Faces of Elkin: Kelly Marie Collins - Writer, Photographer, and Elkin Storyteller

Some people leave their hometowns and never look back. Others leave, only to realize that no other place will ever feel quite like home. For Kelly Marie Collins, it wasn’t duty or circumstance that brought her back, it was the sense of belonging that Elkin so naturally provides.

Born and raised on the rural edge of town, Kelly returned to the Elkin area with her husband, Michael Bryan (both born-and-bred locals), ready to build a life marked by intention, sustainability, and just the right amount of chickens. Today, they live near Wells Knob, where they're finding meaning in the slow and simple.

Kelly's deep roots and creative spirit come through in everything she does. Through her writing and photography, she's learning to tell her story with honesty, heart, and a little wink. With poems scribbled in quiet moments and photos snapped on walks through town, her work creates beauty that lingers - just like Elkin itself.

She recently shared a poem that struck a chord with us at Explore Elkin. Titled Elkin: Grit, Grace, and Song, it reflects on the town's past, celebrates its present, and captures its resilient spirit in a way only someone who knows Elkin could. We're honored to feature her words here:

Elkin: Grit, Grace, and Song

by Kelly Marie Collins

I was born where the factory hum used to roar,

Where lint kissed the sunlight and clung to the floor.

Where Chatham's gave bread to each table and plate,

And mamas packed lunches at quarter to 8.

Those brick walls knew every name and face,

Each shift a rhythm, each station a place.

Then silence crept in like it owned the whole town,

And the hum disappeared without even a sound.

Just past the murals and music and light,

The old factory still stands in rust and in might.

Fenced off and quiet, but stitched in the lore,

It holds what was lost and became something more.

We built something new without wiping the past,

With hands that remembered, and roots that hold fast.

The shops may be small, but the welcome is wide —

And kindness still walks down Main Street with pride.

Now weekends bring music and kids in the street,

With flowers and food trucks and sunshine and heat.

There's laughter that lingers in breezes that blow,

And trails that lead somewhere they're starting to know.

The Yadkin still sings through morning and mist,

In a town that remembers, resists, and persists.

A patchwork of grit, of grace, and of song —

The kind of small town that makes you belong.

Kelly's favorite days include slow drives down country roads with her mom, big laughs over small things, and a perfect iced coffee ("worthy of any elder millennial" as she says). You'll likely find her supporting small businesses like Wild Flour Bistro, CabeLand Farm, Plant Huggers Nursery, and Hawks Produce - always leaving with something in hand and a little more appreciation for the place she calls home.

In a world that often moves to fast, Kelly reminds us to pause. To notice. To remember. To celebrate the places and people who shape our lives. We're lucky Elkin is the place she calls home - and even luckier she's sharing its story, one beautiful word at a time.