Interviewing Creative Folk /Hannah Cao
I first discovered Hannah’s work through connecting on our respective blogs. I instantly loved her writing style – it flows in a beautiful way, finding harmony between emotions and story. Hannah’s ability to place the right words in the right sequence is her superpower. She also happens to write about all the things I love; heartache, affection, the everyday. Since following her, she’s self-published her poetry book, Seashore, is working on a novel and has just launched Latte Press as an independent publisher. I’m thrilled she joins us and we get to dig a little deeper into her creativity. Enjoy!
01/ How do you find the courage / forward momentum to self publish?
I think I found the courage after other indie writers taking the plunge and making it to the bestseller lists internationally, that’s when I realised that self publishing is not a bad thing, and if it’s possible, why not do it? I’ve always wanted my work to be published, and for my family, friends and followers to read it, so I figured why not? It’s not really that I’m too confident in myself or my writing but I do think everyone deserves to be heard and everyone deserves to be creative and put their work out there. There will always be at least one person that you can inspire, or reach in a different way.
02/ When writing poetry, do the lines flow from beginning to end or are they gradually built over time?
It really depends, honestly! Most of them I write on a whim, or I start big portions of them on a whim, and eventually I finish them. Others I gradually come back to over time. I write poetry to connect with myself and events in my life, and poetry is highly emotionally motivated for me which means some pieces happen in the moment and others take longer to finish depending on how long I need to emotionally process something, if that makes sense.
03/ Do you ever fear losing your voice/style/word flow?
All the time, but then again, your voice and style never stops evolving. You can also explore different voices, different structures. There are really no boundaries in poetry and writing in general, for me. If anything, if I do “lose” my voice, I’ll probably have grown into a new one, and that just shows growth!
04/ What are your favourite themes?
Love is my favourite theme, the good, the bad, the ugly, all of it! I think it’s because love will be everywhere I go, every time, and there are so many different forms of love.
05/ Does your writing/poetry have a distinct purpose?
I wrote Seashore to be understanding and to comfort. I would say I write poetry to connect with my feelings, and that just so happens to be relatable to people, because we’re all human and going through similar things in life. I generally write to express myself, really. I always daydreamed stories as a kid and growing up, so I think the distinct purpose in all that I write is to fulfil my dream of storytelling, and to be heard, and bring something a little magical and comforting to people.
06/ Do you have a space where inspiration strikes most?
I’m used to writing at my desk, which is filled with photos and post cards and mood board-esque gallery wall pieces. Inspiration usually also strikes me when I’m in a café and people-watching. I also draw a lot of inspiration from new places after coming back from a trip.
07/ Can you share your future vision (the big dream) view?
I’m in a dreamy house with a green couch and I have a cat and a dog who get along like best friends, my partner and I’m writing full-time or owning my own café in my city. This is the view I always have and that sort of gives me hope, even if it won’t necessarily turn out that way. It feels like manifestation, because sometimes I sort of already act like I write full-time, and it feels wonderful, and I hope to do that one day, if I’m going to write part-time it’ll be because I’m running my own café with my mum and sister (and my partner, if they want to).
Where to find & follow Hannah
Instagram and Twitter @ capuletsbirdie
Spotify @ Hannah Cao
“I have playlists for everything and I just posted one for my debut novel”
You can also find Hannah’s mini-poetry book ‘rosy-cheeked’ for free download on her site here.
Big thanks Hannah for sharing your creativity with the world!
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