Interview with M.O. Hidalgo

Today, I interview a new but great writer on Vocal, M.O. Hidalgo. He’s a poet, and he knows it. Let us welcome Mr. Hidalgo to the vocal community with praise, applause and exuberance.

Alex H. Mittelman: Hey M.O. How did you get started writing poetry?

M.O. Hidalgo: I started writing poetry when I was in middle school. At first it started out as just sweet nothings to girls I liked but then life at home was getting harder and harder and I remember watching movies and listening to music by myself a lot and I’d always hear one line that really resonated with me or I thought was really cool to say and I’d go home and just mull over it and eventually that lead to me just writing my thoughts out. I didnt really go into it with the intention of writing poetry it just so happened that when I wrote there was a rhythm to it. At the time I wasn’t a big reader I didnt think I was writing poems I thought it was just writing with style. The only poet I really knew at the time was Dr. Suess

A.H.M. What inspires you to write your poetry?

M.O.H. Writing to me is less an inspiration and more like a cry for help. Im an over thinker my thoughts feel like my own worse enemy sometimes. Writing is a way for me to just take those thoughts and give them form so I don’t drive myself insane. It’s easier for me to hate the words on a page than to keep that internalized. Im not saying my poems are all negative either but I got to get those thoughts out before I write anything im half way proud of.

A.H.M. How would you define your writing style? Is there one piece you wrote that you like the best? Why?

M.O.H. I’d define my writing style as of now is raw unyielding chaos. Most of whats been published on vocal are journal entries from a time my life where I was a mess and I choose to keep the poems as messy and confused as I felt. My poems that I go into with an idea in my mind are a lot more organized and methodical but I will try to keep things as raw and visceral as I can. Im really proud of whispers of resilience and grit your teeth both are a bit complimentary of each other both being poems of where im aware that hopelessness is inevitable but giving into that hopelessness is a betrayal to one self.

A.H.M. What’s been the most challenging thing for you to write and why?

M.O.H. A lot of the poems I write, I write when im feeling my worst there’s very little joy while I write most of the time im going through things that I don’t have the strength or courage or emotional literacy to say out loud to anyone. I sit down put on some music and just write and I get upset, I cry and by the time im done im a mess and I can barely breathe but I have words on a paper that I can weave together until its something that makes sense to me and that I can eventually share with others and be proud of it.

A.H.M. What is your most important piece of advice to other writers?

M.O.H. Write as much as possible and share what you write with as many people as possible. Take in the criticisms you enjoy and leave out what you don’t agree with, but just keep writing.

A.H.M. What do you want people to learn from your work?

M.O.H. I would like if people read my work and felt freer. Free to be themselves and to feel proud about it.

A.H.M. Can you tell me what your writing process looks like? Tell me how you get your ideas, when you start writing, what your mood and thought process, etc.

M.O.H. I have two real process when it comes to writing. One process I do is when im going through lifes many trials and tribulations and I just sit down play music and write what I feel until I feel better then I review and edit till its something I’d be proud to read in front of others. the other times I write for fun its cause someone around me or a line of music or a line in a movie sounds really cool to me and I’ll save up a whole bunch of quotes I’ve heard or things I’ve seen and I eventually try to connect them all together till its a cohesive story or piece of literature that makes a bit of sense.

A.H.M. What’s one thing you love about writing?

M.O.H. It’s fun! It’s a joy to write sometimes I’ll come up with a line or two that just make me so happy to say out loud and base my personality on till I come up with another line I can base my personality on. Words are fun to put together and take a part and play with.

A.H.M. What something you hate about writing?

M.O.H. Writing is the hardest and most dreadful part about writing! I wish my thoughts can just appear on a page without having to set myself up a pen and paper. Sometimes I’ll have a night when im writing just everything thats coming into my head and I write so fast that in the morning I can barely make sense of what I wrote. I day dream about the precious treasures I’ve forgotten simply because of my horrid handwriting. If it’s not the hand writing the dread of staring on a blank page and my mind just being empty.

A.H.M. How long has writing been a passion of yours?

M.O.H. Writing has been a passion since I became aware of notes on my iPhone I have hundreds of poems that are on my phone about anything I find interesting in life or if I’m bored and just want to write about Taco Bell being a life saver in my college years.

A.H.M. What do you like to do for fun?

M.O.H. I like eating and relaxing with friends, having nothing to do, just lounging around with some good food and good people.

A.H.M. Is there anything else you think your fans should know about you?

M.O.H. I like being creative drawing, painting, writing. I’d love to have a place for people to come together and do more of those things together. Holding galleries and shows live events would be a lot of fun and is a bit of a dream of mine.

A.H.M. Thank you for letting me interview you!