Richa Gupta is a 17-year old poet from Bangalore, India, with a message for this world. Here’s a chat transcript, edited for clarity and length, between Richa and Pramugdha Maheswari (on behalf of On Century Avenue). Read on to find out more.Pramugdha Maheswari (PM): Tell me a little bit about yourself. Richa Gupta (RG): I'm a girl who loves to tinker with words and drown myself in The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. I'm the founder and editor-in-chief of Moledro Magazine, an online literary magazine. I'm a writer who aspires to motivate other youngsters to raise their voices and have their work reach a wider audience. And of course, I'm a huge fan of Modern Family and ice-cream. PM: I'm a poet, too, and it makes me so happy to see people like you doing what you do. What do you write about? Do you have a preferred format (poetry, fiction, etc.)? RG: It's so wonderful that you're a poet as well! What do you write about? I mostly write poetry and personal essays. When it comes to poetry, I feel like my themes are constantly evolving. A few years ago, my prime ideas would revolve around nature, my family, and the universe (I have a huge fascination with space, as most of us do!). But lately, I've been writing about more relevant and visceral topics - such as society's rape culture, body image issues, and the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. I want my poetry to also serve a social purpose, especially because I feel so strongly about these issues– particularly the last one. In fact, I wrote an article on Her Culture about the power of poetry, which you can read here. PM: In the past couple of months, I've written mostly about identity. I've moved several times throughout my life and I've had a somewhat different childhood experience. I think that informs a lot of my work. Why do you feel so strongly about mental illness in particular? RG: I rarely talk about it, but a few family members of mine have either been diagnosed or are suffering from symptoms of different mental disorders. It's been hard to deal with this, particularly because it can be so challenging to empathize with them. And this situation of mine has brought to my notice the stereotypes that pervade society and the media–whether it's the language employed in newspapers or the images portrayed in movies. In fact, I've become a lot more sensitive to the regressive mindsets of the people around me, as well. In Indian society, mental illnesses have an incredibly strong stigma attached to them, and I hope to help eliminate these negative perceptions through my writing. But then again, this is a pretty recent drive of mine, but I hope that it grows into something bigger.I'm also planning on making Issue 5 of Moledro themed around abolishing the stigmas surrounding mental illnesses (Potential theme: It's not in my head).PM: That’s a fantastic idea! You're right about the stigmas associated with mental illnesses. I've personally felt ostracized by people when I told them that I wasn't doing too good. Often, I found support in the essays, stories, and poems I read. They helped me accept and then transform myself into a happier being. I'm glad you've taken on this initiative. It might help someone turn their life around.Tell me about your writing process. RG: I spend over 90% of the time conjuring the poem in my head. I usually draw mind maps before I start writing; sometimes, I even draw pictures or sketches! I use different colors and fonts to represent different emotions, in the initial stages. I live on the 9th floor of my building, and from my balcony I can see Bangalore's busy landscape stretched out before me. I try to incorporate sensory elements into my poems – whether it's coils of smoke rising from buildings or stray dogs barking in harmony. And once I've finished writing the poem, I sleep on it, usually for 2-3 weeks. I find this incredibly useful, since it helps me pinpoint errors or discrepancies I had missed out the first time.PM: I find that having a second or even third set of eyes read over my work helps me a lot in understanding things I need to change or add or delete. Do you show your work to someone to get their feedback? RG: Actually, I don't! I'd like to, but there's no one in my household who's into poetry or creative writing. I occasionally show my poetry to a close friend of mine (who's also very committed to writing). But I've gotten used to this process of self-evaluation, and have found it extremely useful when it comes to school work!PM: When/why/how did you start Moledro? Why the name? How has it evolved over time? Where do you hope it goes in the future? RG: I got the name 'Moledro' from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, an online compendium of words that seeks to label our abstract and unwritten emotions. Moledro was launched in November 2015, although the idea and vision came to me in August 2015.I started Moledro with the aim of giving young writers the chance to expand the reach of their work.Furthermore, I know the wonderful effect being published can have on one's self-esteem; for me, my first acceptance into a literary publication was a huge moment, for it told me that somewhere across the world, a group of people had read and appreciated my poem. And that single acceptance helped usher me into the incredible world of literary magazines, and really boosted my confidence in my writing abilities. Hence, I hope to give other writers similar opportunities and experiences, by using Moledro as my means.The number of submissions we receive is gradually growing, as is the quality of the poetry and prose we read. As for the future–no one can really know! I definitely want to continue working on Moledro once I start college... and perhaps an entirely different atmosphere will add a new twist to the magazine!PM: That's brilliant!I presume you will graduate from high school next year. What are your future plans? Do you want to make a full-time career out of writing? Or are you equally passionate about something else as well? RG: Yes, I'll be graduating from high school in 2017. When it comes to my future plans... I'm probably more confused than a majority of my peers. I have a highly technical side to myself as well (I love mathematics); hence, I plan to major in Economics. That said, I definitely don't want to let writing go! If possible, I hope to minor (or double major) in English or Media. In fact, I would love to explore the nexus between mathematics, computer science, and media, and have even found a college that offers such a course! So right now, I'm quite unsure of my future plans, but hope that they crystallise soon!PM: What advice do you have for aspiring writers, especially those writing in India? Indian parents often tend to discourage their children from studying literary and other forms of arts. For them, a career is in engineering, medicine, or business. Things like that. But art, of course, is so important. Somehow it seems to me that, and this might sound a tad bit extreme, society would collapse without art. Art provides respite in times of high distress and a way for people to connect with each other. It makes life a little bit more colorful and fascinating. How can these young, aspiring writers and artists continue to develop their skills when they're told to do the exact opposite? RG: I completely agree with you. Yes, art is the backbone of society, and is a source of beauty, pleasure, and connection. And it's definitely sad that Indian society is so averse to the Humanities, and tends to assume that those pursuing the Arts are intellectually inferior. I'm lucky to have encouraging and open-minded parents who understand that I love writing, and continue to support me in all my endeavours (although it's quite obvious that they'd like me to pursue engineering, haha). So, my advice to these youngsters would be: continue pursuing your passion as a hobby. Yes, it can be very difficult to go against societal norms and parental expectations, especially at such a young age. But that doesn't mean that poetry (or any art form, for that matter!) should be removed from your life. Keep a journal, start a blog, share your poems with your friends and family, participate in poetry slams, and enter writing competitions. It will certainly be hard to balance your studies and your hobby, but with a little willpower, it can most definitely be accomplished! And of course - never forget about why you write, and what your poetry means to you.Learn more about Richa and her work on her blog. This article was written by Pramugdha Maheswari. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Melissa Ink Writing & Edition