the sun and her flowers

When Kaur began posting her poetry on social media, she regarded writing poetry as an enjoyable hobby. She did it because she loved it. Even before the rise of social media, she had performed her own poetry at open mics and poetry slams. However, after the huge and unexpected sales of Kaur’s first book, milk and honey, she felt a lot of pressure to follow it with another success. She was beginning to think of poetry not just as a hobby but as a career, in which case she felt she needed to ensure that her work achieved commercial success. The pressure affected her mental and physical health, leaving her feeling debilitated. She had migraines that lasted 72 hours and also experienced writer’s block. She told Hailey Maitland in an interview that writing the sun and her flowers was difficult because she "felt totally depleted while writing all of [her] second collection" (Maitland, Hailey. "Instagram Sensation Rupi Kaur Gets Candid About Trolls, Acne, And How To Make It As A Writer." British Vogue, 14 Mar. 2019). She also explained that afterward she realized "that your well is never really dry forever, but you have to protect it" (Maitland).