Twenty-twenty was definitely an interesting year for all of us. There was the lingering potential of World War III, which never really happened; the world was thrown in a global pandemic and we were all forced to quarantine inside, learning to live a brand new lifestyle of mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing. Black people were shot and protests were ignited, influencing another historic moment in the Black Lives Movement, and then the elections happened. 

It certainly was a crazy year, full of surprises, revelations, grief, and a lot of learning. I certainly learned a lot this year. I realized I was in a relationship I didn't deserve, with someone who didn't treat me right. I had the courage to leave my job and look for other work I wanted to do. And I finally got into a school in New York City. When 2020 had started, I had the mindset of "New Year, New Me" and I thought I was going to flourish in my relationship and career. But, this was the year I lost, I failed, and I grew up. 

I was pushed back with struggles - I was faced with fear, uncertainty, and a mental instability. I have no idea what to expect, or what to do now. With my school in New York, I had hopes of moving there to start a new life and finally find the breakthrough in my career. But not everything comes into fruition and not all plans work out. The spread of COVID had become dangerous that a second wave had swept across the city. It was a life or death risk that I wasn't willing to take at the time. The only thing I can do is be patient. 

Trudging through 2020 was hard. I was faced with an uncertainty when my mother was tested positive for the virus. I had the ubiquitous concern that maybe I had it, that I was asymptomatic. That perhaps I was being irresponsible. Although it turned out she contracted it from her work, it still gave me anxiety and self-doubt. On top of that, I left my job and lost friends, lost a relationship I thought was going to work out, and lost money paying my school. I was at a dead-end. 

The silver lining that I found when I was plunged into the bottom of the deep-end was that I reconnected with an old friend. Sangeeta had helped through a few boy-problems in the past, as well was supported me when I was facing personal issues, and I the same for her. We were best friends during my time at community college, hanging out in various spots in our town and she even took me to my first concert where I watched Travis Scott strapping himself to a rollercoaster and riding in a loop.

2020 was like a tsunami that unexpectedly swept us away. Hopefully not too far as we begin to walk back to normalcy with the new vaccine that's slowly distributing across the globe. Other than reconnecting a valuable friendship, I also got good grades in my classes in the Fall, and I'm working on re-launching my zine The Wallflower (finally!). My team is gradually coming together, and I have bright hopes for the future of my publication. Go check it out if you haven't already! 

I have a feeling that 2021 will be better – not just for me but for everyone else. We just have to keep manifesting good vibes and positive energy. I hope all of you had a fantastic [and responsible] new year's celebration. As we enter a new year and a new month, let's carry on forward, set ourselves new goals and new mindsets, and let's make the best of 2021!

Since reading Shakespeare in secondary school, and briefly touching upon the war poems of Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, the seed of my love for poetry was soiled. But it didn't grow the same way that my love for books grew. I've since been following Instagram-famous poets such as Atticus, Rupi Kaur, and r.h.sin, and as much as I read and adore some of their poetry, I sometimes think to myself is this considered "real" poetry?

What is considered "real poetry" anyway? Poetry is art through language and, like many other art forms we know of, there's no real meaning, real purpose, real anything. It is simply a unique and creative creation that we make and we enjoy – and since everyone is unique in their own way (differing opinions, experiences, and perspectives on life), everyone has a different understanding of what is considered "art". So, in truth, there really is nothing in this world that would finitely define what "real poetry" is. 

For me, what I consider "real poetry" is something that takes me into another world or through an experience. Like how when I'm reading a book, I'm immersed in that universe through the imagery and language: the distinct voices and traits of the characters, the rich narration, and vividness of the descriptions. Poetry that is able to do that, and sound like a song sung from the tongue, is what I consider "real poetry". 

However, the poets like the ones I mentioned – Rupi Kaur, r.h. sin, Atticus, as well as Nikita Gill and Courtney Peppernell – all produce poetry that seem generic. Ones that follow the same themes and motifs of self-love and terrible relationships and heartbreak, or - even worse, imo - going into the "manic pixie dreamgirl" where it's like "she used to drink the wine / like how she used to love me" or something like that (basically anything by Atticus). From what I've read in their aesthetic looking poetry books and beautifully designed Instagram posts, they all seem to use the same recycled words of "she", "love", "drug", etc. and follow the same pattern or "design frame". 

Poetry is one of the most beautiful art forms, and perhaps my favourite, but with the new wave of Insta-poets, I feel this art form has been filtered down into commercialized poetry. 

Commercialized poetry? How I see it, it's poems that are a short and quick read that is direct and objective so anyone can read it/be universally understood. To me, this goes against the subjectivity and poetic language that poetry is well known for; as pointed out by this article. I don't want to say that poetry is an academia (which I don't think it is), but Insta-poems have ruined the core and true artistic nature of poetry that I grew up learning about through Shakespeare, Sylvia Plath, and Emily Dickinson. 

I applaud Rupi Kaur and Atticus for pioneering this new wave of poets and bringing poetry to the mainstream media, making it as popular as it was before the age and evolution of technology. But the fact that poetry had to be dialed down into something more consumable for readers, rather than as the complex expression of the nature of the artist, just kind of shows that, really, there is a lack of appreciation for poetry. 

Maybe people have different ways of expressing themselves, but something that I noticed was how easy it was to create an Instagram handle, type a bunch of words about falling in love whilst drunk on a plain white background, and become an Insta-poet - this guy did it, and he did it successfully.  

I think that there are many other great poets who definitely deserve more recognition in the mainstream, some of which includes Solmaz Sharif (she wrote a fantastic collection of poems that played with fragmentation and white space), Eileen Myles, Mary Oliver, and Jericho Brown (whose collection of poems "The Tradition", won the Pulitzer Prize in literature). If you want to take a break from short, forward, and generic Insta-poems, I highly recommend looking into these poets! 

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think Insta-poets are too generic and commercialized? Or is it just a new way to express in poetry? 

Since the pandemic began and we were pushed into lockdown, our mental health has been greatly impacted. Some of us have to experience isolation, stay indoors, some of us have lost our jobs, our businesses, and some of us are suffering financially and emotionally. With quarantine put back in place, a lot of people are spending this Thanksgiving apart, through Zoom, or social distancing.

I know that many of you are perhaps experiencing Zoom or screen fatigue, or are perhaps feeling depressed, lonely, tired, bored, etc. It's hard to take care of yourself, let alone celebrate a huge holiday and another upcoming one, when you're confined within four walls. 

Despite the distance, we're all still connected through technology! Whether it's Zoom or FaceTime, sending memes on Snapchat, sharing and liking photos and videos on Instagram, and messaging on Facebook, just know that you are not alone. I hope that this Thanksgiving, you took advantage of this revelation in our generation to be responsible and keep your families and friends safe and distanced. It's not easy being so far apart from the people you love, but I hope you all did the right thing in taking the precautions in light of coronavirus!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is just around the corner. Things will definitely be different, and some traditions have to adapt for the circumstances. You may feel lost, depressed, hopeless... but I curated a list of tips to help you survive the Holidays in this time of uncertainty. 

It may feel like things will be different this Christmas and New Years, but that shouldn't stop us from moving forward and at least enjoy the remaining time of 2020! When facing with uncertainty, the very first step you need to do is to take care of yourself. Take care of your body and especially your mind. I've been trying to stay active by going for walks, particularly around this huge field outside my house - it's a nice breathe of fresh air, especially after finishing three consecutive Zoom classes!

One thing I've been trying to push myself to do, and perhaps something you may consider, is to try therapy. I've tried therapy once before when something very personal happened to me and has helped a lot; I've heard many great things about it. I stopped going because of its high costs, but I learned only recently that universities offer free counseling to students. If your college or institution offer free counseling, take advantage of that! Talking to a professional and receiving professional guidance may help. 

As a writer, journaling and writing also helps me, not just keep myself sane, but take care of my mind and improve my writing skills. I try to write poems as much as I can, following a goal I set myself this month which was to start working on a manuscript / putting together a poetry collection. That's another step you can also take in this weird time in your life: set yourself some goals. Whether they're big and ambitious, or small and easily achievable. Having a goal or a set of goals gives you a purpose, and helps drive you forward when you feel stuck. 

Plan your days. Writing to-do lists and writing a plan for each day helps, just like the previous point, give you a sense of purpose and a drive. I have a workflow of using my daily and weekly planner to plan each day and the conceptualize my week. It's helped keep me organized and productive for school (especially as I'm taking 5 classes this semester). I've been meaning to write a piece on the PassionPlanner - I guess that's one thing I can add to my plan for this week!

The past couple months, I've also been buying and reading a lot of books. Reading helps feed and nurture the mind, and has definitely helped in improving and finding my writing style – as Virginia Woolf said, 

"Read a thousand books and your words will flow like a river."

(It's so poetic!)

Since my November goal is to put together a manuscript of poetry, I've mostly been reading poetry books. I recently bought Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky (an interesting epic on the politics of war and democracy - you can read more here), and House of Light by Mary Oliver. I'll definitely write reviews about them - I don't think I've ever written a review on a poetry collection, but that also another thing I can add to my list!

Of course not all these advice are for everyone - we all have different ways of coping or taking care of ourselves. I hope all of you are doing it the healthy way, and I also hope some of these advice help you in some way. If you have any piece of advice to staying sane and healthy and taking care of yourself, list them in the comments below 😃

It's not always easy to take care of yourself, especially if you feel trapped like most of us are feeling in the midst of this pandemic. But, always remember, this just a temporary setback and things will return to normal, if not better, eventually! 

Some words of encouragement: stay strong, and keep ploughing forward.

December book announcement!

With all the stress and anxieties of starting classes in a completely new and different environment, and the overwhelm of working a retail job and finishing up my associates, I'm all burnt out. This past couple months have hit me hard and have dragged me down into a fairly low point of this year; but determined to set my mind up for the right direction and get myself prepared for a whole new semester, I needed some space to getaway and reset myself. 

The Imagine Museum

I saw a video of this one incredible installation that was mind-bending to watch, and when I found out that this was at The Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, I just already knew this was at the top of the list of galleries and museums to visit. 

It is a museum filled with cool and amazing glass sculptures and a few paintings. There were a few sculptures who really played around with the textures of the glass: made it soft, created illusions, or made their art and sculptures with different mediums. It was an extraordinary experience and I wish I could share the entire exhibition, but these were some of the works that really captured me.  

Sunken Gardens

Another place we visited was this beautiful garden that was as lush as a tropical paradise! It was filled with gorgeous greenery, tall trees, and colorful flowers - it was like walking through the Garden of Eden! It was full of life and mother nature, and it was probably one of my favorite attractions. It was another incredible experience - minus the extreme heat and humidity of Florida that dampened my cardigan and jeans with sweat! 

I was definitely excited for a trip to the famous beaches like Clearwater, Treasure Island, Madeira, and St. Petersburg beach as well as see the Sky Bridge! Unfortunately, not all sightings were able to be fitted into this weekend trip. Hopefully, the next time we will visit we'll be able to go to those places!

Of course, we are still under a pandemic - but we made sure we brought our masks and hand sanitizers! 

Have you been anywhere interesting this past summer? Or do you have an exciting trips in the future?