08 May 2016

Who is R. M. Drake? Interview with Instagrams most popular poet


R. M. Drake ist ein Poet, ein Schriftsteller, der durch Instagram bekannt geworden ist. 1,5 Millionen Follower liken, kommentieren und teilen jedes seiner fast täglich geposteten Bilder. Aber wer ist dieser Mister Drake, bei dem ich zuerst an den gleichnamigen Rapper denken musste?

R.M. Drake ist ein amerikanischer Schriftsteller aus Miami. Das Schreiben hat er schon in jungen Jahren für sich erkannt, ist aber zunächst einen regulären Job als Art Director nachgegangen. Irgendwann fing Drake an, seine "Quotes" auf Tumblr und später auf seinem Instagram Acount zu posten. Die, auf einer alten Schreibmaschine getippten Gedichte, kamen gut bei den Lesern an. Jeder kann sich in dem Geschrieben auf eigene Art und Weise wiederfinden. Schon bald teilten auch Prominente seine Bilder, wodurch die Followerzahl stätig wuchs und inzwischen, mit 1,5 Millionen Followern, eine beachtliche Reichweite erzielt.

Ich habe mich ebenfalls in seinen Quotes, Kurzgeschichten, Gedichten... was auch immer es eigentlich ist, verloren. Manchmal liest man einen Satz und es kommt direkt ein Bild der eigenen Gesichte vor Augen. Grund genug für mich nach langer Zeit mal wieder ein Buch zu bestellen. Seine Gedichte verkauft er gesammelt als Bücher über seinen eigenen Shop. Die handsignierte Version von "A brilliant madness" fand kurze Zeit später den Weg zu mir nach Hause. Jetzt wollte ich unbedingt mehr über die Person hinter den Worten erfahren. Er erklärte sich dazu bereit meine Fragen zu beantworten, womit ich wirklich nicht gerechnet hatte, da es nur wenige Infos und Interviews von ihm gibt.

Aber nun das Interview (auf Englisch, falls ich es ins deutsche übersetzten soll, kommentiert das einfach) mit dem Künstler einer neuen Generation, der außerdem noch cool und supersympathisch ist.


/ R. M. Drake is a poet, a writer, who got famous through Instagram. 1.5 million follower like, share and comment every single picture he posts. But who`s the person behind the name R. M. Drake? When I first read some of his short poems, I actually thought it`s some crazy text-lines from Drake the rapper. Well, it`s not.

R.M. Drake is an amercian Writer from Miami. He started writing in a young age, but at first he had a regular job as an art director for a television company. Some day, Drake started to share his "quotes" (written on a classic typewriter) on Tumblr and later on his Instagram. It is easy to find yourself in his words and soon some vips started to share his work, what gets him even more attention and followers. 

I also felt in love with his work; which was basicly the reason I ordered my first book in a long time: "A brilliant madness". He is a self publisher and you can buy his work, some of it is even signed, in his own online-shop. While reading the book I wanted to know more about the person behind all these and I was super happy he agreed to an interview for my blog. So, below you can see the question & answers from a very talented Artist, but also a very cool and nice person. Thank you Robert!


Interview

Me:
I have to admit, the first time I saw one of your quotes I thought they're some lryric-parts from drake the rapper. After going through your instagram and all those texts which touches peoples minds, I would like to know more about the person behind that. So tell me, when did you start writing?

R. M. Drake:
I have been writing since the mid 90s. for me, I have always tried to create some kind of art. if it wasn't writing, then I was painting, if not, I was making sculpture. then, as I got older I began to mess with graffiti and video art. what's funny is, I never thought it would turn out the way it has. when I was in college several of my professors would tell me I should be a writer. I never understood this, because I always wrote so effortlessly. I guess in a way, I was meant to be a writer out of all those other mediums I used to work with, and to be honest, out of painting and sculpting, I would say, sculpting is probably my strongest medium.

Me:
What did you do for living before you got success with it?

R. M. Drake: 
I always worked for media. I was a video editor for PBS and after that I was am art director for Univision. I learned alot while I was working with both. which is why I am able to create everything from scratch and on my own. I'm thankful for that kind of experience. not a lot of people have the knowledge to do so.

Me:
How did you get the idea of posting quotes on insta?

R. M. Drake: 
I had a tumblr account before Instagram where I was doing the same thing but not with a typewriter. before I was inspired a lot by micro stories and the entire minimalistic movement. I have always wanted to capture more with less. anyway, when I discovered Instagram in 2012 I immediately thought this was a good platform to do what I was doing on tumblr because it was new and cool (a lot of people were switching from fb to ig in 2012)

Me: 
When were the moment you realized this could be successful and how did it feel?

R. M. Drake: 
I don't know. I don't think I am where I would like to be. a lot of people tell me "you've made it" well, I don't feel like I have. I'm still me and I still have goals. to be honest, I don't feel too successful, I'm still in the bottom of the pitt in the world of literature. I'm no one but if I keep working hard and writing maybe one day, 100 years from now, somewhere in the world some classroom will be analyzing my work. and if that happens, then, that would mean I made it. I think that's true success, to have your work go on and live forever. legacy is important for me.

Me: 
What inspires you for your work?

R. M. Drake:
I think people and imagination. I have a book called "beautiful and damned" and it is full of stories. some heart wrenching and some exciting and fun. I love the idea of being able to tell a story, being able to make anything up. if you want a green sky, then it is possible. its your world and you can make it as you want.

Me:
A big part of it is love. Tell me, is there a special one you think of while you're writing?

R. M. Drake: 
Not always, no. I think I always want to tell a story. if I have lived it or not. I just want to tell it right. when I write about love. it doesn't mean it is the love between a man and a woman. there are other kinds of love. the love a man can have for his country, his children, his animals, food, etc etc. the list can go on. sometimes, I will write some prose about my dog, and what is beautiful is, how people will interpret it as they want to. love is love after all, it is just some kinds of loves are different.

Me:
There're also qoutes of kinda confusing, "not knowing the way yet situations". A thing where probably all of us struggle with from time to time. Is writing for you also a way of therapy, a way of finding yourself?

R. M. Drake: 
Yes, when I write I discover many things about myself. I like to challenge myself and create deadlines and etc. (although I don't have to) every time I have an idea for a novel or a story, I write it down. now, sometimes I don't know where the story is going and I think that's how I find pieces of myself within my words. I let the story come out in its own and when I'm done with it and I read it, most of the time, I surprise myself. and because if that, I am able to find new things about myself. things I would have never imagined.

Me:
A brilliant madness is your fiifth book. What does it mean to you?

R. M. Drake: 
I think with this book, I tried to write about myself and my connection to the world. for example, beautiful chaos was about myself and the connection within. black butterfly was about me experiencing the lost of a loved one. so a brilliant madness was within the same content just me and the world, how I see it, or saw it. things always change for me, perhaps 10 years from now I will re read a brilliant madness and laugh about it. maybe i am navie while writing, but that's how I will learn and grow as a human being.

Me:
Are other books plannend?

R. M. Drake: 
Yes, I have a collection of stories called ",beautiful and damned" then a debut novel called "chasing the gloom" and maybe I'll continue to write prose, who knows.

Me:
You live in Miami (right?). Are your book covers inspired by the miami streetart scene?

R. M. Drake:
Yes. my cover are all drawn by me, and they are inspired by my own personal art which I have yet to show.         

Me: 
So, what are your future plans. Anything in the making?   

R. M. Drake: 
I don't have plans, I do have books lined up. I always keep myself busy with writing. it's all I do. the more I write, the better I get at it. so I am always writing and learning and reading too. I read about 1 novel every three weeks or so.

Me: 
At leat, is there one question you always wanted to answer to, but nobody asked yet?

R. M. Drake: 
Yes, Im not a very good writer. Sometimes I think I cannot write at all. Sometimes I like to see myself as a tool and all I do is pick up certain frequencies, and because of that I am able to chanel and write. Perhaps, I am not a writer, just a good interpreter.

 
 
His new book "Beautiful & Damned"

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3 comments

  1. Thank you Rizwan, happy to hear that :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. R.m. Drake is my favorite poet, not only on Instagram but in real life. I've read his books and they feel like coming home after an exhausting day. He is so kind, he keeps in touch with his followers. He(or his team) even replied to one of my messages. He is a wonderful person.
    Thank you for this interview, this felt good. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I feel you. So happy you enjoyed reading interview :-)

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