Where Inspiration Begins

You never know where a writer will get their inspiration. It comes from the call of a particular bird they heard, the taste of a new dish, a street name, a co-worker’s personality, the list is endless. The smallest details can spark the greatest ideas. We also get inspiration from the words we consume. You have to read to write. You have to study the authors who came before you and learn the craft. I’ve been reading books for so long that I cant pin point one or even five particular influences on my fictional writing. What I can tell you, however, is where I got my poetic influence.

In 2016 “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur hit the New York Times Bestseller List. It took me 4 years to be convinced to jump on the bandwagon and finally get around to reading it. I was blown away by the power of her words and the feelings I had that she put on paper just right. It wasn’t always easy to read. Kaur’s writing includes triggers for sexual abuse, emotional abuse, depression, and anxiety. Just to name a few. She also writes about self-love and women empowerment. Some of her poems rhyme. Some do not. Some are long. Some are not. Some have hidden meanings. Some have meanings that punch you in the face. I thought to myself, “if poetry can be like that, I can do that.” And now, 2.5 years later I have over 40 poems written and Kaur has two more poetry books published. I was so hungry for more poets like Kaur that I went digging. I found Amanda Lovelace and her book, “The Princess Saves Herself In This One.” Lovelace puts a fairytale spin on triggering topics and also freeing topics like women empowerment. I’ve read and re-read all of their books countless times now.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Kaur came to Cleveland to do a poetry slam. I was a poetry slam virgin but HAD to go see her. I wanted to know what it was about. She read new poems and old ones, introducing each one with some background. Her presence grabbed your attention and held it. When she first came on stage, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much she looked like a celebrity in her emerald green velvet dress with the slit up the side and glittering jewelry. Seriously, I’ve never seen jewelry sparkle like that. But as the show went on, she started shifting her weight back and forth in her heels. The audience convinced her she didn’t need them and she did the rest of the show barefoot. It seems like a small thing but you could tell after that her shiny celebrity feel wore off and she felt like one of us. She even talked about her insecurity that she feels when her work is complimented like it was that night.

Below I’ve included some of my favorite poems by Rupi Kaur.