The Poetteer

Hello Poetteers, A few months ago there was a hashtag, the imperfect boss , going around and it got me thinking. Last week I read a blog post about the imposter syndrome and I knew I had to speak up. The imposter syndrome is “a collection of feelings of inadequacy that persist even in face of information that indicates that the opposite is true.” Sometimes I don't feel like a real poet. I feel like i'm just putting together words. Poetry is an art that evokes emotion. My readers remind me that I do just that. In another article I was reading it gave tips on how to ground you. You should really listen to the feedback, write it down with the examples that prove that. When you feel lost and concerned take a look at what readers have had to say. stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers,   I haven't preformed spoken word but I want to. I've read out my poems a few times. Public speaking isn't my thing, it scares me. Before I go on stage it's nerve wrecking. With poetry I'm a different person. I don't run away from the opportunity. I enjoy it. Once I loosen up I'm loud and clear. I even surprise myself with my voice.  I don't let myself give it a second thought. I don't let doubt creep in. I even lead a poetry workshop once. It's exhilarating experience. It is something I want to do again.  I need to work on bringing the power of my voice through the words and emotion. I love hearing the silence and the snaps. The room is dimmed. It's a cool environment. It will be even better when I bring in all that I want to work on. *originally talked about on the # poetrychat . stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, As a young girl with a mother who sold Islamic books that was all I read. As I grew up I started going to the public library and bookstore. I didn't find any books with Muslim characters. I would occasionally find a non fiction book stating the basic facts of Islam. I have a love for story telling and am an avid reader. At a young age I started to write my own stories. They weren't exactly my own. My characters weren't Muslim and had white sounding names. I didn't feel any emotion in these stories because I wasn't attached. I kept writing them, though. It was all I knew. Eventually I found a novel that had a Muslim character. Reading that story gave me the push to write my actual own story. It takes one story for you to get going and keep going. Write the story for yourself first. Ask yourself what you want to hear and read. Since then I barely find any Muslim driven stories but I keep writing. In the back of my head, though, I was scare...

Hello Poetteers,  Some authors believe their beliefs in love and life should show through in their writing while others feel that they shouldn't and the beliefs that show up in the story is up to the character. In fiction stories, whether it's the author's beliefs or the character's beliefs, it is understandable but non-fiction is different. You write of your beliefs and your beliefs should shine through. I'm picky about the songs I listen to. When I listen to songs, I stop if they are inappropriate. Inappropriate to me is drugs and sex. Drugs isn't good to do and sex is something that holds a special meaning and should be private instead of being overly described. There is a fine line. You want it to be normal but you don't want it to be overly described that it takes away from what it is. Lots of well known songs talk of a lover. It's romantic but some are too sexual for listeners to think of anything else other than that. If the sex i...

Hello Poetteers, As I look at my previous blessings posts I realized I have a lot of repetition. I will look deeper. I encourage you to look deeper, as well. 1. Put a hand over your beating heart. 2. I like finding new online friends with inspiring messages. 3. Glad to have in real life friends who put in the effort in everything. 4. Arab sweets are the best. 5. Hard times are learning experiences. 6. This creative/writing/poetry business is something I will continue to navigate. Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, Today is my birthday and I'm counting my blessings. Celebrate along with me by counting your blessings. 1. Sunshine 2. New dresses 3. That moment when you feel like you have the place to yourself. 4. Birds chirping 5. The strength my faith and Ramadan together give me. 6. chocolate chip cookies with coconut on top! 7. Being exposed to multiple cultures and being part of multiple cultures. 8. For late nights of sudden inspiration to write. 9. For early mornings of silence. 10. I'm lucky to know my passions and know myself. 11. Time on my side. 12. Great conversations 13. Good food and fruits 14. Finding the right headscarf 15. Finding what you thought would be lost forever. 16. Chocolate covered pretzels 17. The moon and stars shining above us. 18. The tree that provides shade. 19. Reading your favorite books. 20. My cats are the cutest! 21. My family is the coolest. 22. The support from the friends around me. Stay inspired, Fid...

Hello Poetteers, Doodle Doodle after doodle each outstanding and unique just like you (read the whole poem when you buy the book ) Before this poem was published in A to Z Poetry , it was written for a different purpose. It was a gift for a friend. The poem was inspired by said friend for their own passion. The story of knowing this person is special to me. From afar, I admired their art. As with every person you are talented in one thing and end up struggling in something else. I was able to be there to help. I wanted to remember that some way and this poem was born. For this poem and many other poems, you can get a copy of A to Z Poetry on Smashwords for $.99 using the code YE68T. Twitter-sized bite: Go behind the scenes of the poem, Doodle, by @poetfida.  (Tweet it!) stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, In this series I'd like to highlight my favorite poets. I had the honor of getting in touch with Noor Shirazie and interviewing her for you today. Noor Shirazie is a 24 year old creativity enthusiast and author of ' Mourning Departures '.  When and how did you get introduced to poetry?  I was introduced to poetry through some of my earliest English classes but was more intrigued by my mom's poetry. She's been writing for decades. I was really impressed and blown away by her pieces upon first reading them. She also motivated me because she showed that it's possible to pursue a passion without pursuing it as a career. It was a very important lesson at a time when I was still figuring out which career path to opt for. In my culture, writing isn't the most reputable career, so for her to write passionately, it encouraged me to give it a try as well without worrying about societal or cultural limitations. What is your inspiration behind...

Hello Poetteers, I am about to move. As I start packing I move to conquer my bookshelf. Looking at the boxes I realized I didn't know how to pack the boxes. The question of how was spinning in my head. After reading some blogs and watching a video I picked up a couple ways to pack my books. Have the spines face the bottom of the box. Fill the space with packing paper, scarves or shirts. Have the spines face inward. Fill the space with packing paper, scarves or shirts. With the extra space fill the box with how the books will fit. stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, Ramadan starts Jun 6th!! Usually I set up my bullet journal by month, but this coming months I'm setting it differently. Instead of June and July For the one week of June I'm making a weekly spread. Then setting up for the month of Ramadan. Once ramadan is over I'll be done with my first journal! I'll be transitioning into a new journal. I will set up a monthly spread for the rest of July and go by as usual. Have a monthly log to record the iftar parties. Set goals that will help you become a better person. My goals is to be able to donate to a charity, to watch the sunrise and sunset, and by the end of the month have read the whole Quran. Other things could be to volunteer somewhere. Ramadan is a month to show appreciation and gratitude. Create a spread to write and doodle those things you are grateful for and memories you made. There will be some things you want to focus on everyday throughput the month, create a monthly tracker ...