Spoken Word? Spoken Heard. by Syreeta

Spoken Word? Spoken Heard. by Syreeta - May 2018 Scholarship Essay

Since working with the GLSEN Youth Group of Cincinnati, I make enthusiasm a conscious habit. In 2016, my spoken word collective, S.W.E.R.V.E. (Spoken Weapons Engaged to Revolutionize Viewers Everywhere) volunteered to work with the group’s members to help put their personal stories on paper. Each child identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community. As volunteer teaching artists, I along with my colleagues felt honored to witness their artistry in motion. Along with conducting a series of writing exercises, we coached the kids in several performance techniques to help them transform their words into powerful spoken word pieces.

As each child performed, an electricity filled the air. We could visibly see the catharsis happening within each speaker. Some shook as they spoke, others had the courage to cry. Some screamed to the ceiling while others whispered into the microphone. All forms of expression were welcomed and received. An unintended benefit of witnessing these children perform their work was the creative inspiration it gave myself and my colleagues. Seeing these children perform their words and accept each exercise with an immense enthusiasm, gave my colleagues and I a fresh perspective into the true power of the spoken word.

Today, I personally carry this experience in my heart as a reminder of the importance of renewing one’s love for the arts. Since the experience, I realize that as artists we never stop learning. I realize that artists need other artists; our energy fueling one another to create work that not only changes the world, but changes ourselves. It’s an epiphany that has impacted my life profoundly, and I have the kids of Cincinnati GLSEN to thank for such an important lesson.