Tell everybody a little about yourself Thandi is an upcoming Zimbabwean born Singer Songwriter /Poet and arrived in the UK at aged 9. The family lived around the Surrey area for a while, eventually settling in Croydon, South London. Thandi’s love of words began at age 11 when her and her brother used to record music tapes. At school she favoured English because she was strongly encouraged to speak it before arriving to the UK. Thandi has performed at local events and open mics around London. You can track her journey on @Iamthand1.
Was your creativity affected in anyway during the lockdown? Did being lockdown make you feel inspired or deflated?
My creativity was given a new lease of life during the first stages of lock down. I worked hard on a lot of song ideas. As it wore on I became deflated and started losing focus because there was no urgency to complete things. Look out for my new stuff in the near future.
Was it therapeutic doing creative work during lockdown?
Being creative during lock down was therapeutic because I was not idle. They say the devil makes work for idle hands. It was a very good distraction from the feeling of isolation.
How did you occupy your time?
During the first stages of lockdown I indulged a lot in a lot of Netflix series and eating. I attempted to cook a lot of new things and baked. However sourcing some ingredients became a logistical nightmare. As the weather changed I wanted to be outside. I volunteered in the local community by manning a food bank and by being a Kitchen Assistant at South Norwood Soup Kitchen. I also enrolled on several online courses. So far I have completed four and they are all aligned with my creativity.
What was the main thinking behind your poem submitted to Together Behind Four Walls?
I have always had a fascination of hermits and the idea behind hibernation. I realise being forced to do it is not a nice thing. Therefore, at the beginning of lockdown I felt I was in hibernation. There was a spurt of panic buying in March that impacted me a lot. I bought a large stock of groceries in a bid to avoid going out. It was still winter and watching a Netflix series back to back with junk food was very comforting. You can get lost in a virtual reality and it’s like a drug hit. This is why I spoke about the idea of overdosing. Sometimes I would be up till the early hours of the morning trying to complete a season. I spent a lot of time alone either in my room or in the house because I was the only one who was staying indoors. As the weather changed it became difficult to sustain as I mentioned earlier.
What inspires most of your poems?
I listen to a lot of music so ideas form as lyrics initially. I am inspired by things I see playing out in nature and human interactions.
Do you have any favourite poems, from all the poems you have written?
I do have one favourite poem I have written. It’s really funny and plays out like a script.
Do you ever think of poems before going to sleep or just after waking up?
I think about songs just after waking up sometimes. I even remember waking up laughing when I was in a dream were I was singing human nature by Michael Jackson.
Do you hand write poems or go directly on to your computer?
I do a mixture of both. Sometimes ideas pop up during the day and paper is the quickest way to jot a poem down.
Do you ever give up on poems you have started?
I don’t give up on any poems anymore. I keep the lines and revisit them. Sometimes things take time to develop.
Do you do any other creative activities?
I call myself a creative junkie. I am into drawing, cooking and Interior styling.
Do you only focus on poetry or do you also write prose?
I do both but have put out more poetry than prose. I am still fine tuning my prose writing.
Do your poems ever have strong messages?
I think some of my poems have a strong message when I read them back. But this could be open to interpretation.
How would you describe the tone of your poems? My poems tend to adapt a personal tone
If you had to write a poem about yourself, how would it start?