Amanda Gorman on Wellness, Her Favorite Hair Accessories, and How She Gets Into the Writing Zone

You’ll remember American poet and activist Amanda Gorman from President Joe Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Resplendent in a yellow coat and ruby red Prada hairband, she gave a moving reading of her poem, “The Hill We Climb,” as the eyes of the world looked on. In the two years since that pivotal moment, Gorman has become a Vogue cover girl and Estée Lauder’s first global changemaker. Here, she talks about her writing process, hair accessories, and the well-being workout she loves.

On how she wakes up in the morning

I was just thinking about this—because I literally just woke up—but I need to elevate my morning routine. I typically try to meditate for a few minutes at least, and do a few gentle stretches. I spend a lot of time writing and sitting down at my computer, so carving out a few minutes to move my body in the morning really helps me. 

On her creative process 

I generally could write anywhere and at any time—I think that’s something that comes from a background of writing for a really long time. But if I’m to think about certain environments that are conducive to creativity, I’d say a place where I feel like there’s life, but not so much that I’m overly distracted. So that can be a park, a desk, or a library. 

Typically I depend on a lot of music when I’m writing. It helps me to find the rhythm in the meter of my words. I’ll play some Hans Zimmer or Michael Giacchino, who you might know from composing a lot of Pixar films. 

I also keep a stack of books, which I call my “right hand.” My right-hand books are a stack of poems or works that remind me of authors who have forayed into the subject before—I have them on hand, not necessarily to quote or imitate them, but just as physical inspiration. They’re there to remind me that this has been done before, and it can be done again. 

On her star sign

I think I’m one of those people whose star sign just happens to really coincide with who they are. I’m a Pisces. We are called the poets of the sign, so they’ve kind of got me there!

On her favorite ways to wear her hair

I love a big fat scrunchie—that’s just me. Anything that’s bright and colorful that I can put in my hair. It’s also affordable. I also love wearing my hair in my Afro—it’s not something that I’ve worn in the past few months because once I get busy writing, I’m like, “Okay, let’s braid her away!”, so I can keep the hair out of my face. But I love wearing my hair natural.