Hello artists, and welcome back to another artist feature. This week, we are featuring. Tanvi Jeph. She is a fourteen year old writer and poet from Delhi, India. Many of her poems have been published on national and international sites. She also has her own organization, The Dried Review, which she opened in April 2022 with the aim of connecting people through the art of writing. Now, let's get into our interview with her.
1. How did you first get into music, art, or spoken word?
I have always liked to write and read since I was little. I used to write random stuff when I was a kid but they were like moral stories in my way and gradually I started to write poems and stories. When I was 11 that is when I realized that I enjoy writing poems and stories and now I use them to voice out marginalized voices and on issues that have been ignored by society.
2. Who or what are your biggest inspirations that motivate you to create art or write music?
My biggest inspiration that has always motivated me to write poetry is nature and the environment. I don’t write poems on these topics but I observe them. I mostly add something connected to nature like flowers, sun, dry soil etc. It is because I am surrounded by these elements and I can never be short on ideas this way.
3. How do you plan on using your art and music to spread awareness or make a difference in the world?
I have always felt that a pen is mightier than a sword and I always try to create a difference through my poems mentioning social issues and I try to address them in the best way possible.
4. What is your favorite piece of poetry that you have written so far?
My favorite piece of poetry that I have written is War. It is a short poem that describes how destructive war is, without mentioning any gory details in the poem.
5. What are your current or future goals with your art, music, and spoken word?
I hope to publish an anthology but I am in no hurry for that. My current goal is to keep writing as I am very passionate about it and I want to continue writing poetry till the end because it is a form of meditation for me.
6. If you had the opportunity to spend a day with your favorite artist or musician, who would it be and why?
It would be Charles Dickens because I have always loved his style of writing, it feels so realistic and you can almost witness that those characters are live and in front of you.
7. Do you have any advice or tips for people that are interested in music and art?
Writing is an art form that connects all of us in some way or the other. You should go and chase your dreams because sooner or later you will think about your passion so go ahead and do it right now because everything in this world needs to be given a chance.
Here are photos of Tanvi and some of her poems.