Never forget about your past because most of the time that's where all of your inspiration stems from. Although most of us rather not take a peek into our past, the truth is that the past is the part of our lives that has made us stronger to begin with. We can only move forward just as strongly as we can reminisce on our earlier years.

In Instagram poet Sara Stepp's case, that's exactly how she writes her poetry. With 24,000 followers and counting, she not only has an growing audience, but a family because of how closely related her poems resonate with her readers.

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Luckily, we had the opportunity to speak with Sara Stepp and here's what she had to say:

Q: What prompted you to begin writing poetry?

SS: I’ve been writing since I was little, but didn’t start writing poetry until about a year and half ago. I got into poetry because of Jim Morrison and my ex-boyfriend. It started when I was in a vintage bookstore and found a collection of Jim Morrison’s poetry for like 75 cents and I was enamored by it — I’d never written anything like that before, but I wanted to give it a try. I’d also just started dating this guy and he knew I was a writer so he asked me to write him something.

I scribbled him a cheesy two line poem and it became our routine. He’d ask me to write him a poem every night. The things I wrote him started off short and sweet, but as I started to write more, I wrote about past relationships and feelings. When we broke up and got back together and broke up again, poetry became less of a hobby and more of an outlet, but I have him to thank for inspiring me to share my writing.

Q. How does a poem begin for you?

SS: I have absolutely no method to my writing; I’m a terribly disorganized person. I wish I could keep neat notebooks or organized files on my computer, but I can’t.

My ideas usually come to me when I’m in the car, and I’ll just jot them down on my phone. Sometimes I post it immediately, other times I just jot down concepts or maybe one or two lines I want to elaborate on and when I get home I’ll focus on creating a piece centered around those lines. 

Q. Where do you draw your inspirations for your writing?

SS: Directly from my own experiences. I’m the kind of writer who has to live it to be able to write about it truthfully. I have a bad habit of staying stuck in my past because I write about it so much. Most of my work is inspired by one person, which is kind of crazy to think about when I realize he was only a part of my life for a short time, but he left such a huge impact. Some of my pieces are inspired by several people ... it just depends.

Q. If you've ever come across writer's block, what helps you overcome it?

SS: I’ll take a break for a couple of days and not force it. Then I’ll make myself sit at my computer and write at least 5 pages — most of it isn’t useable, but clearing my head always helps. I also read a lot of pieces from my favorite writers, just to stay inspired, even if I’m taking a break.

Q. What is the best advice to give to aspiring poets/writers out there?

SS: I’m not too sure if I should be giving anyone advice, but the one thing I do like to remind myself constantly is to write for myself. I’ve gotten so many requests to write about certain things or write things for specific people and while there’s nothing wrong with that and I do enjoy it, you have to stay honest to yourself to consistently produce solid work.

If there’s no truth I the piece it’s going to blatantly come across that way. It’s amazing that other people can relate to my work, but I’ve found when I start trying to write things because I think people will relate, the ingenuity is very apparent and the words fall flat.

Here are our favorite quotes from poet Sara Stepp: 

On heartbreak.

Photo: Instagram

"Breaking Hearts is easier than breaking habits even in pieces I'll still love you because that's what I'm used to." —S.Stepp

On letting go.

Photo: Instagram

"They say time heals all wound and the scars you left are fading. I trace them with my fingers and try to make myself feel even a fraction of what I did when you left. It may not have been love but it was the most I've ever felt." —S.Stepp

On picking yourself back up.

Photo: Instagram

"I may be in in pieces but that just means I fall with grace where as you just sink." —S.Stepp

On moving on.

Photo: Instagram

"You're not something I could ever just get over. You're something I have to learn to live with. Without you." —S.Stepp

On new beginnings.

Photo: Instagram

"I went to the tattoo parlor down the street my friends said it was stupid. That I was upset and shouldn't do it. But they didn't understand. When you left me, I felt used. I felt dirty and I couldn't get you off of me. When he pushed the ink into my skin, I felt you leaving it and now I can trace the cursive on my arm and find comfort. Knowing there are parts of me marked by things other than your absence." —S.Stepp

On not being able to move on.

Photo: Instagram

"Confessions of a girl who hasn't moved on: I can't bear the thought of you with someone else to think that you'll cuddle up and watch Disney moviers with her That you'll call her perfect and "the most beautiful girl in the world". It hurts imagine you looking at her the same way you looked at me. That you'll have tickle fights and talk for hours about your hopes and dreams . Will you ruffle her hair the way you did mine? Will you tell her you love her? Will you mean it that time?" —S.Stepp

On waiting.

Photo: Instagram

"I wait like the moon taught me to do- But while she waits patiently for the usn. I wait impatiently for you." —S.Stepp

On having an open heart.

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"My heart has grown cold from being open for so long." —S.Stepp

On breaking free.

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"Break into pieces Break until You're nothing but dandelion seeds or grains of sand  break until you are too small to hold on to. Only felt for a moment because that's all you can handle now." —S.Stepp

On realizing the truth.

Photo: Instagram

"For two years, I waited on a boy. I waited on a boy. Why was he so special? He wasn't. He was just a boy, He said, "I love you" more convincingly than others before- and his hands fit around my waist so perfectly- It was east to forget that boys have a tendency of making promises taller than they are. Promises they can't quite reach yet. And I have a tendency of lowering the branches to make it easier on them. And still I wonder why the boys I love never grow up..." —S.Stepp

On loving in a different way.

Photo: Instagram

"I wish we could try this again in reverse. This time we could begin in ashes and end in butterflies." —S.Stepp

On shame.

Photo: Instagram

"Hawthorne would be proud of the scarlet letter I adorn now- not and A but an X where my heart used to be my mark of shame- for letting love have his way with me." —S.Stepp

On love.

Photo: Instagram

"We touched our foreheads together like we were bowing in prayer- you're the only thing that I believe in." —S.Stepp

On loving the wrong man.

Photo: Instagram

"You were the pencil I was the paper I've tried to make erasers of the men who came after but the smudges just won't come off. I'll always be a paper doll who loved a man with graphite hands." —S.Stepp

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