In Conversation With Aditi Singh

About Aditi Singh:

Aditi Singh is a psychologist by qualification and a photographer by choice. She’s been working as a Freelance Commercial and Advertising Photographer for more than eight years and developed a predilection towards writing poems during the COVID times. She’s also a self taught Zentangle/Mandala artist.

LiFT: Tell us about your book, the journey of writing it and its content.

Aditi: The book talks about the constant mental struggles of a girl who had no choice but to endure through a painful emotionally abusive relationship for years still holding on to her dreams. It’s a tale of a mending and healing yet bleeding heart expressed in seventy three poems encompassing years of mental struggles and the painstaking and toilsome efforts needed to believe in and trying to live the life of one’s dreams.

Emotional and psychological abuse is a silent killer and is still under researched, usually goes unrecognised and unreported only because people generally prefer staying silent and the victim is left at the mercy of the abuser. This book is a humble appeal #stopnormalisingabuse.

I wrote these poems during the COVID times in 2020.

LiFT: Why you chose this title?

Aditi: Narcissists are pathological liars. Their entire life is a lie concealing a frail and flawed self underneath their massive ego and obvious self-esteem. The book contains seventy three poems that elucidate the wounds of the heart and scars of the mind created over the years with these obsessive lies. To love and to be loved is the greatest blessing ever but the same love becomes a curse when it comes enwrapped in the layers of lies. Hence, I found this as the most appropriate title.

LiFT: When did you realize that you want to be a poet and what’s your inspiration behind it?

Aditi: Well…. I’d been an avid reader and had been writing snippets and one liners for long to compliment my photography and artworks. It was only during the Covid times in 2020 that I started experimenting with poetry and being a psychologist, I’ve always been drawn towards individual behaviour (and the various determinants to it). The inspiration for my first set of poems comes from a girl’s life who had to struggle hard through a typical narcissistic abusive relationship.

LiFT: Where do you see yourself ten years down the line in the world of literature?

Aditi: I think it’s too early for me to answer this. But I’ll try my best to continue writing something really meaningful.

LiFT: How much do you think marketing or quality of a book is necessary to promote a particular book and increase its readers?

Aditi: Although I think it’s more the content of the book that really matters, but both are extremely and equally important. From choosing the colours, designs and letters for the cover page to the quality of paper and font size, everything is gonna decide the kind of feel readers will get while holding the book in their hands. All this keeps the readers glued to the book till the end. Quality (both in terms of its content and material) will make its way but through strategic marketing and advertising it becomes easier for the book to make its mark amongst the readers.

LiFT: What is the message you want to spread among folks with your writings?

Aditi: Each individual has a story to tell and there’s always so much to learn from every single life. May be that’s why I prefer reading more biographies and autobiographies as well, because to me life comes in chapters, one ends and a new one begins. Our progress is defined by how well we explore, analyse and learn from each of these chapters.

LiFT: What do you do apart from writing?

Aditi: I work as a freelance commercial and advertising photographer and I am also a self taught Zentangle/Mandala artist.

LiFT: What are the activities you resort to when you face a writer’s block?

Aditi: Instead of a ‘Writer’s Block’ I call it an ‘Artist Block’ as the same condition is often experienced irrespective of whether I am working as a photographer or as a zentangle/mandala artist or when I am writing. The causes could be anything from timing to the fear of putting ideas or may be the struggle of trying to be a perfectionist every time and in everything. Whenever this happens, I just simply prefer taking a break and switching to activities that help my body and mind feel at ease like reading a book, gardening, going on a trip or may be a long drive, listening to my favourite music, spending time with animals, etc.

LiFT: Are you working on your next book? If yes, please tell us something about it.

Aditi: Ummm….yes… but this one is kind of a little technical one on Photography.

LiFT: What are your suggestions to the budding writers/poets so that they could improve their writing skills?

Aditi: Just keep writing. It’s only the consistency in whatever you do and your openness to new learning that can help you actually grow. There’s no shortcut to success.

Click here to order Aditi’s Book – Love Was a Lie