Curious to discover ways to uncover your inner voice? Or how to embrace vulnerability when telling your story? How about ways to practice self-care when crafting difficult scenes? We talk about it all and more with Jasmin Kaur.
Jasmin is a writer, illustrator, and spoken word artist exploring themes of feminism, womanhood, social justice and love, acts as a means of healing and reclaiming identity. She was named The Tempests’ 40 Women to Watch in 2019 and has been celebrated at the American Music Awards. Her debut poetry and prose collection, When You Ask Me Where I’m Going comes out this October.
In our conversation, we talk about Jasmin’s love for story and creating representation through her art. We also talk about how she uncovered her inner authentic voice, ways to recognize when you’re holding back and self-censoring your writing voice, and how to amplify your vulnerability so it flows naturally in your writing. We discuss her highly-anticipated debut When You Ask Me Where I’m Going and why she chose to structure the book in a very specific way. Further into the conversation, we discuss healing and the important role self-care plays when crafting emotional stories.
Books and resources:
Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Poet Rumi
Spoken word artist Sunni Patterson
Author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk: The danger of a single story
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Check out these highlights:
- Jasmin shares how she fell in love with stories and writing (3:30)
- She shares how her experience growing up in her community fuels her desire to tell stories and highlight her identity (5:15)
- How Jasmin uncovered her love for poetry and spoken word (13:50)
- Advice on discovering your inner writer’s voice (15:53)
- Finding the courage to not hold back or self-censor your writing (17:52)
- Amplifying vulnerability in your writing (20:30)
- She shares a snapshot of When You Ask Me Where I’m Going and breaks down how she mapped out the structure of her book (21:00)
- Why it’s crucial to uplift and celebrate everyone’s stories (27:15)
- The importance of self-care when writing emotional scenes (34:59)
“Reading has been a source of so much joy in my life, so much comfort and safety, that it felt like a natural progression into writing.”
-Jasmin Kaur
“I try to use my writing as a means of getting down to the heart of what I’m feeling and to not hold back any punches or to not hold back any parts of myself – to just get down to the source of what I’m trying to say and feel unafraid to say it.”
-Jasmin Kaur
“I have to write my first draft of anything as if no one in the world is ever going to read what I have to say because otherwise it becomes convoluted and diluted with your fears about other people’s perceptions.”
-Jasmin Kaur
“I wanted to express the idea that at the root of a human being, despite our traumas, despite all the layers of hurt that exist within us, at our deepest level maybe there is nothing but light.”
-Jasmin Kaur
Say “Hi” to Jasmin Kaur:
Learn more about “When You Ask Me Where I’m Going“
Perfect for fans of Rupi Kaur and Elizabeth Acevedo, Jasmin Kaur’s stunning debut novel is a collection of poetry, illustrations, and prose.
scream
so that one day
a hundred years from now
another sister will not have to
dry her tears wondering
where in history
she lost her voice
The six sections of the book explore what it means to be a young woman living in a world that doesn’t always hear her and tell the story of Kiran as she flees a history of trauma and raises her daughter, Sahaara, while living undocumented in North America.
Delving into current cultural conversations including sexual assault, mental health, feminism, and immigration, this narrative of resilience, healing, empowerment, and love will galvanize readers to fight for what is right in their world.
Learn more about Jasmin Kaur
Jasmin is a writer, illustrator, and spoken word artist exploring themes of feminism, womanhood, social justice and love, acts as a means of healing and reclaiming identity. She is fascinated by words and the power they hold to shape our environment. As a writer, Jasmin honors the powerful human connection experienced through storytelling and the common ground found through our diverse narratives. She was named The Tempests’ 40 Women to Watch in 2019 and has been celebrated at the American Music Awards. Her debut poetry and prose collection, “When You Ask Me Where I’m Going” releases October 1st, 2019.
