Twenty-six-year-old Phil Krell is no stranger to being alone. For the past year, he has been hitchhiking and traveling to more than 30 states with his typewriter, surviving solely off writing poetry for people in the street.

“I sit out, people give me topics and I will write them poetries on the spot,” said Krell, a Florida native, braving the wind on a chilly Sunday afternoon at Washington Square Park in New York City. He had $20 in his pocket, “but I got a full subway card. That’s a big thing,” he said. “I am solid.” Krell believes hardships make him a better writer. “I want to experience the world, be able to see what life is like and put myself through hard times because that’s where you learn from quicker.”