THE TEEN POETRY QUEEN
In a day and age when we despair and refrain that teenagers are incessantly glued onto their gadgets, have turned into couch potatoes, are incapable of writing beyond 40 characters, do not read… and the rant goes on… here is a refreshing breather. Amritsar based Anahat Puar disabuses us of all our stereotypes. She took to writing when she was all of 7 and over the years, has blossomed into a fine writer with impeccable poesy prowess. Currently, at 15, she expresses herself through her poetry, blogs and also sketching.
The youngster recalls how she started dabbling writing stories in a diary, and very soon, by the time she graduated to Grade 2, her writing had also progressed to poems. Anahat has always been a voracious reader and her writing is actually an extension of her habit of reading. “I remember entering a library when I was just 7 and I found it to be absolutely magical”, she shares excitedly. Anahat reminisces how she learned to transcend the trappings of her existentially riddled mind by opening a book and escaping into the world of wonder that came with it. By seventh grade, this ‘Little Wordsworth’ was penning poignant poems. They say being a teen is complicated business but for this teenager, language and art has been an absolute stress buster.”With poetry, infact, I’ve reached a further understanding of myself”, saids Anahat quite mindful of that fact. It has been the source of as well as feeder to her enthusiasm, emotions, intellect and creativity. After all, the value of poetry, for young people as well as us, is that it gives us space to be moody, vulnerable, afraid – fully ourselves! Anahat’s poems capture and express her various moods, which makes it all the more refreshing as opposed to being clichéd. Producing vibrant, timely and electric verse, Anahat explores varied themes depending on what her inspiration is. “It keeps changing. Sometimes, things that I write don’t make a lot of sense. And I think that’s the beauty of writing”, she says with an impish grin. Anahat has a knack of weaving a spectrum of heart and mind opening messages in her poetry. Her work captures her imagination and captivates that of the readers!
The young girl’s persistent passion for writing has goaded her on; and with 15 poems in her repertoire already, she continues to follow her writing aspirations, working towards actualising her dream of becoming an accomplished author some day. Another creative hat that Anahat wears is that of being an artist. What started with doodle art at a miniscule age when her Mom got her crayons for the first time has morphed into a marvellous medium of expression.
When asked as to how she balances school curriculum and her pursuit for writing, she shares how she found a brand new world outside school books. “The school curriculum needs to be abided by, but, once you land into this land of imagination, called writing, you find yourself glued to its beauty. I do manage to balance it very well because writing is passion as well as pleasure. It is mostly the break times or on weekends when I find ample time for my hobbies.”, she says. Her family has been very supportive, rather extremely encouraging and appreciative, which has acted as a huge catalyst for this teenager. “Writing energizes me and doesn’t exhaust me. It is the source of my enthusiasm, emotions, intellect and creativity”, she says in all modesty.
At the age of 13, she gave a Ted talk, which has been posted on YouTube by TED ED Student Talks Club, USA. Reading, Anahat feels, has played a really important role in her life and has been fruitful for her other talents too. My parents have always encouraged me to pursue reading and other hobbies. “I would not call myself a bookworm but it’s also true that whatever you become, how much you read, matters at the end of the day”, she says. Talking about the present pandemic situation, Anahat shares how her hobbies have kept her meaningfully busy and optimistic towards everything. “I believe following a passion and staying busy would keep you distracted from gadgets because I know it’s really hard to control when social media is so alluring and everyone around you is doing it”, she shares matter of factly. Some of her other hobbies are singing and playing musical instruments including her guitar and piano.
Anahat can be followed on www.insprinkle.wordpress.com. Her Instagram page is drawings_and_doughnuts.
On the phone, she comes across as a polite albeit quintessential teen, saying sentences punctuated by an occasional giggle. Her art though is exact opposite of that; it is intense and poignant. Her writing feels impelled by a deep authenticity and an even deeper humility. Anahat, Punjab is proud to call you its own!
Written by Adarsh Gill Brar
