Interview with modern poet Intensia

Poet Intensia chats with me today about her new collection of modern poetry, Words to Think. or to Sing.

During her virtual book tour, Intensia will be giving away a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn participant. To be entered for your chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:
From Munich’s vibrant core, Intensia is sparking a poetic, tuneful movement with a unique glimpse into her evolving pop songs-to-be book, “WORDS TO THINK. OR TO SING.”. It combines lyric snippets with heartfelt reflections, inviting readers to discover her art in progress in a new and unexpected way.

INTENSIA’s story began in childhood with a simple radio cassette recorder, a portal to a mesmerizing world where her voice became a powerful way to explore emotions and transform them into melodies.

Her lyrics delve into self-reflection, personal growth, relationships, and empowerment. Themes that reflect the vision of her boutique flagship label, Intensia Music International, which is also dedicated to inspiring others to explore their creative side.

With a high art, down-to-earth attitude, INTENSIA stands for emotional pop tunes that feel like after a meaningful conversation with a good friend. Step into her world at www.intensia.music and you will find a new sonorous companion for life.

Welcome, Intensia. What do you enjoy most about writing poems?
My main crafts are actually singing and songwriting. I am subconsciously driven by soundful words, melodies, vivid imagery, and that subtle dramaturgy living between the lines of texts preparing to be sung. I guess this is actually the best part of writing. The excitement and thrill of anticipation, knowing that even if the lyrics are already resonating and powerful, there is still a whole additional dimension waiting to be explored. Songs are like carefully prepared sonorous gifts made to resonate with the world, to inspire and entertain. Writing makes me feel like I can create memorable and relatable presents out of my vocation and what I am most passionate about.

Excerpt from Words to Think. or to Sing.:
V A N I S H

Those words are hiding in the rain
even vanishing, the memories remain
those words are hiding in the light
even vanishing, I hope you are all right

Don’t you need someone to take you by the hand?
don’t you need someone to help you understand?
don’t you need someone to stay until the end?

LIGHT AND RAIN NEVER HAPPEN IN VAIN.

Can you give us a little insight into a few of your poems – perhaps a couple of your favorites?
I would be more than honored to do that, thank you for asking. All I write is inspired by life and driven by emotions, not necessarily autobiographical, but experienced through my eyes and soul, so what I share is equally precious to me.

If I had to pick a few from the book nonetheless, I would go for “Melody,” “Cocoon,” and “Unstoppable.” Even if my writing is poetic, modern, and minimalistic, you can find a lot of perspectives in those verses.

“Melody” is about the draining circumstances of misunderstanding, superficiality, solitude, and the feeling of not belonging. A punchy awareness that comes with a reflective, deep, evolving soul. It is about choosing your own inner voice and melody over noise, comfort, or unasked advice. But if you read it, you could think it is mainly about depression, or burnout, or who knows what else.

“Cocoon” is about transformation, trust, becoming stronger and wiser, and every day a little closer to the true self. It is about choosing life companions wisely and trying to be open and optimistic about human interactions, whatever that might mean, because learning and personal development are lifelong things. You never really know at which point of the metamorphosis you are. We can only trust the process and learn how to deal with circumstances that are out of our control, in the most poetic, benevolent, and soulful way possible. It is packed in the journey of a butterfly about to come out of its shelter, afraid to just be itself and to interact with others. If you do not know, it could also be about identity and gender choices, for instance.

“Unstoppable” is more of a hymn and an anthem. It symbolizes things we can say or sing to ourselves whenever we feel a little down or face a challenging situation. It is a relatable, melodic way to remind ourselves that it is fully okay to have boundaries, that we can reach our goals and make smart choices for life, no matter the environment. You know, it could be a toxic relationship, an industry or work field, family, life in general, you name it.

Oh, to be a music artist and know that somewhere out there, there is someone who is going to make your words their very own and hold on to the tiniest details.

What form are you inspired to write in the most? Why?
I write in poetic, evocative, minimalistic but relatable verses that carry melodies, because life is better with a cinematic, emotionally supportive soundtrack.

What type of project are you working on next?
Words to Think. Or to Sing. is an ongoing, creative music unfolding adventure, because the presented lyric excerpts I curated specifically for the book are going to be developed, shared, experienced, and finalized as pop songs available for streaming. The difference is that I am not doing this behind closed doors as usual. The book is an invitation to be part of the journey in the making and to see how the presented fragments come to life. I believe that there is magic in the beginning and in the becoming. And the special connection arising from this approach is far more tangible and stronger than a bunch of content going viral or a few behind-the-scenes afterwards could ever offer.

When did you first consider yourself a writer / poet?
The funny thing about this is that I was very young and truly felt that what I was doing had to be something, but I did not know the word for it or even that it is actually a real profession. I might have been about six years old when I was gifted a blue double radio cassette recorder. That device fascinated me so much. From the very first day, I would spend countless hours listening to the radio, analyzing songs, and recording melodies of my own. Well, composing tunes and giving them a meaning can totally be the job of a songwriter, isn’t it?

How do you research markets for your work, perhaps as some advice for not-yet-published poets?
To me, writing or art in general is mainly about resonance and connection, rather than classic research or traditional marketing approaches. It is about a genuine shared experience and the feeling of being part of something bigger that unites, accompanies, and supports us. Based on your true and honest beliefs, you can seek out platforms, media, and means to realize your projects in ways that best suit your values and vision. If possible, try to be curious and open to all aspects of your work. The more you know, can explain, and translate into different points of view, the better.

Practice patience and clarity. You truly need to know exactly who you are, why you are doing it, for whom, and with what intent. Marketing a product is a well-known standard. But building a whole world and a multifaceted experience around it is a personal and special invitation. If there is nothing comparable to what you aim for, or if you care more about your artistic integrity or strategic alignment, consider creating an efficient working environment that truly represents your values. It might take more effort, but sovereignty and autonomy, both artistically and deliberately, are very precious.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Probably the most interesting thing is that you never know when I am doing it. If something catches my attention more than usual, I might already be orchestrating words and musical thoughts in my head about it, even in the middle of everything or in the most unexpected situations. And I bet you would not even notice.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I had short phases in which I would have loved to become a chef, a veterinarian, an archaeologist, and then, surprise, a singer. Once I discovered music for myself, I truly knew “this is it”. But life still has its own reasons, pace, ways, and timing.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Thank you so much for being here and for reading this. You are warmly invited to witness the evolution of the lyric fragments and become part of this unique artistic journey on Substack. It is the dedicated place where I share further development and the becoming. I would be thrilled to see you there.

Links:
Artist Website | Publisher Website/Music Label | Author Amazon Page | Goodreads | Buy link

Find reflections, impulses, and progress on the lyric excerpts from the book as they turn into cinematic, emotional pop songs to stream and experience: https://substack.com/@intensiawords