The Poetteer

Hello Poetteers,  When I write I always reach for the same pen. As I look for new journals I subconsciously go for the same kind. Pens - Papermate ! I love the multicolor, medium tip flair ones for putting headings. I the profile ones for everyday use. i love the soft grip it has. I like to keep my writing consistent with the black ink. Journals - Tjmaxx is my favorite place to shop. They have a variety of journals but I my eyes notice the Eccolo Journals . I love the soft cover, the polka dot or stripped end pages, and the ribboned bookmark. They are "embossed or stamped with inspirational motifs and quotes." What is your favorite stationery?

Hello Poetteers, Titling your poems can be hard but if you're lucky it can be easy. 1. Make the first line of the poem the title 2. Use the theme/topic you are trying to get across as the title 3. A repeated word or phrase within the poem could be a title Lastly, have a friend help suggest a title. Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, My life feels better when I'm organized and I see things organized. The first step to getting there is tackling your task list. 1. Have a brain bump session to write down all the ideas you have. 2. Pick the tasks and projects you want done in the near future and leave the rest for a different time. Also, add deadlines. 3. Every night spend some time making your to do list for the next day. Your mind won't be buzzing with thoughts and you'll sleep better. With a good night's sleep you will be able to accomplish more and better. 4. Color code your tasks by category. 5. Have the bigger tasks on top of your list. Journaling has helped me find my way to organization. Get a free ebook of journaling prompts when you sign up for my newsletter . Stay inspired, Fida

Hello Poetteers, My love yourself poetry series is coming to a close! As you may know I'm working on a secret project to keep the poems going around. It's not so secret anymore since I can't hold it in much longer.  BLOSSOMING HEART is a compilation of poems about conquering your fear and forgiving yourself. Learn and love yourself in your journey. Let your brokenness find hope and peace. ( Add to Goodreads ) It will be published on July 19, 2016. It is currently available for preorder . It will only be available as an ebook. I eventually will work on making it a paperback.  Lots of things are going on. Lastly, I'm hosting a twitter book launch party on Wednesday.  stay inspired,  Fida 

Hello Poetteers, We are always on the go. Our minds eventually get cluttered. When I'm on social media only some of the content I consume is important. The rest is information you don't need. You aren't fully paying attention after scrolling down for so long. Limit your time on there. Stay offline when you can. I realized my mind has more space for creativity and focus. Along the same lines of this, have boundaries. Keep your spaces separate. Your bed is for sleep only. Once your work hours are over don't keep working. Leave your social life and home life for family and friends. Your work will still be there later. Lastly, wherever you are notice how your body feels. Like I've said before we have a go-go-go mentality. We think we should work through the stress. When we are stressed we are unable to give the activity we are doing our full attention. It is better to step away. Just like we have to notice how our body feels we have to be conscious of our brea...

Hello Poetteers, Bravery doesn't come overnight. It is something you need to work on constantly. You need the headspace and mindset for it. Do something that will healthy loosen and motivate you. Before I go on stage to read my poem(s) in front of a crowd I spend the whole day repeating the poem over and over in my head. Ill go on stage still with a quiet voice. It wasn't working. I had to change it up. Practicing in front of a group of my closest girlfriends was one of the good decisions I made. Their energy hyped me up. Say yes before your thoughts start popping up and getting in your way. Have the activity or the commitment/accountability be the first thing in the morning. That is the best time because your mind is still waking up. Once I woke up to an email about needing a workshop leader. I hit reply before I could comprehend it. Now I can't back out of it and that pushed me to get started on it. I always tell myself this story because I opened my own door to ...

Dear Muse, You haven't always been there. You came and went. You make your way through my life. I have to not let my head get in the way and listen. You taught me so much. I've learned to tap more into myself. We've become close. You are always here and pushing me for more. I've grown as a creator and person. Thank you. Love, Fida P.S. Get a free ebook of journaling prompts when you sign up for my newsletter .

Hello Poetteers, #PoetryChat (now #PoetryHeart !) is a weekly chat on Sundays at 3 pm, hosted by  @JasmineMelancon . In this past week I shared a confession on the chat. Poetry is a place to express emotion with rhythm in a concise manner. I write in free verse. I cut into stanzas where the story changes. I never wrote a sonnet before. I was driven away from sonnets because of the old English and romantic love I got from reading some. I would love to practice writing a sonnet or two in the near future. There is no wrong or right way to write poetry. It doesn't need specific words paired together that rhyme. It's not required to write in a specific form. You can write in free verse with or without stanzas. All you need is phrases that should evoke emotion. Stay inspired,  Fida P.S. I'm currently hosting an Instagram poetry challenge, # dailypoetrygram . 

Hello Poetteers, Happy Eid! As you know I set up my bullet journal a bit differently for Ramadan. Some of it has been helpful while others failed. I was able to record my prayer list. I took the time to jot down reflections on the verses I read. I had a log of the Iftar parties. I practiced my hand lettering. I was able to track the times I woke up for sahoor, whether I fasted or not, full or half day. I got to see how much or how little time I went to the mosque. I saw when I had the time and energy to exercise on top of fasting. In my daily log I was able to track the times I prayed and what I ate. In the future with my prayer list I can see them being answered. Since I have it all down, if we make it to see the next Ramadan I can see how I can improve. Stay inspired,  Fida

Hello Poetteers, It is different from reading words on a page. You read and done with it. Performance stays with you. I love how I'm captured and moved. You feel the emotion along side them. You are able to feel the emphasis and power of the words. You get to quietly snap your fingers at your favorite parts. It adds to the performance, like it's part of it. My favorite online platform for watching videos of spoken word poetry is Button Poetry . *originally talked about on #poetrychat .  stay inspired, Fida