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Written by Christina Margeti.
I recently read a post on social media by a woman, which inspired me to write this piece. This woman writes poetry and sent her work to a publisher, but the publisher showed no interest. The feeling of rejection is unpleasant, but it shouldn’t make us give up or lose faith in ourselves. I wrote to her that sometimes, the things we experience as rejection can also serve as a form of protection. Perhaps, for example, they steer us away from a collaboration that ultimately wouldn’t be beneficial for us.
Besides, others can’t determine your worth. It’s certainly nice when our lyrics or our work are recognized and resonate with others, but the essence of writing doesn’t end there. We often write first and foremost for ourselves, to express what we carry inside, and this process in itself is cathartic. Beyond that, what matters is that we stay connected to what expresses who we are and continue to believe in our creativity.
To young people who love poetry and writing in general, I’d like to say that it’s worth pursuing what you love and not letting any discouragement from others steer you away from creating. Write from your heart and with freedom. Every person has their own way of expressing themselves, and that is what makes them unique and special. We are not all the same.
Writing, among other things, can express a broad and rich spectrum of emotions that we experience at different stages of our lives: joy, love, romance, contemplation, fear, loss, hope, and humor. This is its power. It captures life itself as it unfolds. The essence does not lie in adhering to specific forms or rules. Metrical verse has its own value, as does free verse. What matters is the content and the sincerity of expression. One can write however one prefers, as long as what is written comes from the depths of one’s soul.
Life and the arts evolve. Every person certainly has their own tastes, models, or influences, but creativity does not need to—and is not obliged to—remain static. And it never will. It must blaze new trails, and it will always blaze new trails and find new ways.
Personally, I would like poetry to be loved by even more people and not be viewed as something difficult to understand. Or, even worse, as a character from an old Greek movie—the “poet Fanfara.” When expressed with simplicity, I believe it becomes more accessible and may touch more lives.
Finally, there are also cases of people who act competitively in every setting, trying to stand out by belittling or slandering others. This, of course, does not actually benefit anyone’s work. When someone focuses on their own work with consistency and responsibility, they feel fulfilled by what they do and have no need to belittle the approaches and works of others.
Let us strive and hope that poetry will be loved even more, and that more and more people—even those who have never encountered it before—will discover it not as something difficult to understand, unapproachable, but as a form of vivid expression that “speaks” directly to the heart…