Who: Humble The Poet

Claim To Fame: Kanwer Singh, known widely as Humble The Poet, is the author of Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths For A Better Life, the originally self-published collection of thoughts that became an international bestseller. A former school teacher, Humble’s creative adventure began 10 years ago as a Spoken Word artist, performing regularly, including for Apple’s very first “Shot on iPhone” campaign. He’s since crossed genres, mediums and oceans as a hip-hop artist, public speaker, fashion designer, filmmaker, and creative consultant. And Humble’s next book Things No One Else Can Teach Us just released!

Where To Find Humble: His Website, Amazon, Twitter

Praise For Humble: “Humble the Poet offers refreshing and engaging simplicity for the ages, the kind of book that can pacify an anxious mind or fuel a long-starved passion. I love what this book offered me as the reader. So many great nuggets of wisdom and insight.” — Gary John Bishop, New York Times bestselling author of Unfu*k Yourself

When and where do you like to write? Are you the same-thing-every-day kind of writer or can you write anytime, anywhere?

I can write anytime, anywhere as long as the writing project isn’t too lengthy, be that an article or caption for social media. Usually, this works best when I have my laptop with me. For long-form pieces, like my new book, I had a routine of writing for about 90 minutes every day between 9:30 and 11:00 am. I also had a special set up with a padded keyboard and a raised screen to avoid things like carpal tunnel and laptop-itis.

Do you have any pre-writing rituals or habits before you sit down to write?

If browsing social media and Reddit count as a habit and ritual, definitely yes! I’ve begun chewing gum, I find it helps me focus a bit more. What worked when writing my latest book was planning and ideating the night before, so I just had to wake up, sit down and get typing.

When you first sit down to write a poem, how do you begin? Do you start with a single word, or an idea, or an image in your mind, or something else entirely?

I often start with an opening line that dictates the direction of a poem. Most recently, I was writing a verse for a song collaboration, and I used the line “different levels, different devils” and from there, the ideas flowed out. Keeping these one-liners in my notebook or at the forefront of my mind is essential in getting started.

What’s your process for editing and refining a poem? When do you know that the poem is finished?

I have to leave it alone for a bit before revisiting. At that point, it’s really about hacking away all that is not essential, from ideas, words, and even syllables. Work will always feel unfinished to me, as more time will allow me to cut and polish things, so usually I set a deadline and decide to share whatever’s done at that point. I also have a few pieces in the oven that have no time limits, and I’m constantly making refinements. Those generally help me elevate my craft, and I hope I can get to a point where what took 7 months the first time, may only take a few weeks the next, and hopefully, eventually, present itself in my first draft.

Unlearn was your first book. Did you find your process differ at all versus how you approach music or spoken word poetry?

Unlearn was written passively. Every chapter is only 2 pages and I wrote each thought as it came to me. Those thoughts were later compiled into the book. At that point in my life, I was writing as self-therapy and didn’t know how to write a book, let alone publish it. It was my community at the time that provided me with the encouragement, resources, and opportunity to get it self-published, which later caught the attention of major publishers, which helped propel it into a best seller. Like my music and spoken word, Unlearn was a free write, and that’s probably why it connects so well. For my new book THINGS NO ONE ELSE CAN TEACH US, I had the opportunity to sit down and work with two very talented editors. They helped me polish my raw talents as a writer into something more cohesive. I felt like a street ballplayer, who was finally given a nice pair of basketball shoes, and some no-nonsense coaches who only wanted to challenge and bring out the best in me.

What were some of the key lessons you learned that you might apply to the next book project?

Write an outline, and write on a routine. It felt very much like high school English class all over again, but it works. Having a bigger picture helps keep me on track, and minimizes the challenges that all writers face. Writing THINGS NO ONE ELSE CAN TEACH US has taught me to take a big idea, and continue to zoom in on it.

Have you ever experienced a prolonged creative rut or a spell of writer’s block? If you have, how did you get through them?

I’ve definitely experienced creative ruts, and they’re often attributed to fear and stress. The less obscure I became as a writer, the more pressure I felt to churn out something “great” because of how many eyeballs I had on me. That fear led to a lot of over-thinking and decision-paralysis. I think recognizing that these feelings are normal and that it’s rooted in fear was the first step to addressing them. Sometimes the best option was to set smaller daily goals or write an outline, but often it’s just shutting the fuck up and getting back to work, and allowing flow to take course when it does. I think planning makes a big difference, and routine helps as well.

What books or writers have most influenced the way you think and the way you write?

As I started as a rapper, I found my jaw on the floor most often hearing lyrics from Andre3000 and Lauryn Hill. From a literary perspective, I really appreciate the short impactful work of Mitch Albom. At this point, I try to soak in as much from everyone as I can and distill it in my bearded brain. Additionally, I was recently urged to look into The Economist Style Guide as a source of information and a tool to sharpen my craft.

What is your advice to aspiring writers?

Realize you’re not an aspiring writer. If you’re writing, then you’re a writer. In terms of being a writer, nothing is differentiating a published author, from a Pulitzer prize-winning writer to a person who writes in a notebook and doesn’t share it with the world. You may aspire to be a professional writer, or a recognized writer, or a published writer, and that’s a whole different adventure. My first book UNLEARN was independently published for 5 years before gaining the attention of a major publisher, but it was still written by me at my most obscure. You’re a writer because you have something to write about and for no other reason. If you love writing, then write. If you’re using it as a vehicle to make money, or find significance, it’ll begin to feel like any other job very quickly.

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