My day job is doing creative content consulting for the arts.

I’m a freelance editor and writer for a variety of publications in the lifestyle, beauty, food and networking spaces. I’ve contributed print, photography and video content to The Spruce Eats, Fabulous Wisconsin, BRAVA, Madison Magazine and Entrepreneurial Chef. I’ve had my writing published by Off Menu Press, Digging Through The Fat and Voyage YA Literary Journal. I also write advertising and social media copy.

In addition to my own writing, I help others with theirs as a teaching artist at The Loft Literary Center in Minnesota and a faculty member at Hugo House in Seattle.

One of my more recent roles is being the founder and creative director for The Little Book Project WI, a zine that comes out twice a year. Each issue has a theme: We’ve covered advocacy and mental health and the third issue will be sponsored by Fair Share CSA Coalition and focus on spaces and places. This issue will be out the end of April.

I also do sensitivity reads, primarily for fiction and children’s literature. In this last role, I provide feedback to authors who are writing outside their own lived experiences. That can help them avoid cultural appropriation and ensure they speak from the perspective they’re trying to capture. See my portfolio for the full range of services I provide.

I love writing—I love being able to pay the bills with my passion. I also love to teach. For me teaching is a natural extension of that love of writing. I’ve always enjoyed talking about the craft of writing and helping people who are just starting to write. Then I realized I had knowledge others could use. Some of my students have never written anything; one of my most recent students is an award-winning author. It was wonderful to help her tease out her first full-length fiction and exciting to see her name pop up in various places.

Journal writing is something I’ve always enjoyed, and I’ve passed that love onto my daughter. There’s a lot to be said for feeding children’s interest in art—especially today when so many experiences are focused on digital activities such as gaming.

My most memorable caffeine was the coffee I gave up this year for Lent. I completely gave up coffee one year—that’s never happening again! This year I tried something a little different: I fasted from coffee purchased at a cafe. Considering that getting myself a coffee from a local place had been a treat COVID couldn’t stop me from enjoying, this was a big sacrifice. I couldn’t wait to have something hot with espresso in it.

My current caffeine of choice would be one of these cool new drinks I’ve discovered that have caffeine in them: Bubbl’r or a Java Twist, which is a new company in Milwaukee. They combine coffee with other flavors, including citrus, and are delicious!

My favorite place for caffeine is hard to pick. I like to support local as much as possible.

The people I’d love to share a cup of caffeine with are my grandmother and J-Lo.

My grandmother is 94 and I haven’t seen her since COVID. She just got her second vaccine shot, so I hope I can see her soon.

I’d love to meet J-Lo because she’s in such incredible physical shape. I’m very committed to being physically fit and would love to pick her brain and get the real scoop.

World problem that could be solved with the right amount of caffeine: I don’tknow that there’s enough caffeine to solve a world problem. But it certainly helps people get the energy they need to tackle their fast-paced lives.

Rachel’s photo is courtesy of Miriam Bulcher Photography.