Tiny Talks is an interview series with Tiny Spoon’s talented contributors. This week we spoke with Shloka Shankar from Issue 9, Cut/Copy/Paste: The Remix! Find their poem, “what to say” in our ninth issue!

Tiny Spoon: What was your process for engaging with the Cut/Copy/Paste Remix? How did you choose what to keep or what to omit?

Shloka: I read through the entire issue and opened a notepad to the side. As I was reading, I copied phrases, words, and lines into the notepad. Then, I remixed my selection into a poem by adding and deleting, sometimes altering the tense, et cetera. It’s an intuitive process, really, and I stop when the poem speaks to me and begins to “sound” like something I would have written. Found poetry works only if the individual sources are elevated/altered to create something new, exciting, and different.

Tiny Spoon: What kindles your creativity?

Shloka: I love making abstract collages and creating visual poems from there. A single word or phrase I read in another poem can also spark something in my own head. It’s about paying attention and noting down the most innocuous things that might trigger the muse later on. Being playful and experimental alleviates the pressure to “get something done.”

Tiny Spoon: Are there any natural entities that move your work?

Shloka: We’d love insight into your creative process. Could you share what it is like for you, either with your work that appears in Tiny Spoon or in general?

Tiny Spoon: Do you have any current or future projects that you are working on that you would like to share?

Shloka: I am the Founding Editor of Yavanika Press, an indie publisher of eBooks, and we have a whole bunch of new titles coming out in September.

Tiny Spoon: Is there anything else you would like others to know about you, your creations, or beyond?

Shloka: My debut full-length haiku collection, The Field of Why, came out earlier this year, and you can purchase a copy here if you’re interested: https://yavanikapress.wixsite.com/home/the-field-of-why

Tiny Spoon: Where can people learn more about what you do?

Shloka: Website: http://www.shlokashankar.com / Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/shloks23 /

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/shloks89 / Society6 shop: http://www.society6.com/shloks23