Meet T.J. McGowan | Poet, Writer, Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with T.J. McGowan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi T.J., why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a kid I was consumed by writing, drawing, listening to music and watching movies. I used to act out my own “movies” by myself, playing every character. Would journal some of it, too. Then, eventually the journaling turned to poetry. I simply fell in love with both writing and filmmaking. I knew I needed to be creative in life for it to mean something. So, I set out and did whatever I could to make that happen and now I am a published poet and work in the commercial & film industry.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have always had a love for film and writing, including poetry. Early on I soaked up TV production in high school, went to film school to gain more knowledge and eventually landed a job as a Production Coordinator thirteen years ago. Happy to report I am at the same company now copywriting, directing, producing and managing. Key to this was being adaptable and allowing myself to grow professionally as much as I needed to grow creatively. The two need to be in synch for any kind of success, and for me success simply equates to “does this make me happy still?” and it does tenfold.

However, outside of my career, I also am a spoken word artist, poet, and novelist. Finding the energy to maintain hat and a day job is not always easy, but constantly rewarding. I have had my poetry published in journals all over the world, released a spoken word album entitled I Wear Another Man’s Name, published two books of poetry, including the full length, We Are Not One Thing, and chapbook, God is a Woman. And as a novelist my debut book, Timeless Gardens & Other Beautiful Miseries, was published by iiPublishing last year, with a follow up sequel in the works. In addition to all that, I am one half of a triprock poetry duo called Subtle Bodies, and as a solo poet have headlined hundreds of times all over the tri-state area.

None of it is easy, because all my personal creative endeavors tend to channel from my life’s ups and downs. Childhood trauma growing up surrounded by alcoholism, massive insecurities, eating disorders, nervous breakdowns, fear of death…you know, happy stuff. The first leap into sharing yourself in that way is absolutely terrifying, but then when it doesn’t kill you, you want more of that feeling. And so, the art becomes a strength. It allows me to truly be myself. Whether page or stage, poem or story, I am saying, “this is me” and that makes it very easy to overcome the nerves or worries about what I aim to write and share next.

Some of the lessons I learned along the way are to be malleable and open to change. To not be afraid to push the envelop and exit your comfort zone. And to be okay that if you exit it and the next thing doesn’t work out, that’s not failure. Trying is success. Many people will spout how many ideas they have but very few will make them something tangible. It’s important to remember that. It helps with setting realistic goals and achievable steps along the broader path of one’s passions and dreams. Lastly, there is no perfect, there is only the best output this current version of you is capable of, but always room for evolution.

The only thing I want people to know about me or my brand, is that I have no brand. I don’t like being referred to in that way. What you see is what you get. Authenticity is very important to me. I am not a company, I’m just a regular dude. What I make isn’t content, it’s an extension of my heart and mind and how they come together to make sense of the world within and without so that I can survive another day.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For poetry you can try restless open mic, bowery, troublemakers. Or hop just outside the city to the Jersey scene with Coffee & Words, Evolution Dopen Mic, and the Renaissance shows.

Food, I love the Korean BBQ down on St. Marks, and all NYC pizza is good NYC pizza. Drink at the dive bars, they’re more fun than the clubs. Wander all the parks, get close to the water, checkout Dumbo and Astoria and lower Manhattan. Have to see some live music before you go at Mercury, Pianos, Brooklyn Bowl, Warsaw, Iriving, Baby’s Alright. Just toss a dart at them and show up to what’s rocking.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow, there’s a lot of people that helped me get where I am. I am lucky to have a large supportive family and close-knit friends that have always hyped me up and cheered at my creative successes in both my career and life as a poet. I don’t take a single one of them for granted and I am grateful for their love and support. The list of names would fill this whole article, but they all know who they are.

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