Artist Statement

Now in my third year of embracing my love for poetry and starting on the path towards making it a career, I believe that I have learned a lot, though certainly not enough, about what it means to call myself an artist. Beginning as a fourteen-year old novice poet that barely anybody took seriously, I have had to face several moments of growth and realization to achieve what I have in these past three years. Among these realizations is that art is a community-oriented medium, and that the community surrounding art holds as much importance to me as the art itself. I make an effort to participate in my poetry community, local and digital-global, either by frequently attending nearby poetry readings and open mics, seeking out professional opportunities at writing festivals (such as Wordbridge and When Words Collide) or with publishing houses (Oesa Arts), or posting my work online in hopes of one day receiving global recognition. I owe everything to my art community, and have learned everything I know about poetry from the wonderful poets around me. 

There used to be this poet at an open mic I'd visit frequently. He sat in the back, scribbling away loudly in his notebook, and then, at the very end, when the list had run through and people were packing up to go home, he'd jump up on stage and read his poem to whoever was left. And there was something so inspiring, so inherently human about the way he embraced poetry into his life, because it was clear that he created art primarily for himself, but was excited at the prospect of sharing it with whoever was willing to listen. That is the kind of relationship I hope to maintain with my poetry, even if it becomes my full-time job.

Anyway, I spoke to this poet once, after an open mic, and during this conversation he told me that the primary function of art is to make known what is important to the artist. With this in mind, I want my art to make known that love and beauty are extremely important things. I hope to be an advocate for compassion, empathy, and gentle understanding. While this objective is and has been very fluid, with my intention changing or even lacking thereof, it feels as though these things will remain important elements of my art, throughout my attempts to make this into a full-time career. In terms of next steps, I am motivated by the goal to one day pubish a poetry collection with a big five publisher, as I believe that would bridge the gap between where I am now and where I want to stand in relation to my art. In the meantime, however, I will continue to learn, grow, and adapt to my life, and keep fighting for ways to keep poetry a prominent part of it.