Gina Carrillo, also known as Black Widow, is a spoken word artist based in Franklin, Tennessee. She is the founder of The Prodigal Poets Poetry Collective, which performs throughout Middle Tennessee.
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Carrillo has authored poetry books titled "Kaleidoscope" and "Poets United," both available on Amazon. Her work explores themes of love, loss, strength, and resilience, drawing from her personal experiences with grief, cancer, and domestic violence.
She describes writing as a therapeutic outlet, particularly during challenging times. For Carrillo, significant losses in her life, including the deaths of her father from alcoholism in 2009 and her husband from sleep apnea shortly afterward, fueled her creative expression, leading her to write extensively. In 2018, Carrillo faced her own health battle, being diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, which required a mastectomy, radiation, and reconstructive surgery. Despite these challenges, including a blood clot that affected her vision, she has regained most of her sight and continues to create.
In addition to poetry, Carrillo enjoys painting in an Impressionist style, often creating pieces inspired by her surroundings in Spain. She describes her poetry as trauma-based and Gothic, featuring dark yet impactful themes drawn from her life experiences. Known for her signature black and red attire and love of spiders, Carrillo is proud of her ability to perform memorized poems and combine live painting with poetry during her shows.
Those interested in collaborating with Carrillo can reach out to her directly. She is open to writing music, collaborating with other poets and musicians, and appreciates receiving poetry from others. Carrillo can be contacted through her social media profiles: Instagram (@blackwidowpoet), Facebook (Gina Carrillo), and TikTok (@blackwidowpoet). Pricing for collaborations and performances will be discussed individually.