What inspired you to write Seaglass?
I recall seeing pictures of translucent, teal- tinted pebbles on the internet, people crafting and selling seaglass jewellery and accessories. Out of curiosity, I had browsed about their natural formation, historical facts and beliefs across cultures, and read about their physical and chemical composition. It was also interesting to watch videos of people artificially creating seaglass using tiny machines. So, focusing on my artistic journey following “Astroverse” book with a sci-fi theme, I got inspired by the process of how something as unwanted as disposed glass, which is just a marine pollutant, is converted into something prettier by pressure of the ocean and the presence of other minerals, ultimately becoming valuable to the point that certain coasts experience their depletion due to visitors beachcombing seaglass along with seashells, as a collectible or for crafting jewellery.
I wanted to put this process as a metaphor for creating something valuable (art) , out of something which was the opposite (unpleasant memories, dismissed ideas, suppressed emotions , distractions and frustration), resulting in the conception of Seaglass.
Throughout the book, and in the titular piece, Seaglass is a metaphor for art/poetry, and subsequently the metaphors of the mind being as powerful as the ocean that crafts seaglass, to recycle undesirable, dumped glassware into something precious.
Sea-glass is a beautiful metaphor for transformation. How did you come up with this concept for your poetry?
I learnt about the concept of seaglass and the processes involved out of sheer nerdy curiosity, but the idea for this metaphor dawned upon me only when I began believing that my ideas are worth exploring, despite feeling otherwise, for a very long time.
I also wanted to convince myself that my thoughts and experiences are worth writing about, and worth investing my time and creativity towards. So, I set out to explore where the seaglass theme took my writing and thoughts, and how it shaped my perception of them. It also required developing self-esteem and trust, believing that what I will create will be worth sharing.
Writing Seaglass has functioned as a creative outlet for what lay neglected, invalidated and perceived unimportant by me. While not all the write-ups are positive and happy, but are also painful, tragic, or rebellious, I believe they still hold beauty and carry more value laid out as art , in the form of writing and drawing to be shared, rather than drowning debris in my mind.
That’s why I channelled my fascination with the phenomenon of seaglass formation into writing, to get vulnerable and expressive about my life experiences, thoughts and feelings, which ultimately led to their acceptance.
Your background is in physics and research at ISRO SAC. How does your scientific perspective influence your poetry?
Being a student and a budding researcher, I am constantly surrounded with new phenomena, methodologies, concepts and examples from nature which become muse for more of my creative side. Being trained in a scientific discipline such as physics helps me question existing and well-established practices, which makes me comfortable to try out new ways of approaching the way things are, the way I think,draw and write.
Pursuing scientific research needs us to appreciate depths of a topic and rely on references, all of which work favourably for an artistic venture too.
Although both of these roles require me to invest my intellect, think originally and keep learning, communicate creatively, when I feel overwhelmed by one, I rely on the other for a change. It is like my yin and yang.
The relationship is very inter-dependent , like electric field and magnetic field vectors of a propagating electromagnetic wave. What drives both is just curiosity.
My work at ISRO SAC as a research intern also investigates ways to analyse and unmix the spectral signals from satellite data, of floating marine debris. This is one of the few times where both the themes of my writing and research are in sync, related to waterbodies! Although my primary interest is in space exploration, my previous research projects have also included microplastics detection and analysis, and ways to curb industrial wastewater pollution with microplastics as photocatalysts. Helping towards sustainability as a scientist makes me appreciate nature more, which fuels my artistic drive.
How does Seaglass compare to your previous works, Petrichor and Astroverse: Sci-Fi Poems?
The central concept of seaglass is to create things under various circumstances, to transform something dismissible to something memorable. In seaglass, I also highlight my journey as a writer, trying to write despite all odds. Writing for comfort, writing for a purpose, writing for a reason to wake up in the morning amidst distraction and depression, writing to vent, to release pent up aggression, writing for affection, writing for survival. Compared to my other write ups in both astroverse and petrichor, I try not to be bound with restraints, resulting in two of the biggest poems I ever composed, focusing just on delivery and expression. I dearly value Astroverse, which was my venture to combine science fiction, space exploration, illustrations and poetry into a single project with passion. Petrichor was my first time compiling my poetry into a book, with various subthemes but not a central focus. Both of my previous books helped curate my current style as a writer.
What themes do you explore in Seaglass, and what message do you hope readers take away from it?
Some of the themes I have discussed include creative block, ambition, conformity, body dysmorphia, digital distraction and addiction, fragility of certain relationships, surreal dreams, acceptance of past trauma and being courageous, and many more.
I hope the readers are able to view their experiences as something valuable too, and get inspired to create something in their own unique way, or gain a perspective that enhances their perspective towards tough times , and inspires them in their lives, whether focusing on being creative or not.
Do you have a particular writing routine or creative process when crafting your poems?
I do not follow a routine for my writing yet, and have relied on spontaneous outburst of creative inspiration so far. However, when in the creative flow, I try to organize my ideas into poem titles or phrases that come to mind, then I figure out how to end two or more consecutive sentences in a way that they rhyme. At times, I also draw out my ideas. When anticipating a new idea, at times I prefer writing by hand on a paper first instead of typing it out to avoid cutting short of my phrases with word count.
What role does nature play in your poetry, and do you find inspiration from other natural phenomena?
Several themes in seaglass heavily draw inspiration from nature, using vegetation, growth and blight as metaphors, titled “Splinters of Wood”, “Greenhouse”, “Lonely Farmer Lore”, “Rough Prairie” and “Blank Canvas” (with an expression of shallow waves wiping off my drawings over damp sand, leaving my canvas blank).
Who are some of your literary influences, and what books or poets have shaped your writing style?
Emily Dickinson, Mary Shelley, Franz Kafka. I also draw a lot of inspiration from the lyrics of the songs I listen to.
Are you on social media? Where can readers connect with you?
Yes, I actively use LinkedIn for my scientific and writing updates @Simran Kaushik and Instagram @simzcel for connecting with friends, sharing art, travel and fitness updates as well as @sharpclawedmaomi for alternative/ goth subculture, fashion and artistic content.
Where can readers buy copies of Seaglass?
For paperback version, seaglass will be available on amazon, flipkart and the official website of literatureslight.
For ebook/ digital version, google books and amazon kindle will be the platforms.
Thank you for your time, Simran! We appreciate your insights and look forward to more of your beautiful poetry.
Thank you so much for this wonderful opportunity and the support. I appreciate carefully curated questions.
- Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/9349168022
- Kindle: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B0DYYZF2LP
- Flipkart: https://www.flipkart.com/product/p/itme?pid=9789349168022
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simzcel
