Meet Brittany Griffiths of Spontaneous Afflatus

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittany Griffiths.

Brittany, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It really began during my final months in Lawrence, Kansas. I had entered a period of heavy writing, mostly out of necessity for my mental health, and it was at that time that I finally began to see writing as a career for myself. When I moved back to Dallas in the summer of 2014, I started an online portfolio titled Spontaneous Afflatus. Over the course of the next three years, friends of mine began to express interest in having their writing and artwork up on the site as well. Before I knew it, what I initially created as a personal portfolio had developed into an online collective.

As 2016 came to an end, I was very unhappy with my job. I was working as a designer at a flower shop where most of my creativity was being absorbed with little to no prospect of it ever developing into something fulfilling. So as most of us do, I made it my New Year’s resolution to stifle my fear and finally pursue writing, even if that meant the financial turn-around was minimal.

The slow development of Spontaneous Afflatus over the last 4 years set me up perfectly to enter the world of publishing. I had connections with several fantastic writers all of whom I was happy and willing to publish and stand behind. So I filed the necessary paperwork, and Spontaneous Afflatus Publishing was born. Over the last year, we’ve published three collections of poetry by local writers. The process was in every degree arduous but has hands down been the most fulfilling and enjoyable work I ever done in my life.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle has been navigating through the world of publishing. There are a lot of very important steps involved in the process; things you don’t think about. From copyright to ISBN numbers to make sure the author’s name and the title of the book are printed on the spine in order to be considered for consignment in various bookstores.

These are all things I’ve had to figure out as I go along. That and distribution are the two biggest things. Publishing a book is all well and good, but you’ve got to find a way to move copies after the release. That’s a whole process in and of itself.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Spontaneous Afflatus is a Dallas-based publishing house that specializes in poetry and short story collections. In the future, we would like to move into publishing more comprehensive collections such as essays, works of non-fiction, and novels.

Because Spontaneous Afflatus began as an online art collective, we are not your run-of-the-mill publishing company. One distinct difference is evident in the way we release books. I’ve always been obsessed with music for as long as I can remember, so for every launch party I book three bands to play throughout the evening. Literature has always come in tow with a sort of stifling image, one in which people picture authors dressed in blazers drinking wine and milling about a room engaged in highfalutin conversation.

That is not the literary world I, nor many of the writers I know, live in. I want Spontaneous to be exciting and I want it to move, and the best way I know how to link that aesthetic with poetry is to incorporate music. The first two book launches were at my house with two kegs and a line-up of amazing local bands, and it was a blast! Literature can be fun, and that is what I want to promote.

Plus, the takeaway in associating literature with live music and art is two-fold: not only are you creating an immersive experience that isn’t static, where everyone becomes a participant, but it also facilitates the creation of a community of people who begin to see the connection between all art forms. The community aspect of what we’ve become involved in is by far what I am most proud of.

What were you like growing up?
I was a real shit-head growing up. I had no sense of direction and had no particular interest in trying to find my place in the world. I played competitive softball from the age of ten and eventually won a scholarship to play college ball at the University of Arkansas. Writing and music were always a passion, but I was so clouded and consumed by sports that I never really gave that passion a chance to flourish.

My mother will attest to this, but I am very stubborn and head-strong. Thankfully, I’ve learned to subdue both of those qualities as I’ve gotten older, but growing up they were out in full force. If I had to define an overarching theme in my life since childhood, it would be the constant battle of trying to find the balance between ambition and acceptance. It’s the worst.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spontaneousafflatus.com
• Email: contact@spontaneousafflatus.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spontaneousafflatus/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spontaneousafflatuspublishing/

Image Credit:
Amy Miller; Mckayla Hutchison; Jessica Waffles of Waffles Weekly

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