Meet Abida, Student Voices Leader and Poet – Part 1

The Student Voices program puts youth at the center of Create CA’s advocacy work. We support students fighting for education equity and access to an arts education in their schools and communities. In part 1 of this profile, Abida, a Student Voices Leader and published poet, shares their appreciation for the support of their craft in and out of school.

What inspired you to start writing poetry?

Writing has always been something that came naturally to me and was a passion of mine since childhood. As I experimented with different types of writing, I came to cultivate a particular love for poetry as it is extremely efficient in portraying my thoughts and feelings within a few words. I think my expanding love for metaphors and symbolism inspired me to take poetry seriously, as it showed me that my words can make real and tangible change. 

What brought you to Create CA and how has your work with Student Voices shaped or influenced your writing?

I love connecting with organizations that advocate for arts justice and education. I came upon Create CA by chance, and knew right away that it was something that I wanted to be part of. As someone with limited access and resources to the arts due to my financial background, I believe that access to the arts through K-12 schools is crucial to the well-being of youth. This is especially relevant during a time where hustle culture and competitive environments can feel overwhelming to a young person’s mental health. Access to arts through the public education system plants the roots for the prosperous branches of artistic expression in growing minds. Some of my fondest memories in school are all correlated to art and the collective enjoyment of it, and that is something that I wish all students can experience. Student Voices has influenced my writing by inspiring me to talk about the importance of arts and the impact of it on humanity in my poems. Talking about how influential poetry is to mental health is a topic to write about nonetheless. The following stanzas in my poem: “The Beauty of a Poem” explain how lovely poetry is to me. 

“How delightful is the mystery of meaning, 

What a wonderful way to spend your time. 

Re-reading the lines as you would a scripture, 

Every stanza, to your heart, inclined. 

Staring straight at the poet’s soul on paper, 

A bond so intimate you must sigh. 

So intriguing how such big feelings can be summed up in merely a few lines.”

What do you wish people knew about arts education?

I wish people knew that arts education is just as important as subjects that are deemed superior or more influential such as core or STEM subjects. I do not think one is better than the other, but I think that arts are what help students authentically live and express their true selves as opposed to just surviving. Oftentimes a career or interest in the arts is not deemed to as high of a standard compared to STEM careers, and I think that culture is toxic to not only the artist, but society as

 a whole, because it makes people undermine the power and influence art has had in the past, has now, and will continue to have in the future. 

Have you felt supported in your schools and by your teachers to write outside of class? In what ways?

I do not feel supported in school to write outside of class. This is not a statement of distaste or blame, it is simply how I feel regarding support towards my journey in literature. As I currently attend a STEM-based school, I am often entangled with subjects that do not necessarily encourage my writing juices. In fact, schoolwork often overmines the time or energy I have to even properly sit with my thoughts and write. This is why I started the Poetry Club at my school. I wanted to create and host a safe space for fellow youth poets where we could carve out and utilize time during our busy day to engage in what we love. I find that the writing and other coursework I have to do for school leaves me drained of creative flow. I end up falling asleep with a pencil in my hand and a notebook on my lap, despite my torturous yearning to get up and write. Whenever I have breaks from school or extended time for myself, I write. It is a way to escape from my worldly responsibilities and woes. It allows me to create a place where only I can go. A place where I choose who has access to the deepest chambers of my heart. I do not find this in school, and I hope that the youth of the future will be able to experience what I do not through the fruits of more arts education funding and access.

 

Support Abida’s work below!