Subhechcha Ganguly 
Meet Priyasha Nayak, a talented 19-year-old architecture student who has discovered her passion for expressing thoughts through captivating poetry. Alongside her studies, Priyasha has authored her first book titled “A Love Named ‘ME'” and contributed to various anthologies, showcasing her versatility as a writer. With a love for sketching, storytelling, and immersing herself in novels and music, she finds solace in her artistic pursuits. Social media has been a significant platform for Priyasha, allowing her and many others to reveal their talents and connect with the world, making a positive impact on the creative community. Let us know more about her in this interview.
- “A Love Named ‘ME'” is your first book. What inspired you to write it, and what message or emotions did you intend to convey through your poetry?
“I just wanted to comfort all those burning hearts who still feel they don’t deserve everything they’ve or they’re. I just feel and I’ve seen people excluding themselves when they talk about their loved ones, in loving others people often forget that they themselves are also the someone who needs someone. I just wanted them to feel seen. The book I wrote is a collection of poetries I wrote when I was in my early teens showcasing the thoughts I couldn’t express. I wanted to comfort and heal people; I wanted people to feel seen and understood.”
- Your book, “A Love Named ‘ME,'” is about self-love and discovery. How has writing about these themes influenced your own journey of self-growth and understanding?
“Writing about my feelings made me understand a lot about me. And that definitely had led me learning about how I can improve me and being honest I still am not a person I love; I’m still finding reasons to love me.
I have a lot to regret but as I’m growing up life is all about embracing and being grateful for what I’ve and accepting what I lack.”
- As a second-year architecture student, how do you balance your academic responsibilities with your creative pursuits, such as writing and contributing to anthologies?
“Writing is a hobby that has been playing great part in my life, I write whenever I feel stressed or just whenever I find a thought in my head being interesting,
I don’t know about others but I feel stressed when I’m away doing nothing so I just love keep doing things that bring me the sense of accomplishment. And all the things I like is an escape I find to get away from my head that’s always clouded with tons of thoughts always. My creative pursuits are basically my identity.”
- Many authors find it challenging to communicate with people but express themselves eloquently through writing. How has writing helped you convey your thoughts and emotions?
“Writing is the only way where I communicate from heart to heart to be honest. And for me writing is definitely the only way to say what’s in my head and how my heart is feeling in that moment.”
- Your hobbies include sketching, writing poetry and stories, reading novels, and music. How do these creative outlets complement and influence each other in your work?
“Each of my creative outlets have greatly complimented each other, music in one way can be seen as my muse while writing. I listen to many artists in general and that provides me an exposure of how different people feel and how well some express them in words, that helps me while writing poetries that include a storyline in them as I’ve to play two different characters in my head to completely write it. And before being a writer you need to be a reader to fully incorporate the qualities of how same emotions are written so differently by different people.”
- How do you find inspiration? Are there any specific sources or experiences that have significantly impacted your writing?
“My inspiration is my daily life; mostly what have happened with me or what’s happening these days or something that I learned today, and sometimes it comes from a scene I see in movies or in series or while listening to music.”
- What role has social media played in your journey as an author? How has it helped you showcase your talent and connect with your readers?
“Social media have definitely played a role in my life from writing in my diaries secretly when I was in school to publishing my own book in my second year of college. Everything happened when I just reluctantly opened a page initially as an artist as I was getting bored sitting idle at home during covid; which later turned into a writing page.”
- Writing is often a deeply personal and vulnerable process. How do you overcome any self-doubt or challenges while sharing your work with the public?
“Well, writing does squeeze out all your thoughts into the paper but being a writer that’s what you need to be prepared for, being vulnerable and weak at times to be strong in what you feel which often gives great results in your writing process. Writing does make you feel a lot at once but that also helps in the healing process. You start learning about your own self, what you think and how logical you are to yourself, at times it also becomes your mirror to self-reflect on your actions.”
- Have you ever received feedback from readers that particularly resonated with you? How do you handle both positive and constructive criticism as an author?
“Yes, I often take feedbacks from my friends if something I wrote is good enough or not, and it’s not always positive so I tend to take compliments and constructive criticism as a part of me where I find my weaknesses which hence help me in improving my skills.”
- As a multi-talented individual with diverse interests, how do you see your creative pursuits evolving in the future? Do you plan to continue exploring various art forms alongside your writing?
“Yeah, as an architecture student, art is already something of a great significance in my life and I’ll continue indulging myself into different art forms and continue exploring them.”
- Being a part of the creative community, what advice would you give to aspiring writers and poets who are just starting their journey?
“I’m still a learner myself and about advising others I’m not really someone who can. So, either way I would suggest if you’re struggling with controlling your emotions or things are getting out of hands where you’re not someone who can seek others for help, I would suggest journalling your thoughts, and that’s a part where many discovers their love for writing. If you’re already a writer I would suggest don’t let criticism, get your words tied, explore and write whatever you like and feel. Just keep on improving yourself.”
- Are there any future projects or writing goals you would like to share with your readers? Any upcoming books or collaborations we can look forward to?
“For now, I’m focussing on my degree and alongside I’m trying to keep up with my writing too. I can’t spoil much but I’m exploring different forms of writing, I just want to step out of my comfort zone and be more inclusive for others to relate and to read.”
