3 Questions for Shiksha

What was your process for creating this work?

Interestingly, these poems/pieces did not start off as visual or hybrid pieces at all. I wrote them as standard free verse poems. Then during the process of editing some suitable poems for general submissions, I began to visualise the words. I then thought that it would be pretty awesome if other people could visualize these words in a similar manner [to what I was visualizing them as]. I then began creating what I visualised in my mind.

What is the significance of the form/genre that you chose for this work?

For the autumn trees piece, it is a visual poem that is in the shape of a tree. So, it is a tree poem that is shaped like a tree; pretty linear in terms of creative derivation.

The other piece, the Venn diagram, is slightly more complicated. I thought about how sometimes in a situation or conversation, two people can interpret different meanings from the same statements. I thought a Venn diagram format would be ideal to represent this. Also, the visual formatting of the piece almost makes it obvious or more clear to the reader that there is an overlapping (but also, a discretion) of interpretation(s) happening. 

What is the significance of this work to you?

For me, venturing into more visual poetry is extremely interesting! It's almost as though I am beginning to marry my word thoughts to my visual thoughts, which is honestly very fulfilling.

Shiksha Dheda is a South African of Indian descent. She uses poetry (mostly) to express her OCD and depression roller-coaster ventures. Mostly, however, she writes in the hopes that someday, someone will see her as she is; an incomplete poem. Sometimes, she dabbles in photography, painting, and baking lopsided layered cakes. Twitter: @ShikshaWrites