Caroline Davidson is a poet, musician, and editor who grew up in the middle of Ohio.
A songwriter from youth with an eclectic (read as: weird) taste in just about everything, she performed in heavy metal bands and synth-pop groups before receiving her bachelors in Psychology and English.
Not satisfied with her creative life, she moved to Colorado to obtain an MFA in poetry from the University of Colorado – Boulder, where she taught undergraduate creative writing courses, edited the literary journal Timber, and performed folk-ish tunes in little mountain bars.
Following her MFA, she worked in music event marketing before relocating to New York City to pursue music, writing, and a career in publishing. There she worked on the editorial staff of a national literary magazine, as well as in medical video production. She spent seven years living in Brooklyn, during which she also released music (under the name Ghost Harbor, a name she’s quite attached to) and published some of her poems.
But there was still an unsettled feeling, a desire to make more of an impact and build a life focused on the arts.
Caroline never felt that she fit neatly into the world and her career “path.”
There was a strong desire to build her own world that combined her artistic pursuits and help others on their similar winding, uncertain journeys, but she had never recognized or seized any opportunity to do so.
Then the pandemic hit.
Caroline left Brooklyn, and found herself in Asbury Park, New Jersey. She immediately fell hard for this unique shore town, in all its glorious resilience, beauty, and edge. The energy of the local creative community was palpable and warm. A perfect combination!
And shit. Finally. Clicked.
She quit her corporate job, took what little savings she had, and put all of her energy into Ghost Harbor Creative.
“I wanted to create a space for artists of various backgrounds and disciplines to congregate, share, support, and grow in their crafts. We need an outlet, especially during this turbulent time in the world. I want this to be a space in which to educate and learn from one another. The goal is to cultivate and sustain a positive, inclusive, vibrant, creative community.
Of course it’s risky to open a physical art space (or any space!) during a pandemic. There are many reasons not to do this and yes, I’ve heard them all. But I feel it’s essential to provide an outlet for working artists, and those who may not yet have opportunities to exhibit their work in galleries or read/play in larger venues. Artists don’t stop creating and responding to their world. I want to celebrate that and to be here for the local community as we rebuild. And gosh darnit (Midwestern-ness still comes out sometimes), we will!”