An interview with Samana Sajan

Student and author of I Spoke with the Moon and This Is What She Told Me

It’s not every day you meet someone who truly epitomizes what it means to be an artist. Currently double-majoring in English and Religion at UofT, Samana Sajan is also an actress and poet who has always found exquisite beauty in all the things life has to offer, looking at life through a lens that is completely painted with inspiration. On August 1, 2019 Waldorf Publishing published Samana’s debut poetry collection, I Spoke with the Moon and This Is What She Told Me. Having witnessed the culmination of Samana’s creative processes first-hand, I decided to sit down with her to ask about the creation of her unique collection, how it has changed her life, and any advice she has for others looking to follow their dreams and pursue their passions professionally. 

How did you start writing poetry and how long would you say you’ve been writing for?

I would say I’ve been writing for the past ten years. I didn’t start off as a poet, I dabbled with short stories, plays, songs, and as I progressed in that and stumbled across poetry for the first time, reading poets such as Waris Shah, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, Kabir, etc., something called out to me, and I really found that I resonated with poetry in every sense. It touched something profound within me. I tried my hand and ever since I wrote my first poem I never stopped. Since that point I’ve built on that and yeah, it’s been a journey since then and really an ever-evolving process. It doesn’t stop. It grows with me and grows within me, so I’d say that’s how I started. 

What is your collection about and what inspired you to write it?

So, the collection is called I Spoke With the Moon and This is What She Told Me and from the title I think you can tell the book is facilitated around and revolves around the moon; the moon is what inspired me to write this collection. It’s been a muse for me all this time, she’s witnessed my journey and my evolution and also propelled that for me. Through her I’ve written many of my poems—I’d like to say I’m just a vessel for poetry to flow out of. The whole collection mirrors human evolution and the different stages we grow through in our own lives. The Moon is kind of, I’ve always seen her as a motherly and divine figure and she’s watched over me and my poetry, she lives in the words. That’s the best way I can describe it. She lives in my words, and all I’m trying to do, as a poet, is share with the world the joy that she brings me and the inner truths she emanates… How can I impart her wisdom with the world? And at the same time, how can I navigate the inner dimensions within myself through my poetry? 

The concept for your collection I Spoke With the Moon And This is What She Told Me is extremely special, how did you come up with this concept?

This book is so complex, I really want to try and break it down as much as I can. Especially the phases, they’re very complicated. I would say, the poems in this collection, the whole purpose is to get the reader to understand how important it is to align with your inner process. The whole goal of this book is to move towards being a conscious being in the world, and consequently moving beyond it. Being a conscious being is something you have to try for in every breath and every moment, and it’s important to understand that these pieces are not easy to read. We are very much in sync with the moon cycle, the lunar tides, whatever phase the moon is in, whether we realize it or not, we are really aligned with it. Depending on what phase we’re in it affects our moods, the way we think, and the way we act. All four phases reflect this, and it encourages the reader to internalize these phases, encouraging the reader to awaken their inner journey, and stir movement within the self which naturally produces a more conscious outlook in the word. The new Moon is a period of growth and self-discovery, the waxing Moon is reflecting on our own consciousness [and] is a call to start that process and inner work. The poems in this section are not easy to digest, they’re not easy, and they’re not intended to be skimmed to feel good and move on. It’s meant to get the reader to really think and question what goes on in a place beyond the mind. The full Moon is a culmination of this: realizing your consciousness and inner self and living in this climax state of full awareness and understanding how to perceive the world in your own consciousness. The waning Moon is NOT a regression by any means. It’s a coming to terms of where you are, how to go about in the world and move within yourself in such a way that you realize where you’re at and actively live in that moment. It’s not about looking to the next moment or next thing, it’s about being satisfied and really accepting where you are in your own journey and living fully, fully to the maximum capacity in that state and learning how to live in that moment and maintain those emotions and feelings constantly. It’s not about getting there anymore, it’s about stopping yourself from wanting the next thing, it’s about, “How do I expand this and make this part of my existence… How do I make this a constant in every single breath?” These poems, like I said earlier, are not meant to be simple, they’re meant to sit with you and get you to contemplate on your own life. In every phase, the goal is for the reader to move with the moon, move through each phase and really internalize it. She [the Moon] represents this, this kind of equilibrium and state of liberation. And it is very important for us to understand how to work with those energies. It’s important for us to understand this state of existence that is beyond us. 

What advice would you give to anyone who is also looking to be published?

Take the step. Don’t give into your fear of being rejected, that’s going to happen inevitably. Understand that not everyone will resonate with your work, but the people that do will be the right audience for you. You are writing and trying to publish, for you. It’s not for anyone else. It’s going to be shared with the world, but you’re sharing it with yourself first. You should be putting your work out there because it’s fulfilling something inside you. The motive should never be, “to be published, seen, and known” it should be wanting to share something profound and moving for you with the world. If you look at it through that lens it’ll be so much easier because you know you’re writing for you, and if someone can relate to that, that’s great, and if they can’t, that’s okay too! Especially for students, take advantage of the resources you have around you. Talk to professors, take advantage of the seminars around you—it’ll give you plenty of opportunities! There’s so many clubs and organizations on campus! Educate yourself on what’s around you and utilize the resources that you do have, I think that’s really, really important. But most of all, you need to have confidence within yourself and belief in yourself and let your work speak for itself. 

How has your life/processes changed since publishing your collection?

My life has changed tremendously I would say, because publishing a book has always been a dream of mine and something I wanted to do, and the fact I can say I’ve done it now is a beautiful, beautiful experience for me. I’m learning how to live that and not take it for granted. I’ve been able to achieve this. A lot of people are struggling to achieve something like this, and I’m learning to be grateful for that every single moment. Also, the way that I think now about poetry and publishing has definitely changed because I’m understanding there is a lot more to publishing than just writing. You learn about so much; marketing, what goes into publishing, editing, etc. The process of publishing is an entire world in and of itself. It’s made me think about business and broadened my horizons about how I can be the best for my book and be a walking representation of it and it’s really made me hungry to write more and publish more poems and even other forms of literature. Holding that book in your hand and running your fingers over the pages, knowing how much of yourself has gone into 

each word, seeing that manifested is just incredible. It’s a feeling that I’ve kind of yearned for my entire life, and I know a lot of people yearn for something like this. So, it’s really just taught me how to simultaneously be satisfied but also keep pushing myself as a poet. 

What future plans and projects do you have coming up? Is there a new collection in the works?

There is a new collection in the works. I’m definitely already working on book number two. Book number two, like I said, as a poet I’m constantly growing and evolving, so I want to share that process with the world too, and book number one will always hold a special place in my heart, but I’m ready to start a new venture and push myself a little more. As a poet I’ve already evolved so much, my words have taken on a different flavour since then. My poems evolve as I evolve, and I have to try and keep up and capture that, and as I’m growing I want to share my process with the whole world and hope they will be on this journey with me. So that’s what I’m currently working on, I don’t know when it’ll be done but it’s in the works. I’m also trying to expand my art form. Not just keep it limited to the written word, I want to translate that to other areas of art like video. Trying to venture out a little bit and focus on sharing, like, now that my book is done, what can I do to share it in every way possible? For example, right now I’m recording a video, which is a visual representation of one of the poems from my book. I’ve collaborated with a filmmaker, Mateen Manek, who is capturing me in my element, demonstrating me as a poet in my element, capturing my work and giving it life beyond the page. Kind of dabbling, and stepping out of the written form, and essentially giving life to what I’ve written. 

You can find Samana’s poetry and stay updated with her future projects at @SamanaSajan on Twitter and @samana.s.poetry on Instagram. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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