Finding Hope in Poetry: An Interview with Adriaan van Vuuren

In an increasingly disconnected world, poetry has the power to unite us, to inspire hope, and to remind us that we are never truly alone. Today, I am excited to share my recent interview with Adriaan van Vuuren, a talented poet whose powerful new collection, “Revelations” is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Adriaan’s second book takes readers on a deeply emotional journey through chaos, peace, and the profound revelations of love. From exploring themes of mental health and sexuality to the healing power of self-discovery, Adriaan’s candid vulnerability and raw honesty offer a lifeline to those who find themselves in the darkest of places.

Join me as I delve into the inspirations, challenges, and personal experiences behind Adriaan’s most vulnerable work to date. From the early days of “Confessions of an Empath” to the creation of “Revelations” we discuss the evolution of Adriaan’s writing process, the courage required to share such intimate emotions, and the importance of remaining true to oneself while connecting with a diverse audience. Through it all, Adriaan’s unwavering commitment to spreading hope and light shines through, reminding us all that no matter the darkness, we are never alone on our journey through life.

Let’s dive right into the interview, and remember to give all of his social media

channels a LIKE, COMMENT and a SHARE!

Adriaan, congratulations on the release of your new poetry collection, “Revelations.” Can you tell us what inspired you to write this book and what makes it different from your previous work, “Confessions of an Empath”?

“Revelations” was something that I immediately started writing after the release of “Confessions of an Empath” back in 2021. I felt that there was a need for a type of continuation on many of the topics/themes that were briefly touched on in the first book. I believe I was inspired by the possibilities of what can be further delved into – the subject matter/themes, the stories that can be shared, the experiences we go through in life, from the beautiful ones to the painful ones, the things we hide from the world and the vulnerabilities we have within ourselves. I wanted to write something ‘more’, where the reader can be taken on a much deeper emotional journey. “Revelations” is different from my previous work, in the sense that it expands so much more on themes that were briefly touched on before. I also went through a period of immense growth over the 16 months it took me to write my most vulnerable book to date – it’s more personal and wrapped up in more feels.”

The first chapter, “Chaos,” delves into various mental health issues and the struggles people face in life. Why did you choose to focus on these themes, and how do you think readers can relate to them?

“Mental health is something that has always been incredibly important to me. I’ve been writing about it since the beginning. Writing about very specific topics involving it that people are often afraid to write about or express – at the end of the day, I want whoever reads this chapter (or any of my work that focuses on these themes) to know that they’re not alone, that whatever they’re feeling; the depression they’ve fallen into, the anxiety that constantly creeps up unexpectedly, the trauma they’re struggling to work through, the loneliness at 3 am in the morning when insomnia is taking its toll again – are things many of us go through every day. I believe these things are all relatable, and that reading and feeling those poems will somehow make everything feel lighter. And I know that some of it is heavy and difficult to read. “Revelations” isn’t just a book that you can just pick up and work through within a day – it’s like this rollercoaster ride of emotions and experiences that are expressed in words and vowels and sentences that can ache through the pages. At the end of it – that’s a ‘take home’ – it’s the things we’re afraid to talk about, the emotions we feel we shouldn’t feel because society has conditioned us into believing that it’s not normal or we shouldn’t feel these things – when in fact they are all very valid.”

How did you approach writing about sensitive topics like depression, sexuality, and love in “Chaos”? Were there any challenges in finding the right words or tone?

“My approach has been quite natural. It just flowed from my pen if I can state it like that. In everything I write – honesty and pure feeling are two parts that’ll always be deeply rooted in where the poetry comes from. There are certain poems in “Revelations” with very specific topics: sexuality being one of those, which were written from personal experience and also for a specific audience where I had to write in such a way to really grasp the entirety of what I’m pulling through into poetry. Not just because of the sensitivity of some of those topics but because of the relatability that should also be present.”

Moving on to the second chapter, “Peace,” what experiences or moments in your life influenced your writing about love, the mysteries of life, and inner retrospection?

“I’ve always been a hopeless romantic when it comes to love. So everything that I write about love comes from experiences in life where I am either deeply in love, with love or when I am falling out of love. And to clarify on that last part of the sentence – I’m referring to heartbreak and the wave of emotions that come with it. Psychology also interests me – and personally dealing with both depression and anxiety has allowed me to have first-hand experience with everything it encompasses. I went through a pretty rough time in 2021-2022 and there were moments when I had to step away from everything that was going on in my life to gain some perspective. After a breakup I went through in 2022 I was invited to the coast to go and visit a close friend of mine, and being so far away from everyone else and my life back home – allowed me to view my own life from a different perspective, almost like an outsider looking inwards – this view influenced the poetry about inner-retrospection. There was a moment of peace between it all, a moment to catch one’s breath to breathe again. “Peace” was about finding myself between everything and the ability to be content with it.”

Can you share with us a particular poem from “Peace” that you feel especially connected to, and what makes it so significant to you?

“There are a few poems in the “Peace” chapter that I feel especially connected to. I believe the most significant poem would be “Peace” because it sums up the chapter in its entirety. This specific poem is significant to me because it represents a journey that has passed, one that is still ongoing and the final destination of that journey. It also represents hope and I feel that’s something we all should always hold onto.

Peace

I want to envision a sky-blue oasis within my brain-

endless horizons of it,

with not a trace of stormy clouds in sight,

I want to think of peace,

and nothing dark in between the spaces,

of the spaces that make me long for the difference within myself…

I want to say-

There is peace in absolutely everything.

Even though I might be a few miles away from it-

I will reach that destination someday,

and I will only look at the beautiful boundless blue above,

without a fraction of hesitation wavering within…”

In the final chapter, “Revelations of Love,” you share a story of unconditional love and its ultimate demise. How has this personal experience shaped your perspective on love, and how do you think it can resonate with readers?

“I don’t think my perspective on love will ever change – it’s something that pulls through in the book as well. Love is a universal feeling, it’s something we all experience in varying degrees throughout various times in our lives and we also experience different types of love. “Revelations of Love” has poems that tell the story about falling in love with someone, losing that person, experiencing the heartbreak and working through it. I believe that this chapter is a chapter that almost anyone that felt the different sides of love can resonate with. It’s a timeless thing and many poets and authors tried to capture it throughout the decades – we hear it in the music we love listening to, see it on the big screens and we’re inspired by it.”

You mentioned that “Revelations” is your most vulnerable poetry book to date. How did you find the courage to share such intimate experiences and emotions with your readers?

“Thinking about this now; I remember when I published my first poetry book, I had so much anxiety. I write about things that are sometimes hard to chew on. “Revelations” is an even tougher pill to swallow because I shared my entire soul and emotions/feelings that I hid deep within myself. I was like “Aren’t people going to think some of this is too dark and too deep or too sad” I’d say it wasn’t about the courage to share all of that with my readers. That’s one part of it. It was more about knowing that some of the words in this book can mean everything to someone out there. Someone doesn’t have to feel alone with what they’re feeling. Someone can perhaps feel lighter. Someone can find some healing by reading those intimate experiences and emotions, that is personal yet universal as well. I never want to feel afraid of what I’m putting out into the world. I believe that’s what makes a strong writer and a strong human – letting go of the fear of what might happen and believing in the good of what might come from it.”

How has your writing process evolved since your first collection, “Confessions of an Empath,” and what did you learn from writing “Revelations”?

“I’d say I’ve become more honest with myself. “Confessions of an Empath” feels like the introduction to everything that came in “Revelations” when I look back at it now. However, the experiences that led to the poetry of those two books come from completely different places and times in my life. Growing through life and tuning more into who I am allowed me to write with even more honesty and depth. “Revelations” allowed me to strip myself to the core and I’ve learned to become a stronger person.”

As an author, how do you balance exploring your own emotions and experiences while ensuring that your work is relatable and resonates with a diverse range of readers?

“My poetry style is mostly reflective and I told myself that I never want to move away from what is true to myself – to clarify – I don’t want to mute emotions or coat experiences with veils so that it comes across as ‘lighter’ I believe that if it’s more raw, it can be more captivating. Every poem should evoke an emotion and reach deep into a reader’s heart, maybe pull on a few strings. Sometimes this specific balance should be an open ground where things can flow, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are more than the 107 poems that make up “Revelations”, during the editing process many of those were removed. Then again, some of the work resonates with certain people, some of it won’t – there’s beauty in that.”

How did you decide on the structure of “Revelations,” with its three distinct chapters representing different stages of the emotional journey?

“So about 6 months after the release of my first poetry book, I jotted down a few titles of what I’d like the 2nd book to be called. And also an original idea of how I’d like to divide the Chapters. It would have been 5 Chapters: Journey, Pain, Love, Life and Drafts. But I feel with poetry you never really have a solid point of where you’re going because life has its turns, and it can change the entire direction a year into writing it. During the final stages of putting the book together, there would have been just two chapters: “Chaos” and “Peace” I’m inspired by binaries in life – and these are two opposite things. Things we go through during our journey on this wonderful planet we call home. “Revelations of Love” came last – but I also knew from the beginning that I wanted to write about love in the 2nd book as well. Deciding on the structure of the book was a creative and thoughtful process – one that I enjoyed a lot.”

Were there any specific poets or literary influences that inspired your writing style or the themes you chose to explore in “Revelations”?

“I’ve been especially inspired by four incredible poets whilst writing “Revelations” – Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and Rupi Kaur. Perhaps mostly by Sylvia Plath’s work and life. I watched her documentaries and read her journals and felt an immense resonance with her work. Another big influence was Halsey’s first collection of poetry ‘I would leave me if I could’.”

How has your own journey with mental health and personal growth informed the poems in “Revelations”?

“Tremendously – especially the poems with mental health as the overall theme. As I’ve mentioned before, mental health is of utmost importance to me and there’s a lot of personal growth that we experience through depression and anxiety and finding ourselves through these challenging conditions.”

Can you share any plans or ideas for future poetry collections or writing projects?

“I’ve been experiencing some writers-block since the release of “Revelations” Which I believe is a good thing because I wrote this 2nd book with about 50 more poems than the first book in a shorter period of time that it took me to write the first. A break is needed. I’d like to find myself in more places. Gain some new perspective. I do however have this idea for a future poetry collection – it should be all about love. I’ve always wanted to write just about that. The Euphoria of falling into love and staying there and the beautiful journey it can take us on. I’d also like to write a novel. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I was about 14 years old – but nothing I’m in a rush for. I’m feeling it all. I’m breathing. I’m just enjoying life at this moment and it feels good.”

Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring poets or writers who want to share their own experiences and emotions through their work but may be hesitant to do so?

“Never be afraid of being true to yourself. If your feelings bleed bright blue – paint it onto the pages with pride. Get it out. Feel it all. Wrap your fingers around those experiences and emotions and never shy away from being vulnerable – because the world needs more of those raw and honest emotions. The experiences we’re afraid of, or afraid to share because we might feel indifference within ourselves are often the things that many other people feel and experience too – I believe it creates a beacon of light in the world – no matter from what place it comes from. One thing that I’ve learned over the last 3 years of publishing my own work is that I should never be ashamed of who I am, what I write, how I feel and how I experience things – we’re all human and it’s these very things that make us so unique. Most of all, one last bit of advice I’d like to give to aspiring poets and writers – believe in the hope and the love. Believe in yourself and what change you’re capable of creating.”

Thank you, Adriaan, for taking the time to share your personal and creative journey with me and all of my readers. Your work reminds us of the transformative power of vulnerability and honesty, and how they can connect us to others in profound ways. Through your words, you have created a space where readers can find solace, healing, and hope. I personally look forward to seeing where your journey takes you next and eagerly await your future projects.

Once again, congratulations on the release of your stunning collection “Revelations,” and I encourage my readers to check out Adriaan’s social media channels for more inspiration and insights and to purchase not only his latest book, but also his previous one! Happy Reading! available as a hard cover & e-book/kindle on all Amazon territories, and on Adriaans own personal website (Link below!)

Follow Adriaan and his journey via the following links

FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | AMAZON | TIKTOK | WEBSITE

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