn’t much of a thought process at all when starting a business other than knowing what you truly love and bringing it to life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I can’t say I’m the most “professional” professional out there. Not only do I think trying to uphold a standard of perfectionism and strict professionalism is a waste of time but it’s also just straight-up tiring! Aren’t you worn out from the corporate professionalism we’ve been told to conform to?

This is exactly how I set myself apart from others. It’s no doubt I am a professional but I am also a regular human that is capable of making connections with you. I’ll tell you how it is and am not afraid to let my personality be embedded in my brand.

My website portrays me perfectly and sometimes that isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. If I’ve learned anything in my short 26 years of life, it’s to “risk it for the biscuit” and literally do what makes you happy. I heard this quote once, “If it truly makes you happy, it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else.”

I wish I could give my 2 cents on how I got to where I am and the challenges I’ve been through but I have quite literally just launched my website Aug. 25, 2021, at inkanddash.co and started sharing my poems Aug. 31, 2021, at @ink_and_dash on IG.

I am most excited about partnering with super rad brands from around the world and exploring new countries as I go. A fulltime writer adventuring around the world? That’s going to be me! I’m also excited to see where my poetry takes me. However, I am much more nervous to reveal my poetry to the world because it’s not what most people would expect. Maybe that’s another way I’ll be set apart.

But I will say this:

The hardest part has been having the guts to actually start a business and turning away from those who don’t believe in me. It’s funny because the people who I thought would support me most haven’t given it much thought while random people on Instagram and people who I met in Kenya have given me more support and love than I ever thought possible. In the end, it doesn’t matter because you will find your community and they will be there helping you grow without fail.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have only lived in Denver for 8 short months and almost 2 of those months I was traveling overseas and visiting my parents. But what I do know about Denver is that it’s nothing short of a good time.

Let’s see… a long weekend trip? There are so many activities to do! Outside the city, we would definitely make a trip to the Rocky Mountain National Park and spend a whole day hiking and adventuring. The Rocky Mountains are the single reason why I moved here.

The second day would be spent exploring the city. Starting in the morning, we would hit the classic Snooze A.M. breaky joint, then explore the Milk Market, Rino’s street art, the Denver Market and spend the arvo hitting some awesome breweries like 10 Barrel. If there’s a game at Coors Field we would see a ball game, then maybe go out that evening to some more bars and restaurants in the Rino, LoDo and LoHi areas.

And day three? We’d be a bit tired, so a day at the Botanic Gardens would be lovely. Then we would head to Commons Park and cross the bridge to get some boba tea and enojoy the rest of the evening.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Undoubtedly Candy and Jonty King (@candy_and_the_king) and Chasity and Brad Hobbs (through.the.llyns). In a world that is so quick to turn down ideas that stray from the norm, these four brilliant people have held out their hands and lifted me as high as they can–giving me their full support, advice, ideas. I also have been reading “Simple Abundance” by Sarah Ban Breathnach which takes you through a series of daily readings that ultimately will help you toward a more balanced and joyful life. My favorite quote is, “Find the Sacred in the Ordinary.” And that’s exactly what I plan to do with my life and business.

Website: inkanddash.co

Instagram: @ink_and_dash and @catherineputt

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-putt-097148114

Image Credits
Jonathon King to the side profile photo of my face with blurred elephants in back