There are many ways to express ones-self. Painting, Drawing, Sculpture, Music, Theatre, Poetry, Sports. Everyone has their own way to show the world who they are, or even just keep it to themselves. Many don't think sports as a way to express ones-self, but it's just a different way to feel one with the world and yourself and even to show the world who you are. But that's a different topic.
I, myself, like to paint to express myself, though I do enjoy writing and music as well. But painting is my form of choice. But all that aside. Today I'm writing about poetry, about a specific form of poetry to be exact. Spoken Word.
Spoken Word Poetry is a mix of theatre and poetry. Rather than being contained to a page, these poems need to be spoken out and performed. They are not meant to be stagnant. Not to say that what many would consider typical poetry is stagnant, but it does not need the verbosity that spoken word poetry does. I have never participated in spoken word, but I admire those that do. One poet speaks to me more than others. Contemporary Poet and well known Spoken Word Poet Sarah Kay.
I was introduced to her years ago, but recently I stumbled upon her poetry again. And found a new found love for her, and now finally decided to write about it. My first introduction to her was a TED Talk where she performed the poem "If I Should Have a Daughter" and then spoke about spoken word and her journey.
Her poem and speech (embedded above) led me to search for more of her work. It inspired me to not stop creating, no matter how difficult it is, or how much I'm not sure what to create. After listening to this, I went and searched for more and more of her poetry and each time Sarah Kay speaks to me.
She talks about a student that was so stuck in her thought that she couldn't write poetry, but eventually found her muse and wrote her very own poems. I think this is a problem for many people. I think that lots of people feel that they don't know how to be creative. I didn't really think about this until a guy mentioned something in class. He said "girls are better and cutting and pasting and creating than guys are." And that got me thinking...."I don't think that is something innately different among men and women. I think that's learned."
Learned....that wasn't the right word and yet it is. As children we learn what is normal and what is not according to society and even if it's not conscious it is still taught to us. As we grow up girls are encouraged to draw, create, and have explore their imagination; while boys are encouraged to play outside. But if the reverse is sought after, the child is almost told that it's wrong to be that way. Society plays such a strong roll in who we are. It may not be a bad thing, but sometimes I think it hinders who we allow people to be. If we see a guy in art school so many people think he's gay. Why? Because arts are for girls. Well guess what...men dominated the art world for years and still do for the most part. Women had to fight for their space in art. We need to stop letting what is "normal" dictate how we encourage our children. I hope that one day if and when I have a child, whether boy or girl I let them follow their interests and put aside the "social norm."
The so called norm isn't always right. Boys can do ballet and girls can play ice hockey. And no matter what that does not make them weird, or different, or gay, for that is irrelevant. It just makes them a person, nothing more.
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