About author:Fang Zhaoling, pen name Xiaofang, was born in 1993 and lives in Beijing. He has traveled to more than 300 cities in more than 20 countries, outdoor enthusiasts, the founder of the "She Travel" brand, has topped the "Tencent News Person of the Week List" and more than 200 news headlines, and was invited to record CCTV CCTV10. His poetry works have been published in dozens of literary journals such as "Luming", "Chinese Chinese Poetry", "Ivy League Poetry Magazine" and "Chinese Poets' Self-selected Poems at Home and Abroad" and other poetry anthologies, and won the honorary titles of "The Fifth Luo Bingwang Youth Literature and Art Award", "Young Poets" 2021 Top Ten New Poets Award", "Anhui Top Ten New Poets Award", and is now a director of Bai Juyi Poetry Research Association.
1.Q: Traveling from the riverside of Anqing to the rest of the world, how do you see the impact of this shift on your poetry?
Fang Zhaoling: "The riverside in Anqing is the source of my poetry, when I was a child, I often wrote poems with my childhood friends at school, by the river, and in the middle of the night, which carries my childhood memories and initial perception of life. Later, when I traveled around the world, from the quiet riverside to the busy city to the distant foreign land, this series of changes not only broadened my horizons, but also deepened my understanding of life. For example, once on the bus from Lijiang to Shangri-La in Yunnan Province, I chatted with a backpacker about the topic of time, looked at the backward scenery outside the window, recalled many things that happened in the past, and couldn't help but feel that life is a reverse journey, so I wrote "The free bird is the consciousness itself, looking at time Overlooking the earth, bustling with the old man who is about to die and the alternation of the baby", the daily changes and freshness of the trip will stimulate my cerebral cortex and give me a lot of inspiration.
2.Q: You mentioned the idea of "taking a cloud and pinning it on your shoulder" in the preface, is there any special meaning behind this?
Fang Zhaoling: "Take a cloud and pin it on your shoulder"** in the short poem "Miyun", this poem was written in the day when my husband and I just fell in love, in his hometown of Miyun District, Beijing, the clouds were very dense that day, the sky was pressed very low, there was a green grass near the National Astronomical Observatory, at that moment I felt very relieved and comfortable, so I wrote "All the wind and snow that I have endured in the past have turned into marshmallows, and from then on take a cloud in my arms and pin it on your shoulder".
It is not only a relief and self-consistency for me to the past, but also a good blessing for the future. It is also a kind of sustenance for love and hope. The cloud symbolizes lightness and freedom, and pinning it on your shoulder is like a reminder to keep your mind free and your love of life. Whether it's entrepreneurship, emotion, or personal life, I try to maintain this mentality, so that I can be like a cloud, beyond the burden, and free and elegant.
3.Q: How do you balance your time and energy between entrepreneurship and poetry?
Fang Zhaoling: The two are not in conflict at all, but help each other. When I encounter pressure and frustration in entrepreneurship, and I can't talk to others, I often record it in the form of poetry to express my inner feelings. For example, "To the Sailor" was written when I encountered great mental stress when I started my business in 19 years, and the company's business and personnel were greatly changed. "Flowers poured for you, but your eyes hide sorrow, people dance for you, but you silently go to the embrace of the sea", I use poetry to inspire myself to be a person as tough as a sailor, dancing in the sea, and coexisting with the waves. For example, during the epidemic, when we lost a lot of money in our business, we couldn't get rid of the depression in my heart, so I told the tip of the pen about the feeling of oppression in my heart, I wrote in "Oppression" "In the red night, language is the sword fire that kills No one can hide in the tide Don't hide, bury the soul together Ten miles of slope Looking at the lake and the fish in the lake, the sky and the clouds are all burned and slowly withering" When I finished writing the last line of the poem, it seemed that a large part of the pain in my heart was slowly burned with the rolling of the tip of the pen, and it withered little by little. It's a very good feeling, poetry has long been like a part of my life, my parents, my good friends, my lovers.
4.Q: In your many travels, is there a particular experience that inspired you to break through?
Fang Zhaoling: Every trip actually brings me new inspiration, but the most memorable one for me is the trip to the old town of Lijiang. Walking on the bluestone slab of the ancient city, I felt as if I had traveled through time and space, touching the context of history and the memory of my previous life. I was extremely shocked by the scenery, the people, and the stories that permeated the air. It made me feel as if I had returned to my previous life, where everything seemed familiar, and watching the cool wind blowing the trees by the river, I also felt that they were entangled in their previous lives. So he wrote, "The tree is the afterlife of that gust of wind, and the tree is the past life of the wind." To be honest, at the end of the bluestone road, I sat in a teahouse for an entire afternoon, and many thoughts about time, memory, and existence naturally flowed from my writing. That trip also made me deeply realize that poetry is not only the pursuit of beauty, but also the exploration of the meaning of life.
6.Q: What are the considerations behind the translation of your poetry collection "When Watering Flowers in the Morning" into Chinese and English?
Fang Zhaoling: I chose to translate between Chinese and English in the hope that my poems would reach a wider audience. During my travels, I met people from different cultures, and I was deeply touched by their stories and dreams. I realized that although we come from different places, I am convinced that sincere emotions and deep reflections are not limited by language, and they have the ability to cross cultures and borders and resonate with readers around the world. Therefore, in this way, I hope that my poetry can be understood and appreciated by a wider international audience, and at the same time, more people can understand modern Chinese poetry and culture. Another small selfishness is that my own child is about to be born, and I think he will be able to immerse himself in a more diverse growth mindset when he reads his mother's poems in the future. It was an attempt and a challenge, and I am very grateful to the team involved in the translation who made it possible.
7.Q: In your poem "When Watering the Flowers in the Morning", through deep reflections on time and existence, you show a reflection on the real and uncertain future of the present. This poem has the same name as your poetry collection, how did you decide to name the entire poetry collection after this poem? Is there any particular moral or story behind this choice?
Fang Zhaoling: I chose "When I Water the Flowers in the Morning" as the title of my poetry collection because I cherish the simple and meaningful moments in life. The name symbolizes new beginnings, and the act of watering flowers every morning is not only a care for natural life, but also a reflection of the nourishment of one's inner world and anticipation for the future. The poem, and its name, conveys a philosophy of life – the search for deep meaning in the simple life of day after day. It reminds us that despite the uncertainty of the future, we can still find truth and beauty in the "right now".
This title symbolizes new beginnings and hope. Every morning, watering is a way for me to connect with nature and a reflection of my inner world and perception of life.
8.Is there anything you would particularly like to say to a young poet or writer?
Fang Zhaoling: It's important to stick to your voice and don't be afraid to show your authentic self. Writing is a long journey, enjoy the process, learn and grow from it.
9.Were there any moments in your work that moved or inspired you in particular?
Fang Zhaoling: In the middle of the night, I was alone writing poems under the starry sky. At that moment, I felt the greatness of nature and the insignificance of human beings, and this experience gave me a deeper understanding of life.
10.How do you keep your creations fresh and original?
Fang Zhaoling: I often put myself in different environments and cultures, and let new experiences and feelings stimulate my creativity. Being curious and open to the world is what drives me to keep making progress in my work.
11.Q: As a traveler and poet, how do you see the relationship between travel and creation?
Fang Zhaoling: For me, travel and creation are mutually reinforcing. Everyone I met during my travels brought me unique stories and inspirations. Among them, an elderly woman from Nepal made a deep impression on me. She weaves blankets in a small village at the foot of the Himalayas, and although her hands are covered with the traces of time, the blankets she weaves are colorful and full of life. She told me that each color represents a story in her life and that every thread is her love for her family. The story of this old woman touched me deeply and became an important inspiration for my poetry about life, love and hope**.
12.Q: What are your writing habits? Do you have a particular sense of ritual or habit?
Fang Zhaoling: I often like to write poems early in the morning or late at night. The natural light and ambiance of these two moments inspires me the most. When I can, I like to write outdoors, especially in natural settings, such as parks, forests, or seaside. The forces of nature often stimulate my creativity and make my thoughts clearer. Occasionally, I also spend some time meditating before writing to calm my mind so that I can better listen to my inner voice.
13.Q: What are your plans or aspirations for the future of poetry?
Fang Zhaoling: I am full of expectations and dreams for the future of poetry creation. I hope to continue to explore different cultures and natural environments, draw inspiration from them, and create more poems that touch people's hearts. I also hope that through my works, I can encourage more people to pay attention to the details of life, love life, and move forward bravely.