Sabina of (@sabinalaurapoetry) on Instagram has curated a poetry community of almost 24,000 people and is currently working on her debut book.
She teaches us how she’s making her debut book more personal, tips on bossing up on Instagram, and truly inspires us to share more of ourselves. We will be looking out for her first poetry collection and until then, decorating with her handmade poetry prints, here. We know you will enjoy getting to know Sabina Laura, off Instagram, as much as we did.
We got to chat with her to get behind the scenes tips on what we can expect from her new book, her favorite career advice, and her go-to photo app.
li: When did you know poetry would be the writing outlet for you? Was there a magic moment when you fell in love with this form? Introduce us to your journey to poetry and how you got to where you are currently.
Sabina Laura: Pretty much as soon as I could write a sentence! Haha. I fell in love with writing stories and poetry from a young age, always knowing that I wanted to be a writer. But when I was studying for my A Levels and my degree, I didn’t have much time for writing outside of anything academic, and I fell into the mindset that writing poetry could only be something I did as a hobby. But after going through a difficult time, I needed a creative outlet for my struggles, so that was when I fell back in love with poetry.
li: You have announced on your Instagram (@sabinalaurapoetry) that your debut book is coming soon. Congratulations! We’re excited to read it. What can we expect from this book, does it follow a certain theme or journey? Can you give us any details about the release?
SL: Thank you! I’m so excited (and also terrified). Without giving too much away, the book is focused around light and dark, and growing through both. My love of nature is also a very central theme.
It’ll be good to share some longer/extended pieces in the book, too, as I tend to share shorter pieces on Instagram because they gain more interest. I’ve been working on the book for almost a year – publishing a book is something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember, so the endless editing has felt essential to me, so it can be just how I want it. Keep an eye on my Instagram for updates coming soon!
li: The imagery and illustrations with your words are magical. Have you always been passionate about illustrations, how did this come about? Will you include illustrations in your debut book?
SL: Although it’s important to remember that the actual words are what matter, I do love the effect that images and illustrations have on enhancing poetry, especially on Instagram as it’s a very visual platform. I have actually been working as a freelance artist for the past three years, so you can definitely expect to see some illustrations in my upcoming book! Drawing is another thing that I’ve loved since I was very young, so it only seemed right to add my own illustrations to make the book feel even more personal and special to me.
li: In addition to poetry, do you enjoy writing in any other forms? How do you find this benefits your poetry?
SL: Honestly, I adore writing of every kind. I love writing stories, and one day, I hope to release a YA fantasy novel. I also used to write blog posts and articles for my local wildlife trust, which has helped my love of nature come through in my poetry.
li: What artists or poets have inspired you most? Why?
SL: Writing poetry as a child, I was always led to believe that it had to fit into a certain style and rhythm, so most of my early poems were four-line stanzas with perfect rhymes. But discovering artists on Instagram such as Wilder Poetry, R. Clift, Zack Grey, and Alison Malee, I realised that there was a whole freedom to poetry that I didn’t know about. Poetry can be anything you want it to be.
I’m also inspired a lot by the music I listen to, artists, and authors. I grew up reading books by Roald Dahl, JK Rowling, and Jaqueline Wilson, just to name a few, which inspired my love of reading and writing.
“Writing poetry as a child, I was always led to believe that it had to fit into a certain style and rhythm, so most of my early poems were four-line stanzas with perfect rhymes.”
Sabina Laura Poetry
li: We talk a lot about the creative process here at little infinite. What does your typical workflow look like? What is the most unique characteristic about your creative process?
SL: I’m not sure that I really have any unique characteristics to my creative process, in fact, I’m not sure I have a process at all! I used to write at specific set times but now I’m learning just to write when I feel creative, and not try to force it.
These days, I tend to write mostly in a digital way, such as on my phone. It’s just more convenient and quicker to type thoughts as they flow. But there’s something about handwriting poems in pretty notepads that I will always prefer, and I feel more creative when I write with pen and ink. I also feel most inspired when I’m in the forest or by the sea – but I can write anywhere really!
I’m definitely a night writer, unfortunately. I’d love to be an early morning writer, but me and mornings do not mix at all. Haha. Although, I often wake up in the early hours of the morning with an idea in my head. I keep a notepad and my phone beside my bed so I can quickly jot them down when it happens.
“But there’s something about handwriting poems in pretty notepads that I will always prefer, and I feel more creative when I write with pen and ink.”
Sabina Laura Poetry
li: What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received? Why does this piece of advice hold a special place for you?
SL: When I was applying for university, I was originally going to do a joint course of Psychology and English Language. But right at the last minute, they stopped the course, so I had to choose only one of them and I was torn. So the best piece of advice I received was being told to do what I love, and not just doing one for better job prospectives. So, of course, my heart had always been in Language. I’m grateful for that advice because I’m so glad I studied Language. Regarding poetry, I think it was being encouraged to not be afraid of sharing my work.
li: Your poetry is displayed in an extremely creative way. Your Instagram page has grown to 24,000 followers and is a joy to be a follower of! How did you find your style and aesthetic as a poet? If you had to choose one, what is your ultimate go-to editing tool for Instagram?
SL: Awh, thank you! When I first created the account, I wasn’t sure how I wanted it to look. I spent too long worrying about whether it would be good enough and whether it would engage people. In the end, I realized that it was the poetry I needed to focus on. The aesthetic then seemed to fall naturally into place – poetry is something I love, so it made sense that the style should consist of things I love, too. That’s why I take pictures of my poems using pretty crystals and flowers, and use background photos of forests and mountains and so on. I also like to find photos that compliment the words well, so my go-to app would be Unsplash.
li: What does “Poetry for Life” mean to you?
SL: Poetry for Life, to me, means the way poetry can touch everybody – regardless of age, gender, or someone’s situation. One of the things I love about poetry is how subjective it can be. I have often written poems about a certain topic, and people have messaged me to say they interpreted it in a different way and it helped them with something. I’ve even had people message me and say “I’m not into poetry at all, but this really made me feel something” and so on. Poetry for Life is the way poetry reaches everyone, and it has no expiry date.
“I’ve even had people message me and say “I’m not into poetry at all, but this really made me feel something” and so on.”
Sabina Laura Poetry
Let us know on Facebook or Instagram what your favorite part of this interview was. To keep up with Sabina Laura, follow her on Instagram: (@sabinalaurapoetry) or on Facebook here.