Author Dar Dowling chatted about her new bestselling poetry book “Echoes of Darku.”
Her book reached No. 1 in Amazon’s “Japanese & Haiku” section.
What inspired you to write Echoes of Darku?
I’ve always been fascinated by the intersection of visual art, poetry, and the unseen forces that shape our reality.
Echoes of Darku was born during a deeply emotional time in my life—within months of each other, I lost my aunt (who was like a second mother to me), a close friend, and even my cat. On top of that, I was navigating other intense emotional challenges.
My heart was broken, and from that pain came an undeniable need to create. The poetry, art, and photography came together as a way to heal myself.
In the process, I found that the unseen world woven into my work helped me reconnect with my soul and spiritual center, revealing that my heart wasn’t broken after all—it was just growing.
What does Darku mean?
I love haikus, but I’ve always struggled with conforming to traditional structures—coloring inside the lines has never been my thing.
Honestly, I couldn’t call my poems haikus in the traditional sense, so I created my own version.
Darku is my way of redefining the form—breaking the rules while still capturing the essence of brevity, emotion, and depth. It’s poetry on my own terms.
Do you have a personal favorite poem or haiku? If yes, which and why?
I love them all for different reasons but I resonate deeply with those that capture the impermanence of life and the fluidity of time.
One that stands out is a piece about standing on the edge of a threshold—between the known and the unknown—because it encapsulates my approach to both art and life.
What is your advice for young and emerging storytellers, poets, and artists?
Don’t be afraid to break the rules—after all, rules are meant to be broken, right? I believe that allowing your voice to be as raw and unfiltered as it needs to be is divine.
Art, poetry, and storytelling are about expressing the depths of human experience, not conforming to a predefined mold.
Trust your instincts, experiment fearlessly, and create work that resonates with your soul—because that’s what will truly resonate with others. It’s not always easy—it often means wrestling with internal demons and self-doubt—but confronting them is always worth it.
In the end, you’ll create something meaningful—something that speaks to you. And maybe, just maybe, someone else needs to experience it too.
Much of your work seems to explore the interplay between chaos and order. How do you balance those forces in your art?
I don’t actually strive for balance—I strive for raw expression. If balance appears, then so be it.
The edges of my art serve as a container, holding everything in place, while within, what some may call chaos unfolds.
But to me, it’s about seeing beneath the surface—feeling the forces that exist just beyond our perception.
In my original ink-on-paper images, if you run your fingers over the artwork, you’re not just seeing what’s unfolding—you can feel it too.
What was it like for you to bring together your haikus, art, and photography?
This is my second book in the Darku series, which weaves together my love of the quantum and spiritual realms.
One of the biggest challenges was deciding which piece of art would pair with each haiku and photograph—it’s an intuitive process, but also a deeply intricate one.
Fortunately, I have the incredible Tom Colleran, a highly talented editor and designer, working alongside me.
He helped bring everything together, shaping the book into a kind of mandala—a reflection of both my art and my journey.
The cover was also a challenge; we created three versions, and in the end, we used them all, with each one representing a different mood.
The cover captures my love of the divine feminine spiritually, and if you look closely, you may even see a hidden cityscape of NYC beneath the surface, as well as other things.
The title page represents the flames of life burning away the old to create something new, while the back cover is my version of the Tree of Life—a drawing I created while sitting by a creek in Oshawa, Ontario.
What’s the one thing you want our readers to get out of Echoes of Darku?
For me, this book is a way to connect—not just with ideas, but with emotions, the unseen, and with each other.
I hope readers engage with Echoes of Darku on their own terms, allowing themselves to sit with uncertainty, feel rather than analyze, and let meaning emerge in unexpected ways.
It’s less about finding definitive answers and more about experiencing the fluidity of perception and emotion.
What do your plans for the future include?
There may be a third Darku book in the future, but for now, my focus is on two fiction books I’m currently writing, as well as promoting my new documentary, Here I Am.
The film tells the story of a transgender man who converts to conservative Judaism— it’s about going to any lengths to become your authentic self.
More than that, I see it as a way to build bridges between people, fostering understanding and connection.
Her book “Echoes of Darku” is available on digital service providers by clicking here.
