Sometimes finding the right words to say on certain tragic or joyous occasions can be difficult. But as Vicky Green found out, Lynn New always knows what to say.

Lynn, from Seaview, is an author and illustrator of inspirational poetry.

"I help people to find the words that will help that person think for themselves and sometimes of themselves so healing can begin," said Lynn.

"It is sad to be asked to write for a child's funeral or to guide a teenager or to express unconditional love in a way that is unobtrusive."

Lynn, 53, wrote her first piece of poetry when she was 23 and a student nurse in Jersey. Her first patient died of a terminal illness which affected Lynn deeply.

"I went home and wrote a poem called Soldier of Life You've Gone to Your Rest," she recalled. "It wasn't a morbid poem, but rather a celebration of life.

"Eventually I had to give up my nursing career because the bowel condition which had haunted me for much of my life, finally caught up with me and I had to have major surgery.

"Most of my life my schooling had been curtailed because of my illness, but this in itself enabled my imagination and creativity to take over. I was always drawing and writing, it was something I was passionate about.

"After leaving my job in nursing, I met my husband and we moved to the Isle of Wight. During this time I worked at many different jobs such as a shop assistant and in hotels.

"My marriage to my husband became an unhappy one. During this time I started to write poetry again. I used to take myself off to the local woods and wrote many poems, including one of my favourites, The Greatest Love.

"I still loved drawing, so I illustrated the poems. One day someone I knew saw The Greatest Love, and they wanted to have a copy.

"I started to laminate my poems and sold them from home. There was great interest in my work and a lot of people wanted it.

"During that time I was offered a job as a dental nurse but I decided that I wanted to make my creativity my full-time job.

"Eventually I started to help a friend at Haseley Manor on the Island when it used to have a craft village on the site.

"This friend suggested that I sold my work there, which by now had extended to laminating and mounting my poems and producing keyrings and bookmarks.

"After two seasons my friend decided that she wanted to finish working at the outlet, so I took it over entirely for my own work.

"During this time I split up from and divorced my husband. My work was a focus away from all the tragic events affecting me.

"Although my work at times does seem almost religious, I am not religious because I don't believe in a specific god. But I am very spiritual.

"Throughout my life I have held on to a strong faith that we are not deserted, that we are guided and that we have someone to turn to should we but turn at all.

"This comes across in all my work and although a portion of it is simply for mums to give to their sons and daughters, most give a message of help through life's problems.

"I do many commissions for bereavement and hope. And I often get men coming and asking me to write a love poem for their wife.

"People had asked me why I hadn't written a book. When my husband and I split up, it spurred me on to rent an attic flat and start on my first book.

"I had no publisher but wrote in hand calligraphy and illustrated the book as I went along.

"I gave up my part-time shop job as I felt I wasn't writing enough. Those were scary times but they were invaluable to me.

"I also decided to give up my unit at Haseley Manor but in the last days of my notice I met a publisher's wife in the shop. She was delivering other books.

"She introduced me to her husband and they decided to take me on.

"They have now produced all five of my books and also print a full range of greetings cards.

"I have just had my fifth book published, called The Light Within.

"I am also planning to open the chalet in my garden for people to visit and view a full range of my work.

"My poems have found a growing market and need in this time we live in.

"To find the right words that will help someone is a precious gift.

"This is my joy and serenity because I started this as a way to help myself.

"That my words can help others always amazes me and for this I am grateful."

For further information about Lynn's books or the exhibition of her work, e-mail her on lynnznew@talk21.com