Leila A. Fortier is a writer, artist, poet, and photographer currently residing on the remote island of Okinawa Japan.
Her poetry is known to be a unique hybrid form in which her words are specially crafted into visual design, often superimposed over her own multi-medium forms of art, photography, and spoken accompaniment, lending to the full bodied expression and intensity of each piece.
Her belief in the multi-faceted, rich dimensions of inward and outward exploration is expressed passionately in her work that is profoundly emotional in its reverie for all life’s spiritual and physical experiences.
Her work has been published in dozens of literary magazines, journals and reviews both in print and online.
She has appeared in several books, anthologies, and other freelance publications including Treasured Poets of America, Satiated Sunrise, and A World of Love: Voices for Carmen. She is also the author of Metanoia’s Revelation through iUniverse.
She has the ability to combine her beautiful poetry with pieces of art, creating a divine visual experience.
Leila’s interview with our team:
Name: Leila A. Fortier
Location: Okinawa, Japan
Q: How many hours a day do you write?
A: My art and writing are a full time endeavor- so this consists of several hours a day. Those hours are a mix of writing, sculpting my words into visual designs, and then working on my other forms of art, photography, and spoken word so that I can fuse the mediums together for a full bodied expression of my work.
Q: How do you deal with personal doubters?
A: I think when a person comes to the realization that it is “within” them to become a certain thing…it is as if they are compelled. It is no longer a choice, but something you MUST do. Doubt is not an option. While we endure the sting of doubt or rejection in others, we still forge ahead in what we know is our personal Truth and calling. When you believe in yourself…the world can see it. Taste it. Not to be confused with ego, but a clear sense of purpose. A visible hunger.
Q: When you were growing up, what made you want to
become a writer?
A: When I was a little girl, it began with writing a collection of stories about a little Indian girl named “Dark as Night”, her pet fox, and their many adventures. I always loved writing. When I was 10 years old I wrote a poem without even really knowing it was a poem. Once I reached High School I discovered the depth of poetry that gave me the means to express myself openly, yet through blankets of metaphor that made those stories and feelings safe to reveal because of the complexities of interpretation. I learned how to weave words, and realized their potential to convey meaning, to enchant and intoxicate. For many years, poetry was something more personal. Something for me to keep for myself. It wasn’t until 2006’ when I joined social networking that I began to share openly and pursue publication.
Q: Describe a perfect setting where you can get writing done.
A: When inspiration comes…it comes with force, and does not abide time, place, or convenience. It could come in the middle of the night, and I need to get up in a dark room in search of a pen. It could be in silence with nature, or a crowded room. I have scraps of poems on the back of bill statements, napkins, or the inside of books I am reading. I have learned over the years, to carry a small notebook with me in which I feverishly stow away random lines, miscellaneous words and metaphor…or complete poems. When I get home, I then transfer them to my computer.
Q: What kind of books did you read when you were growing up, if any?
A: The first poet I fell in love with growing up was Sylvia Plath. She was dark, but suited my teenage angst and expression at that time. I also read Siddhartha by Herman Hess, and Broken Wings by Kahlil Gibran. As I got older, I became obsessed with books, and typically am reading several at once. Any books on spirituality and poetry in particular…but I am known to dive into many subjects. My favorites are Rumi, Gibran, Anais Nin, Tagore, and Mirabai.
Q: Are you a traditional type of writer (paper and pencil) or do you use your computer to write?
A: I use both, though I hate pencil. I always write in pen. Traditionally, my initial thoughts of bursts of inspiration are jotted on paper, and then transferred to my computer, where they can be shaped and formed into visual design.
Q: What’s your favorite part of writing?
A: The urgency and the release. There is nothing like it. A high all its own. In this state, writing comes through me, not from me. I am outside of myself. Often, I do not know what I am writing until it is complete. This is joy.
Q: How do you get past all the frustrations that come with trying to be a successful writer?
A: Oh my goodness. First of all, I use a service called Duotrope to find publications and track all my submissions. I would be lost without this. I have to keep in mind the great writers throughout history that received countless rejections, sometimes for years on end before seeing publication. If they endured this process, why should I be exempt? It is an honor…even in frustration and discouragement. I know I am a part of something greater that is cultivated with time.
Q: What do you do when you have several book/piece ideas?
A: I ALWAYS have several ideas for pieces and poems. I have scrap pieces of paper lying around my work area, in my purse, stuffed into books, and on my desktop. It is my nature to juggle several projects at once. For me, it keeps me excited and motivated. New ideas form new creation. Without ideas, I feel stagnant, and deeply unsatisfied. Creativity and expression is my passion and lifeline. Absolutely essential to my well being.
Q: Do you have an agent representing you/your work to publishers?
A: I am my own agent.
Q: What genre(s) describes your work?
A: This question makes me smile, as my work fits into so many genres…yet still does not fit comfortably into any of them. I am glad that I am presenting my work in a way that is different, but it often makes it more challenging to be accepted into many markets. My work can be referred to as hybrid, visual, concrete, experimental, and invented forms to name a few. I frequently write on spiritual ecstasy and mysticism, though sometimes darker writing and also some erotica. My latest interest is creating poems that serve as portraits of women that have influenced me over the years.
Q: Do you write under a pseudonym? If so, what is the story behind it?
A: I have always been published by my name. However, for many years I had a social networking profile with the screen name Metanoia, which is the Greek word for repentance and change of direction. Since my life is marked with such revelations and change of direction, Metanoia became a meaningful symbol of who I am. Like a personal mantra. This led to me publishing my first book Metanoia’s Revelation in 2007.
Q: What/who motivates you to write?
A: Faith. Passion. The mysteries of the unknown are a constant fascination to me. Anything that is not tangible, obvious, or readily seen. Everything that invokes emotion and ecstatic states of being. All things fantastical, wondrous, and divine that burst with spontaneity and dance between unity and separation. Music and silence.
Q: Do you have your work showcased on any website?
A: Yes. I have a personal web site that showcases my poetry, art, and photography, and also provides links to all magazines, journals, and reviews that my work has been featured and published in.
www.leilafortier.com
Q: Share with us a fun fact about yourself.
A: “I am an excitable person who only understands life lyrically, musically, in whom feelings are much stronger than reason. I am so thirsty for the marvelous that only the marvelous has power over me. Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go. Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy, and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” ~Anais Nin
Q: What does the future hold for you as a writer?
A: I prefer not to say, as I prefer not to know. I love the unknown. It keeps me in a state of perpetual wonder and appreciation. I wake up every day excited for what will happen next. I know it will be a long and meaningful journey, and I am ready to embrace it all. I love my life. Namaste~
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Below you can enjoy a few selected pieces by this writer.
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Click here to visit Leila‘s Poetry page.
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