Anastasia is a beautiful young lady. I met her through my work with SLDV Portrait, & she created a stunning family portrait for me, as well as a picture to show strength through the toughest time of my life so far.
I also met up with her at a branding course that I attended, & we immediately clicked. She has a passion & positivity about life that you don’t see very often, & when I put out a call on social media asking for ideas as to who I can focus on next, she reached out to tell me about another side of her – her poetry.
Now, I LOVED poetry at school. I used to write my own, but lost this when life just became too much. Poets have a very special gift, & when I read some of her poetry, I felt goosebumps & love overwhelm me.
Your name: Anastasia Amy
Business name: Anastasia Writes
Social media handles: Instagram & Facebook
Tell me a bit more about your poetry: My poetry is women-centred and deals with topics we know all too well; societal struggles, depression, and the constant self-love battle we are faced with daily. My aim is to combat the darkness by spreading awareness, reducing stigma, promoting kindness and creating positive change – I want to give people thoughts that grow flowers where their wounds are – I’ve always said that I write to heal, and I share in the hope that others may do the same.
Has English & poetry always been a big part of your life: Absolutely. When I was younger, I experienced severe bullying, and I started writing poetry as a way of coping with everything. I quickly realised just how cathartic it was, how expressive and self-reflective. It helped me process, and heal, and even grow through it all.
In school English and Drama were always my favourite subjects. I suppose it was the emotive aspects of both that appealed to me; the human aspects. I also studied English Literature in first year varsity. Language can be such a powerful tool when we use it to communicate what’s in our heart and soul, when we use it to express, motivate and uplift rather than destroy or hurt.
Why do you think poetry is such a powerful release for you: Acknowledging your pain is the first step towards healing. When we hide the broken parts of ourselves, we lose what makes us authentic, we give up the opportunity to expands ourselves – to learn. Every time I write, I am transferring my hurt to the page, and by the end of the poem I always feel more connected to my true self and my purpose. It’s a magical experience.
What are some of your favourite poems you have written:
“Lost soul,
You fixate on finding perfection.
Broken spirit,
You realise not your magic.
Weakened by the world,
A masterpiece
Of rotten parts
And of flowering fruits.”
And
“Because we crack
And plant seeds in the spaces
Because we hurt
But heal the wounds of others
Because we are ignored
So we listen intently
Because we are misunderstood
Yet we breed empathy.
How incredible
That we are treated as objects
But handle everything with such care.
How beautiful
Is a woman
To breathe in all these toxicities
And still
Exhale love.”
And
“The flower between the thorns,
Like your heart between the hurt.”
– That is the soil,
We are what flowers”
What are some of your favourite poems you have read from other authors: Desiderata, by Max Ehrmann
And basically everything ever by Rumi
Where can people read your poetry: I post a lot of content on my Instagram account, and I keep everyone informed about my performance dates on my Facebook account.
Three of my poems were also featured in the 2019 Writer’s Bloc poetry collection; ‘A Splash of Poetry’, available on Amazon.com.
Do you ever do live readings? If so, where: Yes. I started performing spoken word for Writer’s Bloc International in 2017 and we usually perform at Skoobs Theatre of Books in Monte Casino. I’ve also performed for Spoken Sessions in Centurion and Pretoria, and I’ve done a few motivational speeches at schools all over Gauteng.
Quote you live by: It’s one of my own: “We cannot hope for tomorrows to be happy – then, todays very quickly slip away. You are here, it’s a great place to be.”
Anything else you want to add: I think my poetry says it all <3
Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know the words on my heart, and the thoughts of my soul. I appreciate it so much, most especially coming from someone as inspiring as you!
My heart is so full after this blog, & I am so so proud to know Anastasia!
Keep being the inspiration that you are, & thank you for enriching our lives with your talent. I can’t wait to see more from you.
