Meet Sherin: One of The Most Venerated Poets of YourQuote
Our writer Kavipriya Moorthy interviewed one of the most adored poets whose relatable and honest pieces are the toasts to the readers — Mary Joseph aka Sherin. Read on.
Let’s begin by getting to know you more. Tell us something about yourself?
It was really overwhelming, Kavi, the moment you asked me if I’m up for an interview. I’m really humbled, so here it goes, a little introduction about me. I’m Mary Joseph and at home my dear ones call me Sherin, so I go with that as my pen name. I’m a Malayalee, born and brought up in Chennai. I completed my graduation and currently I work for an organization in Chennai. Right from my childhood, I loved reading. I still remember the days when I used to spend my summer vacations in Kerala digging into Enid Blyton books. I feel that this love for reading was what got me into writing. That juncture in my life where I realized that I could also write, was when I did proofreading and wrote a couple of pages as review for one of my friend’s short stories. Not an enormous skill though, but that’s how it all started and I also have this habit of writing my diary where I pen down all my thoughts to empty my mind out. When I got to know about YourQuote, just as a hobby, I started posting my words as quotes and slowly, I started writing more and more and here I am.
Do you have a writing routine? Tell us a bit about how you make time for writing.
First of all, I’ve never considered myself a writer. I should be truthful about the fact that I can’t write or develop on a contemporary topic even if given a chance to write on one. Maybe it’s because I’ve never even thought of taking writing seriously. So, all my write-ups are the flow of words which come out of me on a daily basis. I don’t sit down to write neither do I fix my mind on a time to write, nothing of that sort. All the words I put up are the ones I note down either during my travel to work or in the evenings that I have to myself. I just note them down on my little notepad or any bit of paper I get and dump it into my handbag, and then when I get back home, I either put it up as a post or it’ll be written into my diary (my safe place). Probably, the shorter posts would be the ones I write during the day and the longer versions at evening. Yeah, so that’ll be a little insight into my writing pattern.
Who are your favorite writers from YourQuote?
Oh! This is a tough one as I’ve got quite a few favorites and each one is so unique here.
My current favorite is Karpaga Priya VJ. It’s like every post of hers is so captivating and relatable.
Aayushi Sonkar and Ayushi Kainthola, both write poetry which strikes the heart through every line and it’s mesmerizing.
Oindrila Majumdar and Sara Jothi, are two more talented writers on my favorite list, who are into novel writing for this November month and I’m keeping up with their novels ‘ohmydeardiary’ & ‘perfectmismatch’ respectively. It’s just a few-chapter read, but they are definitely amazing write-ups.
Few other favorites would be Indumathi Nagarajan, Rashmi Mahendra, Kavipriya Moorthy, Nivedha Jegan, Nidhi Nair, Juhi Mahadikk, Satarupa Sinha, Harleen Kaur, Devipoornima Nair, Kavita Gupta, Vishal Gupta, and Maha.
With more than 2000 followers on YourQuote, what’s your most favorite comment on any of your quote so far?
I think that’s one of the best things about writing that, when readers get to read and feel every emotion behind it, they just can’t leave without commenting. That makes it so overwhelming for the reader as well as the writer, as both have felt a piece of emotion through those words. This makes writing as beautiful as any other art form be it singing, dancing, painting or anything of that sort as it strikes a chord on both ends.
Receiving comments from their side has also been one of the reasons why I still post some of my words. It’s a joy to know that people are able to connect and feel what I put through these words. So, I do read all my comments and that makes me feel so grateful for the time they take to read and type in a comment. I don’t have any particular favorite comment as such but I remember a recent one, where one of them told me that he was reminded of a person who gave him strength all along as he read my quote and he bookmarked it. Those words really meant a lot to me and I’m glad.
There’s a lot about women in your pieces and most of your poems have a feminine touch, is that how you naturally think? Who are your major influences?
I’ve received this question from quite a few who have read my works, as to why I have feminine faces as my wallpapers and why is it always about ‘She’. But I never took the time to tell them exactly why it is so. Let me tell you here a little more about myself. 2016 was a very memorable year in my life as I lost two people who were literally my everything, my Mom and my best friend. It all happened in a very short span and it took me a lot of time to actually walk through it. To tell you the truth, I’m still coping with the aftermath of their loss. It’s like that, isn’t it? People leave an impact on you not only while they’re around but also after they are gone, be it blood relations or not. So without even my knowledge, writing just became a part of me. I remember spending nights filling pages of my diary with all the words I had to pour. So yeah, the major parts of what I write are actual pieces of me that you get to read. I don’t want to cover this up or feel ashamed of all the feelings I hold, rather I’m glad for who I am and I cherish everything that I hold, through my words.
Who would you consider your favorite authors and what are the books you like?
According to me, books are the most soulful things that exist in this world. As I told you before, I love reading and I see to it that I keep a book with me always. It’s nice to have a plot running at the back of your mind when your own life goes bizarre at times.
And I prefer reading books on the genres- realistic fiction, mystery and romance.
On my favorite authors list, I have: John Green and Cecelia Ahern. Their works are definitely unique yet they have a poignant, luminous way of storytelling with bitter-sweet plots that tightly tug onto your heartstrings.
Few books are very close to my heart because after reading them, the emotions were so strong that they lingered for days and those include:-
- The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.
- P.S. I Love You by Cecelia Ahern.
- A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks.
- Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma.
And currently, I’m halfway through ‘Norwegian Wood’ by Haruki Murakami.
What hooks you to YourQuote?
I remember very well that I started writing on YourQuote since last December and it’s going to be one year now. There were few times during these writing days when I felt like not posting anymore (just like that) and every time I decided that, there would be someone or the other urging me to still post. So, for a few months, I left YourQuote and I used to post my write-ups only on my Instagram page. But the best part was that, even when I was away, few of them would still read and give me feedback on my posts. Slowly, I made quite a few friends during those days and I have to definitely mention one such person who had inspired me a lot and he is Prem Kumar Chanda. He encouraged me at times when I was really down and he also insisted a couple of times that I recite at the Open Mic. Initially, I gave it a pass but the third time when he urged me to participate, I just took it up. So, my Open Mic experience at Chennai was an amazing event that happened to me, where I got to meet a lot of people and a special mention to Nivedha Jegan, Shyam Sundar, Shyam Anantharaman, Vivek Bharathi and of course you. The encouragement and warmth I received from this little group was so immense that it made me get back to YourQuote again. So yeah, this is the main reason I’m hooked onto YourQuote, that the love and respect we have for each other is special. I think as humans, this is the basic that we all crave for and I’m happy to be a part of this beautiful group.
What is your favorite possession? Please share a picture and tell us more about it.
My favorite possession is this book which belongs to me and it’s filled with little poems and lines that are very close to my heart. These are not written by me yet it’s very special.
What is the most fulfilling thing about writing for you?
I think everyone will have their own reasons why they write or how satisfying writing is for them. Like few would say it gives them peace of mind or after they write, it helps them analyze and understand themselves better or any other reason for that matter. I, too, agree that writing may help a person in a number of ways to cope with his/her emotions and thoughts.
Maybe that’s the reason why I write too, because I have a lot clogged-up in me that I write down. But let me tell you, posting your words online for others to read is a completely different scenario from just writing and keeping it locked up inside your diary. Only after I started posting my words, did I get to feel that people too share the same emotions. They can still feel the depth in my words and understand the intensity of the lines I write. That’s what still holds me to writing, that feeling when I’m sharing a piece of me in those words which people can connect and relate to. It’s overwhelming.
Where do you get your ideas from? Are they inspired from real life?
No, I don’t look for ideas or any concept to write about. Everything I’ve written so far is what came through and I haven’t put any special effort in it. I think if you go through my posts, you’ll get to know more about it. It’s just simple lines put together, that’s about it. And yeah, major part of what you get to read is threaded around me, that much I can say. Possibly as long as I have this flow of words in me, I’d write.
What has been the greatest personal discovery for you?
Actually I’m a movie buff, I love to be at the cinemas and that dark room is one of the places I love to be at. So, I do watch a lot of movies whenever I get time, not of any particular genre though. Any suggestions by my friends, I go ahead and watch them. So, this line from the popular fairy tale and movie ‘Cinderella’ has been something I hold onto, which says “Have courage and always be kind.” These are the few words she gets from her mother and it reminds me of my mom too.
To be kind to the ones who are kind to you is quite easy, everyone can do so, but to be kind to people who are unkind to us, is tough and you need to have courage for that. I’ve walked through a couple of situations in life where people have been harsh and literally made me feel small at times, both in my personal and professional circle. At times, this is a tough world and everyone has their own justifications as to what is good for them and what is good for us, but that’s not the point. I feel that no matter how many times people push you down, you fall, get hurt and even in that pain if you’re able to get up with courage and still be kind to them, then that’s human. It’s difficult to be so but I’ve built myself that way or I should say I prefer to be that way, to hold onto my little courage and be kind to others always, no matter what.
There’s this saying ‘Kill them with kindness.’
But I’d say, ‘Let them live with your kindness, Just let them live’.
Thank you for this wonderful and insightful conversation. Before we say goodbye, any parting words or a piece of advice for your readers?
Before I end this conversation, I want to put forth one more thought. Actually when you asked me for this session, I was not interested in the beginning. I remember asking you “why me?” Reason being, my passion or dream is not to become a writer, neither am I looking for more followers to be famous. Then I thought, it’s necessary I speak out to help a few newbies or others who are interested in writing.
So, a small message for all of them,
- Never fear writing what your heart says.
- Don’t worry about what others may think of your poetry.
- You’ll definitely learn a lot even if your progress is slow.
- Nobody will be liked by everyone out there, that’s impossible. So, never bother about the number of followers.
- Readers will like you for the love you show for your words, so keep aside all the doubts and go for it.
This is a huge world and creating a small space for yourself through your words is one of the most beautiful things you can do. So yeah, Happy writing to everyone!
And thank you so much Kavi, for your time and patience amidst your long schedule. Cheers!!
Read more of Sherin’s work here: https://www.yourquote.in/sherin-imw/quotes/?sort=top
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