Tansy Gunnar

Who is Tansy Gunnar? She’s my pen name and also a creative lens — a version of me shaped by experience, resilience, and imagination. I chose the name because it’s my favorite wildflower, and it was growing in the place where a friend of mine died. It felt right, especially since my name was almost Tana Rose before my parents changed it last minute to Rondi. I go by Di. My life has been full of sharp turns, hard lessons, and unexpected victories. I’ve survived things that could have broken me, stumbled countless times, and learned to stand up again with more clarity each time. Tansy is the part of me that turns those experiences into art, carrying the empathy, grit, and insight earned from a tough life into poems, creative classes, and (eventually) music. I hope is to help others through their own struggles through my work. I hold degrees and career certificates in English & Creative Writing, Business Administration, General Education, and Resort & Recreation Management — all listed on LinkedIn. More important than the credentials is the intention behind them. Over more than a decade of higher education, I chose classes and assignments based on what I needed to survive, support loved ones, build a career, teach what I’ve learned, and create online spaces where artists can grow. Along the way, I kept everything — every paper, analysis, and piece of research — which now fuels the classes, challenges, and creative spaces I create. My work is rooted in lived experience, curiosity, and the belief that art can be a lifeline.