You are what you do.
That said, I am a lot of things: writer, designer, painter, (horrible) ukulele player, poet, maker, moon, graphic designer, crazy cat lady, coffee addict, social media sucker, creative consultant, professional doodler… you get the idea.
I am a Leo-Sun, Virgo-Rising and Aquarius-Moon. I was born on a full blue moon. …for those who subscribe to a little woo.
Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, I have been here my whole life. No matter how much I complain about the cold weather, the never-ending gray skies and Pittsburgh’s infamous air pollution problem, I can’t imagine calling anywhere else “home.”
For my day job, I romance olives and pasta as a copywriter for an Italian foods company. I’ve been doing this since 2010, so I’m pretty seasoned. Ha! Before COVID, I also taught English Composition as a part-time instructor at a local college. I have to say I miss it terribly… and not just because my students kept me relevant and up-to-date with pop culture. Teaching writing is my heart.
In the last few years, though, I’ve put a lot of energy into 1flychicken creations, my creative small business dreambaby. I create greeting cards, paintings, prints, Pittsburgh stickers, magnets, pins and stained glass art. If you hit up the handmade scene in Pittsburgh, you just might find me vending at Handmade Arcade, I Made It! Market, Squirrel Hill Night Market, Veg Fest, Made + Found and more. (Check out the Calendar to see where I’ll be popping up next.)
I still write. A lot. And though I don’t put myself out there for publication too often these days, I love doing readings and feel pretty honored that my writer friends still invite me out. My poems have appeared in Nerve Cowboy, Rattle, Chiron Review, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Arsenic Lobster, Main Street Rag, Weave, Pear Noir… and paper placemats and old receipts all over Western PA and beyond. My first chapbook, Little As Living, was published in September 2014. xo
VIEW my skills and experience at LinkedIn.
EMAIL me at mtutolo(at)gmail.com
VISIT my Etsy shop, 1flychicken creations.
All stained glass and fused glass goods are up on my Instagram, no Etsy.